And Then a Hero Comes Along…

April 02, 2025| Community, Events, People

By: Caitlin Doran

…with the strength to carry on.
And you cast your fears aside
because you know they’ll take the Block Party in stride!
So, when you feel like hope is gone
ask volunteers who are strong,
and you’ll finally see the truth
that a hero’s in the room!

Mariah Carey likely wasn’t talking about a Block Party Volunteer Coordinator when she wrote her famous song, “Hero”, and I’ve taken creative liberties with the above rewrite of its refrain, but the song is especially relevant to our current need! We are looking for our next Block Party Volunteer Coordinator, to help us prepare for the big event on Saturday, May 17.

The straightforward, weekly actions performed by the Block Party Volunteer Coordinator add up to something heroic: the conducting of a volunteer orchestra that helps us put on Lake Hopatcong’s biggest party!

Here’s what’s involved. Our Block Party Volunteer Coordinator/Hero will look at our weekly Block Party volunteer sign-ups and assign them to a section of the event, based on current needs, as well as volunteers’ stated preferences. They’ll also track volunteer t-shirt sizes and help organize the shirts for distribution. The ideal person will be comfortable with email and simple spreadsheets, enjoy communicating with fellow volunteers, have roughly 30 minutes per week (or a couple hours per month) to spare, and be available both for our in-person volunteer training on the evening of Thursday, May 15, and for the big day!

You can expect lots of help and support! The Block Party Volunteer Coordinator has the full support of our office staff, as well as long-time Block Party Volunteers-in-Charge, seasoned veterans of the eleven-year-old event. You can expect training detailing what previous coordinators have done in the past and how to use the volunteer registration program we utilize, Sign-Up Genius.

This is the perfect opportunity for someone who is organized, lives locally, cares about Lake Hopatcong, wants to give back, and enjoys helping others. We are happy to write the coordinator a letter of recommendation and/or one that captures their community service hours!

If this sounds like you, please email me, Caitlin, and Kari at blockparty@lakehopatcongfoundation.org or give us a call at 973-663-2500. Please feel free to share this with someone you know who may fit the description!