Volunteer Teams
CONTINUING THE VOLUNTEER LEGACY
The Gem of the Hills is calling out to you, our valuable members, to reignite the legacy of volunteerism at our Community Center.
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The Gem was originally built, maintained and supported by volunteers, and as our community grows the services provided by the Gem of the Hills are growing, too. Join us in connecting with the community by volunteering your time at the Gem on one or more of our volunteer programs. We can guarantee you will meet members who are fun, talented and dedicated to enriching our community through volunteer work. The work can also be fun, interesting and possibly challenging or physical, but it’s up to you to select the program, timing and energy level you can contribute.
Our goal is to develop a task force of volunteers to help protect, promote and improve our beautiful 25-acre campus and buildings. Many of you already volunteer, and we truly value your time and commitment and hope you consider all the opportunities we are presenting here. We also want to expand our talented base of volunteers to help create new and exciting offerings for all.
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Please take a moment to fill out our short survey here. Let us know how you can help. You can sign up for one opportunity or many. It’s up to you, your time and your ability. We welcome all levels of volunteers!
Volunteer Team Descriptions
Programs Team
Programs are offered to support Hill Country Living, to build community and provide topics of many different areas of interest to our members and the community. We’re calling for volunteers to help with developing ideas for programs, scheduling presenters, organizing specific events and helping with setting up and tearing down. Some current programs are: Reading Between the Wines, Hill Country land management, Passport to Longevity, Health & Wellness Education.
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HINT: The list is unlimited and sparked by your imagination—do you have a program in mind or a talent you can share with the community? We welcome your contributions as a Gem volunteer!
Audio Visual
Many events and programs require an audio-visual system. We’re calling for volunteers to set up and operate the AV system for events on a rotational or as-needed basis.
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HINT: If you have a knack for technology or computer sound systems, this is your volunteer gig!
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Event & Fundraising Team
Events and fundraising are vital to the continued financial health of the Gem. These are ticketed events that are usually offered to members only. Some can also be offered to the public with a discounted rate for members. For example, Indie Film Nite in Blanco is the Gem’s flagship fundraising event. We are planning to add more events to the lineup in 2024 as we celebrate our 40th year.
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HINT: Do you enjoy Party Planning? Do you have experience with fundraising, for example, as a Mom or Dad of a high schooler or how about with Girl Scout Cookie sales? Perfect! Come join our volunteer team!
Building Maintenance Team
Since we are heavily dependent on volunteers in and around the building and grounds, “handy man” jobs are plentiful.
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HINT: Can you swing a hammer, change a light bulb, replace a flapper valve in the loo? You get the picture, right? If yes, this is the volunteer opportunity of your dreams!
Gym at the Gem Team
The Gym is a professional workout space for members only, and it has proven to be one of our major income sources. We’re seeking a team of volunteers to help with tasks such as monitoring the cleaning schedules and assessing equipment to ensure everything is in good working condition.
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HINT: Are you already a member of the Gym? This would be a perfect volunteer opportunity for you!
Office Support Team
Budgeting constraints limit our office staff to one part-time employee—not a lot, especially considering our recent growth! We’re calling for a group of volunteers to help in and around the office with basic office support on an as-needed basis, maybe even filling in during our office manager’s much needed vacation so we don’t have to close the Gem’s office!
HINT: If you have basic office skills, you’re the perfect volunteer for this opportunity!
Landscape Team
Our 25-acre campus includes a combination of landscape and garden areas around the Activity Center and Pavilion that need occasional mowing, weeding and planting of the garden areas. We’re seeking a group of volunteers who can be called upon to participate as teams to help accomplish these tasks. The Blanco County Master Gardeners are a terrific resource for the Gem, but once the gardens are planted, they need to be maintained by our Landscape Team.
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HINT: Are you a Master Gardener or even a gardening hobbyist? Great volunteer opportunity for you!
Nature Trail Team
The Nature Trail Team is different from the Landscape Team because we focus on protecting our native wildlife, trees and plants within the Native Areas, including our Bird Watching Station and water feature. A basic knowledge of the natural environment, native plants and systems is good to have, but even a willingness to learn is equally welcome! We have amazing volunteers who are excited to share their knowledge of the ecosystem. The Highland Lakes Master Naturalists often volunteer on the trails and natural areas and the Nature Trail Team will work closely with them.
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HINT: Are you a Master Naturalist, Master Gardener or member of the Native Plant Society of Texas? Or would you like to learn more about these groups and the natural environment at the Gem? This is a perfect volunteer opportunity for you!
If you can help even if it’s only once in a blue moon, please sign up. Let us know if you have a specific skill you wish to add, and the best time you are available to help. We welcome all volunteers whether or not you can commit to a regular schedule or on an ad hoc basis. We will be most grateful!