Volunteers are the first point of contact for patrons who visit Casa Romantica’s historic home and gardens daily. A variety of roles are available as front desk greeters, tour and gallery docents, administrative assistants, and gardeners. Volunteers also support our staff at performances and public events, fulfilling duties as ticketing personnel, ushers, and food and beverage personnel.
Finally, volunteers may participate in our school programs, acting as educators and station supervisors during field trips to Casa Romantica and at our own arts education academies. All volunteers are responsible for communicating our institution’s mission and policies, assisting patrons, answering questions, and providing exceptional hospitality. Each volunteer is required to maintain a minimum of 5 hours per month commitment.
Volunteer Opportunities
Casa Greeters are the face of the Casa, the first people guests see when they enter the Casa doors. Tasks include welcoming guests and sharing general information about the Casa and its history, the gardens, programs, events and membership. They collect and record admissions and record Casa traffic data. We prefer to have two greeters at all times to meet our guests’ needs and to cover each other as needed. Greeters provide the history of the home and direct guests to the permanent and rotating exhibits. They help promote our Special Events and Membership.
Training includes an initial meeting with the Volunteer Director, reviewing the training manual, and shadowing current greeters.
Casa Garden Volunteers make our grounds a local and international attraction. Mondays are the primary gardening days. Gardening begins around 9:00 AM. However, volunteers may arrive any time before 3:00 PM and work as long as conditions or their schedules allow. Garden volunteers must be able to work independently. We ask that you provide your own gloves but we provide tools.
There is an Adopt-A-Garden program for our garden volunteers – they select a particular garden and they are responsible for the maintenance of that area. A sign with the volunteer’s name is put in the garden to give a sense of ownership.
Gift Shop Volunteers work in the gift shop processing daily sales. On occasion, they are asked to restock items, rearrange items, and clean the area or assist with inventory. They need the same knowledge as a greeter. With the gift shop located adjacent to the Discovery Gallery & Museum, they may be asked questions about the displays on the wall.
Casa Docents have an in-depth knowledge of the house, the gardens, and Ole Hanson’s role as founder of San Clemente. Many senior, family, garden, historical, and student groups throughout the county and beyond make reservations to tour the Casa and its gardens. As tours are scheduled, our knowledgeable docents will have the opportunity to sign up to conduct them. When there are insufficient tour opportunities to meet the minimum expected hours, docents are encouraged to contribute time in another capacity.
Steps to become a docent:
1. Let the Volunteer Director know of your desire.
2. Study the tour material provided by the Volunteer Director.
3. Sign up and shadow at least three docent-led tours.
4. Do a Tour for either the Volunteer Director or a VAC Docent.
Education Volunteers help us prepare and deliver presentations to elementary students who visit us annually every spring. We present specific tours and interactive activities that correlate to their classroom curriculum.
Volunteer Application
Volunteers are integral to Casa Romantica’s operations and reputation. If you would like to join our volunteer team, please fill out and submit the application.
