Local or not, we have all been impacted in some way by the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Whether your business has lost revenue, you have lost your job or you can simply no longer enjoy our beautiful coastline, we are all feeling the effects of this incredible disaster. While I was sitting on our remarkably clean beaches Sunday evening enjoying the Doobie Brothers concert, surrounded by my friends and neighbors, I was struck by the sudden need to do something to keep our beaches beautiful.
I started looking into clean-up opportunities in the area and it's utterly confusing! Never mind that I'm completely unqualified to do anything, but the time it would take to become qualified would have me volunteering sometime in late 2011. After that you also have to watch out for scammers. Yes, as with anything else, there are people out there scamming information and money from people who simply want to help make a difference on the Gulf Coast. So, after a little research, I compiled a list of 5 simple things you can do to help; some as simple as buying Dawn dish soap!
- Yes, buy Dawn dish soap! For every bottle purchased, Dawn will donate $1.00 (up to $500,000.00) to the International Bird Rescue Research Center and Marine Mammal Center. Be sure to go online and activate your donation after purchase.
- Eat gulf seafood: Ok, so we're all a little leery of eating the seafood caught in our backyard right now, but about one-third of the Gulf is still open for fishing and those fishermen need all the help we can provide. Don't want to take a chance? Eat crawfish and other freshwater seafood. Either way you choose, you're helping keep a captain and his crew employed!
- Text: Our cell phones are one thing most of us always have with us, so take a moment and text 'Wildlife' to 20222. This is a verified number that donates $10.00 to the National Wildlife Federation allowing them to provide support to the agencies working locally to save our birds and sea life.
- Donate: We all know BP is, and rightly so, footing the bill for this cleanup but getting funding and resources can be a tedious process and supplies are needed now! Some items being requested are liquid dish washing detergent (Dawn, perhaps?), towels, animal kennels and large portable pools. Cash is also always appreciated. Click here to view the wish list for the Emerald Coast Wildlife Refuge located in Destin, FL.
- Become a Virtual Volunteer: If you have special expertise in the areas of fundraising, grant writing, web design or any web/marketing area and a little time, you can help from your home office. Many organizations working to preserve beaches and wildlife are currently in an all-hands-on-deck state, leaving the less important functions of fundraising and awareness behind for the task at hand. Use your skills to keep these organizations at the forefront of the community's mind, ensuring they receive the assistance and support they need. Visit www.idealist.org to learn how you can help.
Of course, if you do hold all the required certifications to go out and physically help with oil spill clean-up efforts, do so! Just remember that if you're fortunate enough to be gainfully employed, a lot of the "volunteer" opportunities may also be positions that can be contracted to fishermen who need the income.
For additional volunteer opportunities, please visit www.volunteerfloridadisaster.org.