Hermitage Volunteers

Friends of the Hermitage is the volunteer support organization that is so vital to our work. With a professional staff of six, we could not possibly accomplish all that is necessary to run the operation without the help from our intrepid volunteers. It’s fun, it’s rewarding, and it’s providing a needed service to the community.

WE’VE GOT A JOB AT THE BEACH FOR YOU!

Grounds and Building Maintenance
Help keep our campus looking great. We have volunteers who love to garden and with our 8.5 acres, we have plenty of property in which they can garden. While we hire a professional service to mow the lawn and trim trees, the decorative plantings are in the domain of our volunteers. Other Friends are quite handy and with five old buildings directly on the seashore, there is always something that needs to be fixed.

Events
Volunteer at beach readings, open studios, exhibits and fundraisers. Friends volunteer to help us set up and clean up after our events. They also collect names and contact information of attendees for our mailing list.

Hermitage Scrapbook
Organize and scrapbook the Hermitage story. We are making our history every day. Our scrapbookers archive our press and media, as well as any other record of our activities for posterity. And posterity will appreciate their work, for once this kind of historical record is lost, it is very difficult if not impossible to recreate.

Transportation and Shopping
Drive our artists to the airport. Life at the Hermitage is dynamic. Artists are arriving and departing all the time. That means many runs to Sarasota and Ft. Myers airports. We bless our drivers every day for this service. We pay the gas. You get to be the first Hermitage people our artists meet when they arrive, and the last they see when they leave. In between, drive them on errands.

Administration Support
Support our office staff with data entry and special projects. We live or die by our databases. They are our key for communicating with the outside world. Our Friends help us with data entry, and numerous other projects that seem to pop up on a regular basis.

Get the Word Out
Spread the word about the Hermitage by attending events and bringing friends. Our Friends are among our major ambassadors in the community and they bring more friends to our Friends.

Join the Party
Meet new people and have fun at the beach. Let’s face it, if you have to volunteer your time, there are worse gigs than getting to know world-class artists and being at one of the most beautiful places in the area. The public is not normally allowed on the Hermitage campus, but our Friends work alongside us and get to share the perks we enjoy every day.

Become a Friend of the Hermitage
Interested in joining our community? To find out more about volunteering and supporting the Hermitage, contact:
Sydney Ladendecker
Executive Assistant/Residency Coordinator
info@HermitageArtistRetreat.org
941-475-2098, ext. x5