Volunteer
Job Description
FROM: https://www.volunteer.gov/s/volunteer-opportunity/a093d000000kkEoAAI/general-assistance
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ADDRESS: Rend Lake; 11981 Rend City Road; Benton, Illinois 62812-9803
DEPT: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
DATES: 4/1/2023 – 11/14/2023
DESCRIPTION:
Rend Lake, located in Benton, IL is seeking individuals or couples to fill two General Assistance positions for the 2023 recreation season.
Rend Lake is seeking individuals or couples to fill two General Assistance positions for Rend Lake for the 2023 recreation season beginning April 1st and ending November 7th. If using an offered RV site, Hosts must provide their own RV/Travel Trailer and may reside on a designated campsite inside Volunteer Village located within South Marcum Campground for the duration of the season. Site amenities include water, sewer, and electric. Internet access is available at the Rend Lake Visitor Center less than 5 min. drive away.
General Assistance Volunteers participate in a variety of tasks and activities throughout the year. General Assistance Volunteer positions are determined by both volunteer interests and project needs. If you are someone who loves people and animals or maybe you have a skill such as gardening, metal working, painting, crafting, arboriculture, woodworking, or presenting educational programs, we’d love to have you! In addition to volunteer tasks that contribute to the day-to-day operation of Rend Lake, there are also a number of volunteer tasks that correlate with the seasons and various special events. Examples of special events and programs that an individual can volunteer for include: the Christmas tree fish habitat program, the Earth Day Celebration, tree planting, planting and upkeep of flower beds, the Rend Lake Beach Blast, Rend Lake’s Annual Cleanup/National Public Lands Day Celebration and the Rend Lake Deer Hunt for Persons with Disabilities. If you are interested in volunteering, please reach out with any questions you may have, many projects are on hold pending volunteers to implement them!
DUTIES
Duties are dependent on the volunteer’s skills/interests and the needs of the project.
All volunteers must wear issued volunteer clothing.
Sample duties may include but are not limited to:
1. Inspect trails for downed trees and safety hazards.
2. Maintain trails in accordance with prescribed standards.
3. Assist Rangers with day-to-day maintenance.
4. Answer visitor questions regarding recreation opportunities.
5. Inform visitors of park rules, regulations, and policies.
6. Collect comment cards and surveys.
7. Perform general maintenance (painting, repairing, etc.) on facilities, signs, and bulletin boards around the project.
8. Relay complaints, compliance issues, overcrowding, and maintenance actions to Park Ranger staff.
9. Present Interpretive programs to visitors and campers.
10. Plant trees, flowers, general maintenance of pollinator gardens etc.
11. Assist in invasive species removal.
12. Staff the Visitor Center.
13. Construct or assist with construction of various woodworking and/or metal working projects i.e. bird boxes, wildlife nesting boxes, benches, split rail fencing, raised garden beds etc.
14.Conduct wildlife surveys.
15. Staff special events.
16. Design flyers and public outreach posters.
17. Photography.
QUALIFICATIONS
1. Prior camping experience.
2. Prior experience with customer service.
3. Ability to sit or stand for significant periods of time.
4. Friendly, cheerful, organized, and professional manner.
5. Basic administrative skills.
6. Basic maintenance skills.
7. Physical ability to lift approximately 30 pounds and carry for 25 feet.
8. Desire to meet and interact with people from varied backgrounds.
9. Appearance should be neat and reflect positively on the Corps.
10. Ability to remain calm in busy situations.
11. Visually able to spot safety hazards and take prompt appropriate action to correct in accordance with training provided.
SKILLS
Backpacking/Camping
Biology
Carpentry
Clerical/Office Machines
Computer Programming
Conservation Education
Drafting/Graphics
Drivers License
Fish/Wildlife
General Assistance
Hand Power Tools
Heavy Equipment
Landscaping/Reforestation
Office/Clerical
Other Trade Skills
Photography
Public Speaking
Teaching
Visitor Information
Working with People
Writing/Editing
WORK ENVIRONMENT
Volunteers will work both independently and with USACE staff, volunteers, and contractors. Work will be dependent on volunteer interests and project needs.
Free full hookups (water, sewer, and electric) provided in exchange for 20 hours service per individual per week and 32 hours per couple per week.
The lake is located within a 15–20-minute drive of restaurants, grocery stores, retail stores, and auto repair shops, entertainment venues, and medical facilities. The average high temperature occurs in July (90° F) and the average low occurs in January (21° F). On average, Rend Lake has 210 sunny days and gets 41.1 inches of rain per year.