Needing a change of scenery? Wanting to mobilize your body and do good for others? Looking to cultivate some good karma?
If the answer to these questions is YES, then consider arranging a volunteer stay at The Mountain!
Volunteering at The Mountain is a wonderful, budget friendly way to enjoy this special place! Here is how it works….spend half your day in volunteer service and the other half relaxing, exploring, retreating. Your talents, skills, and interests are matched with a variety of tasks and projects we need done onsite, both the retreat center at the top and the farm at the base. Come for one day or consider longer term service. We provide housing, meals and magnificent scenery to our volunteers.
We accept volunteers of all kinds – folks in transition, retirees, young adults taking a gap year or needing service hours, adventurers with spunk…
We have an application and screening process to find the best match of volunteers and tasks.
Our Mountain community is powered by the generosity and energy of our supporters, especially our amazing and talented volunteers. Volunteer services save money, fortify staff efforts, and the benefits are substantial, with over 4,000 volunteer hours donated each year!
Working side-by-side with Staff, you can contribute in significant ways to the spirit and benefits of our Mountain by becoming a volunteer.
All selected volunteers must pass a background check. This background check is necessary as volunteers will be working directly with youth and adult Mountain Retreat and Learning Center guests.
Farm
The Many Hands Peace Farm (MHPF) is a two acre farm and food forest that supports the Mission of The Mountain Retreat and Learning Center. By providing educational opportunities for guests, growing food for our community, and conscientiously stewarding the natural world around us, MHPF seeks to inspire people of all ages, transform lives, and build a more compassionate, connected world.
Located at the entrance to our campus on sunny, open land, the farm consists of multiple field plots with rich soil, a small propagation greenhouse, a hoophouse for season extension, a composting area, a young food forest, abundant native and perennial landscaping, and a historic stable building used for poultry and tool storage. We farm with respect for the interdependent web of life, using regenerative farming techniques and permaculture principles, such as limited tillage, cover cropping, integrated pest management, composting, and mulching. The farm aims to preserve the health of the soil, water, and diverse ecosystems on our site in the Southern Appalachian Mountains.
The Mountain currently partners with WWOOF to provide training, housing, and meals for volunteers interested in learning about sustainable agriculture. You can find more information at our WWOOF host site and apply to volunteer via that link or using the form above.
Office
Responsible for greeting guests, room set-ups, community social time management, general logistical support and after-hours duties as appropriate and applicable (may involve kitchen and housekeeping duties, as well), driving Mountain vehicles for guest transport and shuttles.
Maintenance
Responsible for general repair and upkeep of facilities and equipment including groundskeeping, light carpentry and plumbing, painting and trash/recycling collection.
Guest Services
Responsible for housekeeping- guest living spaces, meeting space set-up, etc.
Kitchen
Responsible for assisting in the preparation of nutritious meals; including dining set up and clean up duties (food service experience helpful, but not necessary).
Host
Responsible for overseeing group needs during a Mountain Program.
