The Lilac Preservation Project is grateful to all the dedicated volunteers who help to achieve our goal of revitalizing Lilac as a place to learn about our maritime heritage and enjoy exhibits and performances. Your time will be rewarded by seeing the ship brought closer to steaming again and sharing her story with others.
We continued working through the pandemic with COVID-19 protocols in place. Many of our volunteers found this to be a particularly rewarding experience as reflected in this slideshow.
All are welcome, whether an experienced or unskilled hand.
In Visitor Services, we need Gangway Greeters to welcome visitors to the ship, provide directions and discuss her history.
Docents learn detailed historical and technical information and develop interpretive skills to help tell the ship's story.
If you want to get your hands dirty, restoration and maintenance from painting to welding is available. In many cases, we can provide training for such tasks, but if you have existing mechanical, electrical, plumbing or woodworking experience, please let us know.
If you’d rather sit at a desk, office duties including bookkeeping, writing press releases, and data entry are a necessary part of keeping our organization running.
Group tours, lectures, exhibits, performances and receptions require assistance to hang art, set up and run the sound system, tend bar and clean up after.
Volunteers with experience in oral history and videography can help record crew stories and care for the ship's documentary history.
Archivists and records managers can help organize and care for our documents.
Fundraising is all about building relationships and getting the word out and volunteers can serve as outreach ambassadors, members of committees, and board trustees.
“If you think you are too small to make a difference, try sleeping with a mosquito.” —Dalai Lama
Contact Captain Mary if you would like to join our volunteer crew or have questions about our work. We do maintenance work all year round while working with the public and planning programs is seasonal. Please read and complete our liability waiver and bring it with you the first time you work.