Illuminate Opportunity LLC is excited to announce our “1% for the Community” initiative. As a champion for business as a force for good, we strive to make a meaningful impact on the lives of those around us and contribute to the betterment of society as a whole.
We are committing to give 1% of our annual profits to support our local communities, promote education and innovation, and foster environmental stewardship.
Starting with the origin of our company name focused on lighthouses, we would like to highlight our support of the Grand Traverse Lighthouse, the iconic lighthouse located at the tip of the Leelanau Peninsula in Northern Michigan. The Grand Traverse Lighthouse has been guiding ships and sailors since 1858 and has served as a “living museum” since 1984.
Founder, Brittany VanderBeek, recently volunteered as a lighthouse keeper, which has become an annual tradition for her to support the region’s educational opportunities focused on maritime heritage and maintaining the cultural landscape for generations to come. Her favorite part of the volunteer work is greeting visitors, helping them learn about the lighthouse’s history and importance, and asking about their connection to the lighthouse – ranging from family members of past keepers, to shipwreck artifact collectors, to past Northport farmers and more.
What’s a day in the life of a volunteer lighthouse keeper from Brittany’s perspective?
Imagine waking up in a historic bedroom with twin beds, a sink and toilet just for you, and artwork representing more than 150 years of history. Your windows have lighthouse themed curtains and you are overlooking crashing waves of Northern Michigan and flower gardens. You make your own breakfast in the quaint kitchen and have a list of chores to start the day – from turning on the lights, screen displays, and fans, to putting up the American flag outside, to setting up the museum cash register, and placing the open and welcome signs. Throughout the day, you greet visitors at the museum, share the scavenger hunt activity and safety reminders for climbing the lighthouse tour, manage the payment processing, and answer any questions as they go on a tour. You also help with household chores such as sweeping the floors, watering the flowers, emptying the dehumidifiers, and cleaning the windows and picnic tables. You rotate responsibilities with the fellow lighthouse keepers and lighthouse staff so that you can take a break for lunch at a picnic table overlooking Lake Michigan, surrounding by families gathering on the beach and enjoying the scenery. You spend the evening making dinner, going on a hike at Leelanau State Park or biking to Downtown Northport, reading some of the lighthouse keeper diaries, and enjoying a sunset on the beach, There is something so gratifying helping with household chores there, especially knowing that you are preserving history for future generations. Not only has the experience connected me to local history, it has connected me to inspiring fellow lighthouse keepers, who I have now volunteered with for three years in a row. We stay in touch between Traverse City, Ann Arbor, and South Bend throughout the year, sharing our life stories and reminding each other to keep our faith strong.
If you are interested in learning about ways to get involved, check out the Grand Traverse Lighthouse website here.
