HEARTS Collaborative, Inc.

HEARTS is currently enlisting volunteers to serve as docents at the Hugh Torance House and Store located in Huntersville, NC. This volunteer opportunity is an excellent service experience for those with an interest in history!

A docent is a volunteer who acts as a guide and leads tours of a site or museum. 

The Hugh Torance House and Store is open every Sunday, February 1st thru December 15th, from 1pm until 4pm and provides what they call "guided living history tours" of the circa 1779 homesite to registered and walk-in visitors.

Between two (2) to five (5) docents will be scheduled for volunteer service at a time, depending on the number of expected site visitors for that given day. 

Expectations for Volunteer Docents:

• Arrive on your scheduled volunteer day at the designated time to unlock gates and doors, and to prepare the site for visitors to arrive using a provided opening checklist.
• Dress in attire appropriate for the colonial period and assistance with procurement of appropriate attire is provided to volunteers upon their request.
• Check-in registered visitors as they arrive and encourage walk-in visitors to sign the site's guest book to subscribe to our newsletter.
• Guide visitors on a tour of the incredibly well preserved and maintained historical site by following a prepared docent script that outlines the chronological history of the site and of the Torance family. Docents may also choose to re-enact one of the Torance family members and perform tours while embodying that Torance family member as they guide visitors through each room of the house sharing the history of the property and the homesite.
• Perform light housekeeping duties such as dusting cobwebs, sweeping leaves off the floors, and keeping outdoor stairways clear of leaves and other debris.
• Assist in answering questions about the site, the Torance family, and their connections to other prominent historical figures and local families.
• Assist in answering questions about the sites' nonprofit "living history" programing, including our Public and Private Tour Programs, School Tour Program, and our Store Program.
• Assist with the collection of visitors' financial and material donations following a provided procedure. 
• Prepare the site for closure using a provided closing checklist and to lock doors and gates at the site at the designated closing time.

Our current team of docent volunteers is an incredible group of well-respected and recognizable individuals in both the history and performing arts fields. With individuals representing the Mecklenburg Historical Society, the Daughters of the American Revolution, Hollywood and Broadway actors, as well as local history enthusiasts.

Join us to showcase and share the rich history of the Hugh Torance House and Store to ensure its preservation!