No matter your
skills or talents – or even the limitations to your time, there is always
something important that YOU can help with when it comes to lighthouse
preservation. All it takes for you to make a real and lasting difference is
your willingness to step forward and say, “I want to help!” Whether your
interest or talents are in lighthouse restoration, teaching others about our
lighthouse heritage, fundraising to keep the lights shining or sharing the
message of lighthouse preservation out and about in the community, there is
no shortage of ways for you to help our lights and meet new friends who
share your passion.
Just some of the ways our volunteers
help...
♦ Become an ALF National Chapter –
Regardless if you live in the plains of Oklahoma, cornfields of Nebraska,
the desert regions of Arizona, the Great Lakes or along America’s vast
coastline, you and your friends can become
“keepers” on a mission to help the American Lighthouse Foundation save our
country’s rich lighthouse heritage! No matter where you live –
even next door to a lighthouse, you can become involved today with our
exciting and ever-growing efforts to protect these national treasures.
Learn More...
♦ Preservation –
The American Lighthouse Foundation and its dedicated chapters are always
looking for volunteers who enjoy making a “hands-on” contribution to the
effort of restoring our lighthouses back to their former glory. Regardless
of your skills or talents, you can help. From trade skills to much-needed
basic labor for such things as scrapping paint, washing windows, sweeping
inside the buildings and even cooking for the crew, the ways to contribute
are both numerous and wide ranging. Think about it…what better way to spend
a day than working at a lighthouse, enjoying the seascape and making new
friends? Join our team of lighthouse keepers today!
♦ Museum Docents –
Some volunteers love lighthouses but cannot spend all day working at a
lighthouse or staffing an outreach table, but yet they strongly desire to
contribute to lighthouse preservation and education. If this sounds like
you, the American Lighthouse Foundation has the answer – volunteering at the
Museum of Lighthouse History. While working at the Museum, you not only have
the opportunity to be surrounded by lighthouse history in a controlled
environment, but you also have the wonderful chance to talk with others
about the importance of saving our lighthouse heritage and the vital mission
of the American Lighthouse Foundation. Serving as a docent at the Museum of
Lighthouse History is every bit as rewarding as working at a lighthouse – in
both instances, the duty remains the same…”send out the light!”
♦ Education –
If you are a “people person” and enjoy talking with others, then getting
involved with lighthouse education is for you! Sharing your time with others
to educate them about the history, value and importance of our lighthouse
heritage – and the urgency of saving it today, is an extremely rewarding
facet of the American Lighthouse Foundation’s mission. Lighthouses are
fascinating subject that transcends the barriers of age. Whether seeing
students grow wide-eyed at the mention of harrowing storms or intriguing
lighthouse facts, or observing the smiles of senior citizens as they take a
trip down memory lane, lighthouse education makes a huge impact in the lives
of our friends and neighbors.
♦ Fundraising –
The willingness of volunteers to raise vital funds for lighthouse
preservation and education is probably the most sought-after talent and
desire that an organization has on its “wish list.” Volunteers who are
successful at fundraising – which takes no more than a desire to do so, are
worth their weight in gold to lighthouse preservation. Think about it. What
is the one obstacle that prevents much-needed lighthouse restoration work
from being conducted or organizational growth from being realized? Money.
You do not need to be a businessperson to be effective at fundraising. All
monies – no matter how small, are important. The important thing to remember
is that it is the sum of our team efforts that determines how successful we
are at saving America’s lighthouses. Can you solicit memberships, sell
raffle tickets, staff a merchandise table or ask the places you shop at to
donate? If so, then you are already on your way to becoming one of the
American Lighthouse Foundation’s MVP’s of lighthouse preservation!
♦ Community Events / Outreach –
Any time the American Lighthouse Foundation has a chance to spread the
message of lighthouse preservation to hundreds – if not thousands of people
at the same time, the opportunity must be seized. There is no better way to
make large groups of our friends and neighbors aware of ALF’s mission to
save America’s lighthouse heritage than at community events, ceremonies and
outreaches where crowds are certain to gather. Staffing an outreach table
with volunteers brings together the camaraderie and fun that comes with
interacting with others, while providing invaluable opportunities for
education and fundraising through displays, individual interaction and the
sale of merchandise and memberships. Community Events & Outreach is
something everyone can do – it just takes a willingness to share your
passion for lighthouses!
For more
information on how you can become part of the ALF volunteer team, contact
the American Lighthouse Foundation office by phone
at 207-646-0245 or
Email
volunteer@lighthousefoundation.org
