Yates Mill is proud to operate with the help of the community we serve. Our volunteers help maintain the park space by maintaining our trails and natural landscape, as well as by assisting our visitors with park offerings.
Become a Volunteer!
How to Apply
To learn more about becoming a Yates Mill park volunteer, please contact volunteer coordinator DeLayne Jolly at delayne.jolly@wake.gov or at 919-856-5635.
OR
Fill out the volunteer application and submit via email or in person at the park's reception desk, and we will reach out to you.
Volunteer of the Year
Congratulations to Arlene Lord, Historic Yates Mill’s 2023 Volunteer of the Year! During her more than 10 years of service to the park, Arlene has been an impactful volunteer. She has given more than 940 hours to the park, helping with corn grinding weekends, volunteering at the reception desk, and more. She's also organized multiple craft sales to support Yates Mill Associates (the nonprofit organization that operates and maintains the mill), raising thousands of dollars over the years. She always makes visitors feel warmly welcomed, and she makes park staff smile whenever she's here.
Thank you, Arlene!
Volunteer Opportunities
Reception Desk: Help Yates Mill County Park by volunteering at the front desk. Our reception desk volunteers provide a friendly face to visitors while answering questions in person and over the phone and being knowledgeable about park rules, resources, and programs. Our reception desk volunteers allow park staff to take care of other duties and check on the park while knowing our visitor center is in safe hands. This is one of our areas of greatest need, especially on weekends.
Landscaping, Gardening, and Trail Maintenance: We need help keeping our park's natural spaces beautiful and the plants that live here healthy. Help to pull weeds, remove invasive species, keep trails clear, and water gardened areas.
Other opportunities to volunteer might include assisting with programming, doing historical research, or preparing supplies for school groups. Let us know your interests and abilities and we can try to find the best opportunity for you.
Please note that any volunteers who work with children (including reception desk volunteers) must be background checked per Wake County policy.
Volunteer Opportunities for Groups
If you have a group of people interested in coordinating a volunteer workday, please contact DeLayne Jolly at delayne.jolly@wake.gov with your group information and interests. Previous group volunteer workdays have included pulling of invasive species, gardening sessions, and clearing saplings and other unwanted plants from overgrown landscaped areas. Group volunteer sessions can be paired with a guided tour or program.