I had plans to volunteer for Food Forward over the past weekend. But got an email from them letting me know they had enough volunteers for their harvest. I hope to have another opportunity to work with them in the near future.
So instead of honing the skills of a migrant farm worker, I spent Saturday, aiding my friend Natasha with her quest to finish creating some of the elements of her wedding bouquet. Since her wedding is a still a month away, i won't give away any secrets of what we made. But it was a pleasant afternoon of crafting. Too bad I can't spend all of my volunteering time at craft hour with my friends.
Next up: Fundraising for a Walk against Breast Cancer in San Diego. Here is the link to my home page, if you would like to donate:
http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR/MakingStridesAgainstBreastCancer/MSABCFY10California?px=3246000&pg=personal&fr_id=19783&fl=en_US&et=Ergdh0szGuRuKhK1D5SQNA..&s_tafId=379857
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Friday, September 25, 2009
Coastal Cleanup
September 19, 2009: Heal the Bay's Costal Cleanup Day
On paper, volunteering for this event seemed like it would be a literal "day at the beach." Living in LA, I go to the beach a couple of times a month, but have never noticed a surplus of litter. Of course there is a smattering of trash, here and there, but nothing that would make a day of volunteer garbage cleanup seem too taxing.
I WAS SO WRONG!!!! Heidi and I chose to help at the Redondo Beach King Harbor (aka the yacht club), basically we were picking up trash off the rock jetty. It was hard, hard work, and extremely disgusting. The amount of litter found superficially, on top the rocks was minimal. But the garbage found in the crevices, under the rocks, in the holes: totally mind blowing! I think I broke a sweat after the first 20 minutes, which was about the time i found myself lying face down on a rock, reaching into a hole for the remains of a cardboard case of Corona.
The most heartbreaking moments came when we would see a piece of garbage: a plastic bag, an empty bottle, a Coke can or the trash remains of a picnic, that was too far out of our reach. I remember an instance where I was crouching in a hole, stretching with all my might for a Gatorade bottle, a Subway bag, fishing line, and a ripped up black garbage bag...but to no avail. I don't think I have ever wanted anything more that I wanted to reach that "treasure". It hurt to know I was so close but had no choice, but to walk away.
Between the two of us, we filled three bags of trash and two bags of recyclables, that's a lot of waste when considering the fact that we were out there for 2 hours along with about 30 other people who also brought in multiple bags of trash/recyclables.
Heal the Bay's Coastal Cleanup Day was an overall success. They had 14,038 volunteers and picked up over 300,000 lbs of trash and recyclables...pretty awesome.
If you are interested in volunteering with Heal the Bay (they have many volunteer opportunities) check them out here: http://www.healthebay.org/
On paper, volunteering for this event seemed like it would be a literal "day at the beach." Living in LA, I go to the beach a couple of times a month, but have never noticed a surplus of litter. Of course there is a smattering of trash, here and there, but nothing that would make a day of volunteer garbage cleanup seem too taxing.
I WAS SO WRONG!!!! Heidi and I chose to help at the Redondo Beach King Harbor (aka the yacht club), basically we were picking up trash off the rock jetty. It was hard, hard work, and extremely disgusting. The amount of litter found superficially, on top the rocks was minimal. But the garbage found in the crevices, under the rocks, in the holes: totally mind blowing! I think I broke a sweat after the first 20 minutes, which was about the time i found myself lying face down on a rock, reaching into a hole for the remains of a cardboard case of Corona.
The most heartbreaking moments came when we would see a piece of garbage: a plastic bag, an empty bottle, a Coke can or the trash remains of a picnic, that was too far out of our reach. I remember an instance where I was crouching in a hole, stretching with all my might for a Gatorade bottle, a Subway bag, fishing line, and a ripped up black garbage bag...but to no avail. I don't think I have ever wanted anything more that I wanted to reach that "treasure". It hurt to know I was so close but had no choice, but to walk away.
Between the two of us, we filled three bags of trash and two bags of recyclables, that's a lot of waste when considering the fact that we were out there for 2 hours along with about 30 other people who also brought in multiple bags of trash/recyclables.
Heal the Bay's Coastal Cleanup Day was an overall success. They had 14,038 volunteers and picked up over 300,000 lbs of trash and recyclables...pretty awesome.
If you are interested in volunteering with Heal the Bay (they have many volunteer opportunities) check them out here: http://www.healthebay.org/
Thursday, September 24, 2009
And so it begins...
It's so ordinary and banal to admit that i am "that girl." You know the one who woke up one day but didn't want to get out of bed because she swore she was in a creative rut. "I'm so boring!" she proclaimed. Then went back to sleep, hoping she could get back to the REM state and work it out. Of course, then she overslept and was late to work. And so, a vicious cycle began.
Unfortunately, it happens every autumn, like clockwork to me. I think its because the end of summer feels so foreboding: no more carefree days, leaves change, kids go back to school, temperatures begin to drop, and I, regrettably, fall into that rut.
This year, I've decided to take action. I am on a search for something to feel passionate about. Something that will inspire me and maybe change my life, but most importantly, get me out of the creative rut. In the past, whenever I felt uninspired, I hopped on a plane and went somewhere new and foreign. But money is tight this year, so i must find inspiration elsewhere. My plan is to volunteer my time with a variety of organizations.
Trying new things, meeting new people, its just like traveling but this time I don't have to leave my hometown of Los Angeles.
Unfortunately, it happens every autumn, like clockwork to me. I think its because the end of summer feels so foreboding: no more carefree days, leaves change, kids go back to school, temperatures begin to drop, and I, regrettably, fall into that rut.
This year, I've decided to take action. I am on a search for something to feel passionate about. Something that will inspire me and maybe change my life, but most importantly, get me out of the creative rut. In the past, whenever I felt uninspired, I hopped on a plane and went somewhere new and foreign. But money is tight this year, so i must find inspiration elsewhere. My plan is to volunteer my time with a variety of organizations.
Trying new things, meeting new people, its just like traveling but this time I don't have to leave my hometown of Los Angeles.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
