Volunteering to Help Clean Up the Gulf Coast Oil Spill
Since April 30th, HandsOn Network affiliates in the Gulf Coast region have been hard at work organizing volunteer response to the disastrous BP oil spill.
Catherine Gautier, Executive Director of HandsOn Mississippi, writes:
“Between our tornados, flooding, and the oil spill, Mississippi is working on balancing all of the mobilization needed to address concerns throughout the entire state.
One of our biggest needs right now is finding educators to come in. A major lesson of Hurricane Katrina was that there were not enough spontaneous volunteers educated on some of the hazards in advance of deploying to the field. If anyone knows of some experts who could aide us in educating the community, we would be most grateful.
Also, we are in need of some mental health workers. Mental health ills still have not peaked in the nearly 5 years since Katrina, and this new disaster – just after so many people have felt like recovery might be possible – is mentally and emotionally devastating. I have locations for trainings and sessions identified but need experts in both areas.
We need a couple volunteers to assist our office with developing content and handing communications(they don’t have to be on site).
Finally, we need one person to be dedicated to attending to the management of the oil spill volunteers, trainings, and events and to be the Hands On Mississippi Point of Contact. We would like to put someone into place immediately and then to seek funding to turn the volunteer position into a paid one as funding is available.
There is a great deal of flooding currently along our beaches and harbors. This has delayed some progress, but quite a few volunteers have been out cleaning debris to lessen impact.”
HandsOn Network affiliates and nonprofit partners across the Gulf Coast are working collaboratively to ensure the most efficient and effective response.
HandsOn Network affiliates in California have offered much appreciated support, lessons learned and best practices from their own experience managing the Bay Area oil spill in 2008.
Over the weekend, approximately 600 volunteers in Escambia County, Florida helped clean up Pensacola Beach and on Perdido Key, the County Commissioner responsible for that area said that over 500 volunteers were assisting in the clean-up.
So far, BP has not been able to provide concise communications with regard to their intentions to work with volunteer groups.
A National Disaster Task Force conference call is scheduled for today at 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time. HandsOn Network will provide additional information as the volunteer response efforts unfold.
To get involved in the clean-up efforts, contact:
Florida
Volunteer Florida
Alabama
Mississippi
HandsOn Mississippi / HandsOn Gulf Coast
South Mississippi VOAD Disaster Response Conference Call Notes 5/1/10
Louisiana
Louisiana Serve Commission Oil Spill Volunteer Information
Texas
Volunteer Center of the Coastal Bend
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