Eighteen years ago, we re-started The Andover Beacon based on three core imperatives:

• Content that makes a difference to the community
• Enough advertising and donations to pay the bills
• Volunteers powering many aspects of the paper

We nailed the first imperative from Day One. We can always do more and do better, of course, but the content of the Beacon has been making a difference in Andover since October 2004.

Revenue, the second imperative, is a challenge for any non-profit organization, and the Beacon is no exception. Nonetheless, we’ve made do with what the community has provided.

The third imperative, volunteers, has never worked out as well as planned. We’re very fortunate to have a core group of a few really dedicated volunteers — we literally could not publish the paper without them! But we’re currently at risk of burning out both our tiny staff and our volunteers. And if that ever happens, the Beacon is done.

Start Thinking About How You Can Help

Starting in the February issue, you’ll be hearing a lot more about how you can volunteer and help the Beacon continue. Please start thinking now about what kinds of help you might enjoy providing as a volunteer.

As you ponder the possibilities, please keep these three vital points in mind:

• Virtually everything the Beacon needs can be done from the comfort and safety of your home.
• No experience is required! Pick something you’ll enjoy doing, and we’ll show you how to do it. It’s our pleasure.
• You’ll be able to point with pride to the role you play in publishing the Beacon.

We’ll provide a lot more information about specific volunteer opportunities starting in the February issue. For now, just keep in mind that the opportunities cover a very broad range, touching almost every aspect of running a small, nonprofit business that happens to be a newspaper: 

• Anything to do with articles and photos, of course, from planning to writing to tracking to editing to layout. 
• Bookkeeping, database management, advertising, mailing. 
• Posting material to our website or to our Facebook page. 
• Even serving on our Board of Directors.

You can work from home … there’s no experience required … and your contribution to publishing the Beacon makes a big difference to the community. Please think about it!