Best way to help the Gulf?

[Honeycombe8]

There are all sorts of organizations to give $ to, to help the Gulf Coast.

I'd like to help, particularly with the cleanup or animal aid. (The people will eventually be filing claims and at least have a shot of being helped, but the animals won't be filing claims and are entirely dependent on the "kindness of strangers").

Anyone have particular recommendations or know of an organization where the $$ is used wisely and gets to where it needs to go? I'd appreciate some suggestions!

[Child_Of_Isis]

1. e-mail the white house, tell them to throw BP out.

They are burning endangered turtles alive. They are stopping animal rescue. Until we call attention to this, the money will do nothing as they can't get in there to get the animals.

[OneGrassRoot]

4. Oh dear god....

:cry:


:mad:

[Child_Of_Isis]

8. white house e-mail link here

Flood them. Tell them to throw BP out. I wrote Rachel also.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact

[OneGrassRoot]

10. Done and Done. Thank you. :) n/t

[Child_Of_Isis]

11. pass the link on to other threads.

BP is stopping animal rescue. Throw them out!

Tell the white house that WE HAVE HAD ENOUGH! The people of the gulf..HAVE HAD ENOUGH!

[Nay]

2. As a Florida native, I have always given money to Suncoast Seabird

Sanctuary -- I've visited them many times, and although I no longer live in Florida, I still send them money. They've got a website.

The only drawback is that they are a fairly small outfit, but there aren't any big outfits that do what they do.

[Honeycombe8]

14. Thank you. nt

[OneGrassRoot]

3. A FEMA friend recommended this organization right away....

They've been around for a while: Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana, not established in response to this specific crisis as many organizations have been.

http://crcl.org/

And they're spearheading this coalition which is indeed in direct response to this crisis.

http://www.lagulfresponse.org/home.html


I'm trying help in some way and thus am launching this campaign next week. It will grow to include other creatives (musicians, artists, artisans, other authors) who want to be part of the campaign to raise funds and awareness for the above effort. I'm not sure if they're inviting volunteers, who need to be trained, to actually go there as yet; when I last spoke with them, they were overwhelmed with the crisis itself and were only working with those who had experience in wildlife rescue as a result of oil spills.

This "Hooked On..." Campaign it will expand to include other coastal areas as well, as we must preserve and protect all of them.

http:///www.hookedonthebook.com

If I can get up the nerve, I'll post at DU next week inviting others who want to participate to please contact me. For now, if you stumble upon this post and have an interest, please contact me. :)

:hi:

[BeFree]

7. My idea...

...that would require the resources of which you hope to inspire...

Is to have, in every gas station in the country, a Gulf bottle that as gas consumers pay, is right there for them to make a monetary contribution.

"A drop in the Gulf" bottle.

And gas cards could have a place to pay as you go slot.

[OneGrassRoot]

9. I love that...

I'm PMing you! :hi:

[Honeycombe8]

15. Thanks. I hope you post next week, like you're thinking about. This is the sort of thing...

I was hoping to get info on. Grass roots, get 'er done, sorts of organizations.

[BeFree]

5. Reduce oil use by 50%

http://healthygulf.org

Audubon Society

NOT Sierra Club

[OneGrassRoot]

6. Yes, this group was also highly recommended by several...

who have worked directly with them.

:thumbsup:

:hi:

[Honeycombe8]

16. I heard on NPR that Nat'l Audubon Society is down there and trying to do some good.

It's a tough situation. Maybe this group would be worth giving to. AT least they're down there, trying.

[Honeycombe8]

19. Healthygulf.org website looks interesting. I'm going to read more of it. That's a possibility. nt

[Poboy]

12. I thank all of you for trying to help.

and for keeping up the pressure on your reps..Every single one of you. Thank you.

[Honeycombe8]

18. My heart breaks in two every time I see an oil soaked Pelican.

It's as if my heart weeps, if that's possible. I so feel for their pain, knowing they don't know what's going on.

My heart aches for the whole area. I am surprised by the attitudes of some who live in the Gulf states, who dont' seem to see it as the catastrophe that it apparently is. Trying to make a bad situation seem less bad, maybe? Maybe.

Anyway, I'm not much of a joiner or a giver. But this time, I want to do SOMETHING. I can't give time and go down there, because of my job. But I can give some $$$. I asked for recommendations so that my $$ would have at least a chance of being directly helpful, rather than going to pay administrative salaries.

[bluethruandthru]

13. The government needs to hire thousands of unemployed

people, train them in clean up and animal rescue and put them to work NOW...and send the bill to BP!!!!!

[Honeycombe8]

17. Sounds like a good idea to me. nt