VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
Historic Salem is one of America's oldest civic historic preservation groups, working actively since 1944 to preserve Salem's rich architectural legacy and educate the community on the value of its historic resources. Our work requires the talents of many volunteers. If you have the time, we have a volunteer role for you! Below you will find a list of our Committees, their roles and talents they need. If you are interested in lending a hand, or two, please send us a note at [email protected]. Please include your name, phone number and Committee of interest.
OUR COMMITTEES
PRESERVATION COMMITTEE
What we do:
BRICK COMMITTEE
What We Do:
Our mission is to encourage the City of Salem to embrace the idea that brick sidewalks are an integral and significant part of Salem’s historic aesthetic.
What We Need:
Volunteers who are disappointed by the hodgepodge of paving materials that diminish the charm of Salem's historic districts and who want the historic brick sidewalks to be preserved and maintained?
Join our team of volunteers and help us in our effort to have the City of Salem ensure public safety on its brick sidewalks.
HOUSE HISTORY/PLAQUE PROGRAM COMMITTEE
What we do:
EDUCATION AND PROGRAMMING COMMITTEE
What we do:
DEVELOPMENT/COMMUNICATIONS COMMITTEE
What we do:
CHRISTMAS IN SALEM COMMITTEE
What we do:
What we do:
- Advocate on behalf of historic buildings and neighborhoods
- Act as stakeholder in regulatory project reviews
- Draft clear positions on preservation issues
- Ensure that new construction complements historic neighbors
- Partner and develop relationships with the City, neighborhoods, developers and other preservationists in the region.
- Work to expand protections of Historic Resources, for example, the recent strengthening of the Demolition Delay Ordinance.
- Address current issues in the built environment as they relate to preservation (for example, zoning changes, affordability and climate impacts).
- Anyone passionate about preserving historic resources.
- Ask about joining our monthly meetings with in-depth discussions of advocacy activities and/or participating in a sub-committee with focus on individual areas of interest
- Writing, social media or other content creation to publicize our work
- Neighborhood voices that can alert us to preservation concerns
- Individual letter writing that supports our stated positions
BRICK COMMITTEE
What We Do:
Our mission is to encourage the City of Salem to embrace the idea that brick sidewalks are an integral and significant part of Salem’s historic aesthetic.
What We Need:
Volunteers who are disappointed by the hodgepodge of paving materials that diminish the charm of Salem's historic districts and who want the historic brick sidewalks to be preserved and maintained?
Join our team of volunteers and help us in our effort to have the City of Salem ensure public safety on its brick sidewalks.
HOUSE HISTORY/PLAQUE PROGRAM COMMITTEE
What we do:
- Provide research on the history of homes and previous owners /residents at one of 2 levels:
- Tier 1: A Deed Chart: we trace ownership with supporting research and provide a house plaque and a one -year membership to Historic Salem, Inc.
- Tier 2: A House History: we create a 5 to 10 page document providing a social narrative of previous occupants and a contextual history with supporting research. A house plaque and one-year membership to Historic Salem, Inc. is also given to the home owner.
- Individuals with experience doing historical research or the willingness to be mentored and trained to do the research
EDUCATION AND PROGRAMMING COMMITTEE
What we do:
- Produce and host events, talks, and tours related to Salem history, preservation, and the strengths of the HSI community.
- Explain and make accessible preservation, design and historical topics to the general public.
- People with everything from a passion to a curiosity in design, preservation, history, or architecture
- Help to plan and host tours, talks and educational events.
- People who can communicate complex topics in an accessible and understandable way; or want to try.
DEVELOPMENT/COMMUNICATIONS COMMITTEE
What we do:
- Attract new members
- Engage with existing members
- Support grant applications & identify other philanthropic sources of income
- Produce the Annual Meeting and Preservation Awards events
- Manage Annual Fund solicitation
- Ensure the organization’s print, web and social communications are timely and effective
- Help soliciting corporate memberships and corporate sponsorships
- Grant writing experience
- Public relations experience
- Marketing and communications experience with print, web and social media
- PARTY PEOPLE – assistance with planning & producing events
CHRISTMAS IN SALEM COMMITTEE
What we do:
- People have enjoyed seeing Salem homes decorated for the holidays for more than 40 years! Our Christmas in Salem Committee makes holiday magic happen by planning and executing the whole event!
- Planners to help us select a location in Salem for the tour and envision the flow and many components of the tour
- People to solicit advertisers for our tour book that is given to visitors to provide a map and some basic information on each of the homes on the tour
- House Guides to provide commentary to visitors as they tour a home
- House Captains to recruit and support House Guides during the tour
If you are interested in lending a hand, or two, please send us a note at [email protected]. Please include your name, phone number and Committee of interest.