Want to volunteer? The time is right in Lakewood Ranch.

You've been sitting around your Lakewood Ranch home telling your significant other that it is, indeed, time to give back to the community.

But you say you don't know how.

Here's how.

Call 843-415-3436, or send an email to [email protected].

Operators are standing by.

OK, I'm kidding about the operators are standing by part. Actually, the person standing by is Annemarie Neubecker, a Lakewood Ranch Community Fund board member who is assembling a volunteer force for the fund, which raises money that is granted to area nonprofits.

In the past, much of the "volunteer" work performed by the Lakewood Ranch Community Fund has been done by its board members, but over the last year, the fund's board has started a more aggressive strategy of hosting events to assure more money is available to the local nonprofits.

Those two events, The Soirée at the Ranch (Nov. 9 at Lakewood Ranch Country Club) and the Run for the Beads (Feb. 10, 2024 at Waterside Place), need volunteers to grow. In other words, they need you.

The diversity of needs is actually the best part. Do you like setting up chairs and tables for just one day a year because you have a busy schedule and are crushed for time? Annemarie has a job for you.

Perhaps you would like to work one day in February, just pointing runners in the right direction?

Annemarie has a job for you.

Perhaps you can't stand for very long, but would love to sit at a table and take tickets? Maybe design is your thing, and you could decorate the Soirée in a way that would make a five-star hotel jealous? Neubecker said some people are really tech crazy, and that would be a big help.

Some people love to make community connections and would be perfect to help the fund find sponsors. Others have leadership skills and like to be in charge of a team or a unit. Perhaps you have solid administrative skills, which are much needed.

Call 843-415-3436 or send an email to [email protected]. Operators are, well, you know.

Neubecker said that there are plenty of volunteer options for both leaders and worker bees.

And no matter what kind of volunteer lands at the Lakewood Ranch Community Fund, Neubecker said the nonprofit is likely to receive another enormous benefit.

"First and foremost, we are wanting to build awareness of the fund, and one way is to engage people from our Lakewood Ranch communities into our projects," Neubecker said.

Not only does the fund gain volunteers to do some very important tasks, it picks up ambassadors along the way.

"They will be the mouthpiece for the fund," Neubecker said.

Of course, every volunteer task is important.

"We learned that when we had our two major events, because of where we held those events (the Soirée was at Esplanade and the run was at Waterside Place), we could engage those communities in the work. "

But relying on the kindness of one community to fill roles on short notice was not a good strategy for the long run.

Esplanade residents made a huge difference at the Soirée. Event chair Nancy Sykes lives in Esplanade, and that community responded with 35 volunteers to help both the fund and Sykes. Hopefully some of those volunteers will be longtime volunteers no matter where in the area the event is held.

"They did everything from helping with decorations, planning for audio visual, arranging and setting up items for the auction, to working at the event," Neubecker said. "They greeted people and helped to guide them around to different parts of the venue. Some would sell raffle tickets."

She said one benefit of having volunteers registered with the fun is the ability to clearly define roles and even give some training if needed.

"There is a recognition piece," Neubecker said. "They will know what their role is."

It would also allow the fund to perform an orientation of volunteers along with giving them recognition for their effort, a basic "Thank you."

While the Run for the Beads would seem to be more straightforward in terms of tasks, Neubecker said she had a committee of 10 volunteers who served as planners. Ahead of time, volunteers were seeking sponsors, researching awards, and working closely with Fit to Run, the company that manages the run. She said more than 25 volunteers were needed to put on the event, and even that was not enough.

"It was hard to find the right people to volunteer, and in the process, simultaneously plan the event," Neubecker said. "If we had a network, a way to be able to retrieve volunteers, we would be able to pull people from that resource."

Neubecker was asked what makes a good volunteer.

"Someone who is willing to jump in and take on any task," she said. "Someone who has the time, because volunteer work is time consuming."

With that said, she emphasized that volunteers can pick their own time commitment. It could be those who just want to work one day, or it could be those who want to be part of the planning effort.

"We need people who have specific talents," Neubecker said. "An example was a woman on our committee had an eye for color and design, and for the Soirée she arranged the pieces on the table. We want to identify those special talents, and have recognized them ahead of time. We can pull that information."

Neubecker said more Lakewood Ranch Community Fund events are likely on the way.

"Definitely, we have two events now for sure," she said. "There already is discussion for two or three more."

So how do you keep volunteers coming back?

"If you recognize a skill they have, and you capitalize on that. something as simple as having a leadership quality, they will respond," Neubecker said. "We look for something like someone who is persuasive. I saw that last year on my race committee. And we had some challenges."

No matter the skill, Neubecker says she looks for one quality in most volunteers.

"An upbeat personality," she said. "It can be a daunting task to put on a big event, and you want cheerleaders. That is one of the most important features. We don't want a negative person on a committee."

Hopefully, the reward for volunteers is the self-satisfaction that comes with helping the community. 

'I do volunteer tutoring, and I find it so rewarding," Neubecker said. "It is what keeps you coming back, seeing the benefit of your work. Our volunteers for the Soirée, I kept hearing as we were cleaning up, that it was so great. You could feel the energy in the room, a team effort. Everyone felt like they contributed.

"I've been in the volunteer situation where I didn't feel it was worth my time. Having a volunteer feel like they are contributing matters."