Working with nonprofits, we often get to pitch stories about the incredible people who are a key component of driving nonprofit success: volunteers. Last week, the Teak Media team got to be on the other side of the story, as we had the privilege of volunteering with an amazing local organization, Essex National Heritage Area, at Bakers Island Light.
Built in 1791, the Bakers Island Light Station is located on Bakers Island in Salem Sound and is run by the Essex Heritage Commission. Every Wednesday during the summer, the island welcomes volunteers to help maintain the buildings and grounds, preserving the historic site for years to come.
Bakers Island Light
Our day started bright and early as we boarded our boat from the Salem Ferry and headed out to the island. Fifteen minutes and one very bumpy boat ride later, we landed on the beach and made our way up to the main area that we would be working in. We quickly and eagerly got to work – and as the volunteer coordinator put it, “this team means business.”
The Teak team on their way to the island
We split up into groups and began working on tasks like priming, painting, or caulking the lighthouse keeper’s house, and weeding around the helicopter landing area so it could be painted to make it more visible from the sky. It was great to work with my colleagues in such a different capacity and problem solve the best ways to dig out weeds or paint parts of a home (rather than our usual brainstorming regarding media outreach or strategy). As we often work with nonprofits and socially responsible companies, we’re no strangers to doing work that has an impact and feels good, but seeing the fruits of our physical labor – painting and weeding – was amazing. I know we all went home feeling fulfilled and thrilled that we could contribute to a great cause.
Our team members hard at work! We also got to climb the lighthouse to take in all of our hard work and the amazing view!
It was also incredibly inspiring to hear the stories of some of the other volunteers who were there that day. The lighthouse keepers for the month of July, Sean and Rita, are spending their second summer out on the island working to restore the property and leading volunteers like us through different tasks. A volunteer couple, Jack and Jen, have given their time every week for the past few years and have contributed a lot to this year’s restoration progress. The organization even had a few volunteers who stayed overnight on the island for a few days to help with the various projects.
The power of volunteering was palpable, and we were lucky to be able to help out at Bakers Island Light. It’s always wonderful to see people dedicated to great causes and it was very meaningful that we were able to be a part of the work happening on the island. I know we are all looking forward to our next team volunteering opportunity!
To learn more about volunteer opportunities at Bakers Island Light, see here.
