Volunteer Roles Of All Kinds

Below are all of the roles that it takes to produce the Spirit of Beacon Day. If you would like to apply to be a volunteer, click here.

Volunteer Meetings

Volunteer Meetings are on Tuesdays at 7pm in the Howland Public Library and also run on Zoom. This is a time for Volunteers to come together to report back on how everything is going in the timeline. It is not mandatory to attend in person. We are text-friendly! But it is a nice time to connect and catch up. Regular meetings begin in August. The 2023 Zoom link is here.

Board Members

Board Members are the final decision makers on matters from administrative details to visionary theme for the day. They hear from everyone - the public, Committee Members and Volunteers - to make the day special and thoughtful.

Chairperson and President: Katie Hellmuth
Serves as a creative on the team, as well as an administrative role. See the parade and Main Street experience clearly as broad vision, and direct programming for the various components as it relates to that year’s theme. Communicates with Beacon City School District Schools and PTOs to communicate theme and answer float/march questions. Serves with the mission in mind of the roots and mission of the original Spirit of Beacon Day: to create ways for the youth and everyone to know and understand each other for peace and growth.

Secretary: Jeana Pearl Fletcher
Organizes the Vendor tables and Parade lineup using a combination of skills from ninja Excel to beautiful visual layouts of the vendor and parade lineups. Writes Meeting Minutes. Maintains awareness of all volunteer departments. Writes or edits the newsletters being sent to the public or internally to volunteer groups to keep everyone informed and encouraged. Serves with the vision of the Spirit of Beacon Day in focus, and contributes to all decision making.

Treasurer: Jennifer Garfield-Abrams
Keeps an eye on finances and overseas bookkeeping. Keeps track of planning details for securing necessary equipment for the day. Schedules tasks that need to be done, from porta-potty rentals to award plaques to tax submissions. Serves with the vision of the Spirit of Beacon Day in focus, and contributes to all decision making.

Board Member: Junior Zayed Dabashi
Contributes to sponsorship ideas and outreach. Serves as liaison between businesses, City and Spirit of Beacon Day to make sure voices are heard and honored. Coordinates production for merchandise to sell and give away. Helps conceptualize the pop-up experiences around town. Serves with the vision of the Spirit of Beacon Day in focus, and contributes to all decision making.

Board Member: Ali T. Muhammad
Keeps the overall vibe of the day running through different communities who live in Beacon. Reaches out to creative groups for involvement and performances. Provides guidance from a municipality level on how to run the day smoothly. Serves with the vision of the Spirit of Beacon Day in focus, and contributes to all decision making.

Volunteers

Committee Member positions are people with a leadership role of a volunteer department. These people will serve in a year-long capacity for planning. Most of that heavy lifting effort happens between June and September, but planning in our minds is ongoing.

Volunteers Coordinator: (OPEN)

  • Keep track of all volunteers to know what they are signed up for.

  • Create schedule with days and times for which Volunteers can sign up for. Some volunteer jobs will be more specific than others with time.

  • Sign paperwork for those volunteers who need to submit their volunteer hours.

  • Write updates we can email to the volunteers as needed.

Stage Manager for Main Stage: Goldee Green

  • Coordinate details needed for the main stage at Veterans Place, and other official Spirit of Beacon Pop-Up Experiences.

  • Liaison with businesses around the stage to let them know what to expect.

  • Liaison with the City of Beacon or the Chairperson to do so as needed for any permission requests.

  • Secure and manage Volunteers as needed.

Stage Managers for other Pop-Up Experiences Around Town (OPEN)

  • Create and curate the Pop-Up Experiences around town (approximately 4 locations), which help spread people out throughout Beacon, and give more people a chance to share their cultural and artistic outlets with the community.

  • Work closely with the Chairperson to get this done.

  • Secure and manage Volunteers as needed to be at the Pop-Up Experiences the day of the event to make sure everything runs smoothly.

We are all volunteers for this yearly effort, but these Volunteers serve in a capacity that is more “boots on the ground.,” physically going places either on the big day, or in days or weeks leading up to it.

Graphic Design: Allie Bopp and Katie James, Inc.; ReMark Printing, JokerInk

  • Create and submit graphic art as needed for items including yard signs, the event program, banner(s), hats, bottles.

  • Liaison with printer to submit art and follow through to production.

  • Design images to be posted on Instagram that convey an important message.

  • Make updates to this website as needed, for events, news, and milestones.

Social Media Publisher: (OPEN)

  • Assist Chairperson Katie in running the Instagram, and any other social platform you bring to the table.

PR Dynamos: Goldie Green for Press Releases, Melissa Shae for Radio

  • Write and send Press Releases to the media, including the Beacon Free Press, Highlands Current, Poughkeepsie Journal, A Little Beacon Blog (ALBB already knows what’s going on via Katie), and national media outlets if there is a national angle.

Parade Coordinators: (OPEN)

  • Guiding all parade participants to their spots.

  • Answering questions on the spot about the needs of parade participants on the day of the parade.

  • Working with City of Beacon Police to keep streets cleared and people informed.

  • Guide cars and groups of people to their designated spot on Wolcott Avenue during the pre-parade lineup.

  • Distribute donated bottled water to those in need who forgot water (always bring your own water! it’s hot!)

  • Pick up trash as you see it.

Yard Sign Distribution (OPEN)

  • Hammer in yard signs in Beacon, Cold Spring, Fishkill, Wappingers Falls.

  • Remove yard signs after event. Keeps the good ones for possible use the following year.

Table Sitters (OPEN..in addition to Carmen Johnson)

  • Sit at a vendor table Spirit of Beacon Day is participating in. Get future volunteer signups, newsletter signups, sell merchandise with cash or credit card provided by Spirit of Beacon Day.

  • Upcoming Event Dates: Strawberry Festival, Juneteenth, Back To School Block Party, Spirit of Beacon Day, Pumpkin Festival.

  • Be able to set up the table.

Main Street Vendor Table Helpers (OPEN)

  • Guide people to their vendor table spots so they can set up.

  • Walk between tables to make sure vendors have what they need, and people are respecting walking flow.

  • Pick up trash as you see it.

Kids + Teen Entertainment: (OPEN)

For Pop-Up Experiences that kids and teens can interact with:

  • Facepainters

  • Braiding

  • Balls and games

  • Musical instruments and dancing

  • Hula-hooping

  • What else?

All Volunteers, Committee Members

  • Trash pickup at the end of the day after vendor tables have cleared out. Walk up and down Main Street to make sure clean.