Mama on the Move – National Volunteering on Martin Luther King Jr Day

Anybody who loves to travel, who really sees the world – those who get away from the all-inclusive, no-need-to-leave-the-resort-property vacations – gains a deeper appreciation for our world and the people on it. How could we not? Opening ourselves up to different experiences makes us more well-rounded people. It’s no wonder that so many world travelers become aware of the importance of preservation; preservation of a culture, of history, of local ecosystems and the environment. When I read that USA Service’s national day of service for Martin Luther King Jr Day had turned into a weekend of volunteerism for America, I thought it was time to again walk the walk myself.

USA Service’s motto is “Renew America Together,” and there are many opportunities to sign up and volunteer for all sorts of different types of service to our local communities; time at a food bank and shelters, blood drives, libraries, and more. The Mudslide family signed up for a local beach cleanup, sponsored by Heal the Bay. Many of our days are spent enjoying Will Rogers State Beach, after all – a morning spent collecting junk and garbage off this beach is a small way to care of California’s coastline.

We got there promptly at 10:00 AM, and the day was already warming up. It was great to see a large crowd getting garbage bags and some basic instructions (don’t pick up anything that belongs on the beach, etc), along with a checklist and pencil.  The older Mudslide daughter was in charge of the checklist, which she studied assiduously. “Hmm, plastic, styrofoam, glass…what’s a ‘condom?’” Yikes!

All told, we found over 100 small pieces of styrofoam, over 50 tiny bits of plastic, and a few pretty pieces of seaglass which we decided to keep for ourselves. This was shockingly, wonderfully, much less garbage than in years past. Santa Monica and LA banned smoking at the beach several years ago:  In the years since smokers stopped using the sand as one giant ashtray, there has been a huge decline in the number of cigarette butts found. The first year we did an organized beach cleanup, we found in excess of 200 cigarette butts, and this year, we found three. That’s a remarkable change, and only a positive sign for the improving health of the beaches in Southern California.

A morning spent volunteering – through travel or locally – promotes a sense of community with our neighbors. And a national weekend of volunteering to improve the health of our natural resources and the lives of our country’s people – well, that makes America (and the world) a better place.

Tagged as: beach, california, children, environment, los angeles, martin luther king, usa service, volunteering