How can I help in the Gulf?

[Mr Play]

If things go as expected, I should have 10 days or so of solo free time starting around July 25th. I'm thinking about going down to the Gulf and doing whatever I can to help. The websites I've found haven't been very helpful. This one says they aren't even accepting new volunteers since they can't use the ones they have; http://www.oilspillvolunteers.com/

Does anyone have any local knowledge of what's needed, or where to get more information? For anyone who's going to the benefit show next week, can you ask around while you're there and post up in this thread if you hear about anything?

[Big Phan]

This is from LuLu's web site: http://www.lulusathomeport.com/volunteer-resources.php

Looks like you can sign up on the Alabama Coastal Foundation site (2nd link).

Cheers to you for wanting to volunteer your time.

[pcbfan]

Very Cool!!!

[HurricaneSeason]

Good luck if you go.

BP has made it clear that they want no help and the National Guard is working for them and if you're out at night bring an umbrella because they're using helicopters to spray dispersants in the dark over the barges etc that are helping to clean up. BP wants the oil to get all over. 100,000 barrels a day is working just great and having ruined a good bit of Louisiana they're really hoping to take Florida down.

There are thousands of people standing around waiting to help that want to help while there are thousands of people working for BP standing around, being paid, and NOT doing anything.

[Mr Play]

This is from LuLu's web site: http://www.lulusathomeport.com/volunteer-resources.php
Looks like you can sign up on the Alabama Coastal Foundation site (2nd link).

Done - thanks Lisa.

There are thousands of people standing around waiting to help that want to help while there are thousands of people working for BP standing around, being paid, and NOT doing anything.

That's the impression I've been getting. My window of time is still a month out so maybe things will change, we'll see.

[Cuervo]

Well I've been giving this a thought.........

I'm not a religous man, bit I'm think PRAY!!!!!!

Oh not so good......

[HurricaneSeason]

My facetiousness is just that. I really don't think BP wants the oil to spread any more. But they really aren't helping with cleaning it up. They really are turning people away. They really are telling people not to help. They really are running helicopters at night spraying disperants into the water while people on boats and barges are working and getting that s*** sprayed on them. They are a careless, arrogant, rude, disrespectful moronic and overall just evil company - their actions and lack of them have proved it.

[alaura1974]

I am sure that they will accept dontation of different things.
Maybe you could check with a local animal hospital down there
or something like that.

And, another good thing to do if they can't fond something for you to do
to go down and help is to just go to that area and spend some money.
Stay in hotels, go out to eat, help the local people stay in business.

If you do find a place that will take donations of specific items please let me know,
I would love to send down a care package of some kind.

[Mr Play]

Today I took the HazMat course that BP is requiring and got the certificate online; https://www2.virtualtrainingassistant.c ... er%7Ecmenu

I also registered to volunteer on some of the other state sites that I found. The onlne course was pretty basic, so I'm thinking about getting a full-blown HazMat or HAZWOPER certification to make myself more useful.

Thanks for the suggestions and keep them coming.

[jonc]

Big help would be to vote for someone else in 2012! To date the big O has not proven to lead anything.

He couldn't lead us out of a wet paperbag

[pair8head]

Big help would be to vote for someone else in 2012! To date the big O has not proven to lead anything.

He couldn't lead us out of a wet paperbag

This is not the time nor place for politics. Bill is just looking for ideas for what he can do to help the present situation.

[TropicalTroubador]

Big help would be to vote for someone else in 2012! To date the big O has not proven to lead anything.

He couldn't lead us out of a wet paperbag

This is not the time nor place for politics. Bill is just looking for ideas for what he can do to help the present situation.

Agreed.

However, some people can't help blaming The Other Side for absolutely everything. I'm surprised that nobody's accused our current President of personally setting fire to the Deepwater Horizon.

[Whodat81]

Here are some ideas on how everyone can help out with this cause. I have donated to some of the links posted

http://www.takepart.com/news/2010/04/30 ... ow-to-help

and not sure if this has been mentioned but this is actually from 2 kids

http://www.lemonaidforthegulf.com/

http://www.nola.com/news/gulf-oil-spill ... elp_w.html

[Mr Play]

This is what I got back from Louisiana. I already registered with the other sites mentioned, at the same time as this one. I'll wait to hear back from the others too.

Thank you for your continued patience as we continue to identify areas where volunteers can be deployed. We appreciate deeply the nation's outpouring of support and the many offers of assistance. Because oil is a toxic substance and dangerous if handled improperly, only specially trained responders may clean it up or dispose of it. BP is paying contractors to do this work. Volunteers at this time will not be assigned to oil-touching activities.

Please register at http://www.volunteerlouisiana.gov to receive updates and information on any volunteer opportunities as they are identified. The registration form is found in the red boxed area on the homepage of our website. Please make sure you add laserve@crt.state.la.us and jpace@crt.state.la.us to your mailbox addresses so our updates are not returned. We do not have the staff capacity to individually respond to notices asking us to qualify ourselves.

While there are still limited environmental response activities today, we are working with conservation groups who are developing a strategy for what will be a long recovery effort. At the same time, the human services volunteer opportunities continue to grow. Visit HandsOn New Orleans to see these opportunities: http://tinyurl.com/25b5tm6 and Catholic Charities of New Orleans: http://www.ccano.org/?p=662 Many people's lives have been impacted by this event.

We continue to receive an increasing number of calls and emails from individuals and businesses wanting to donate goods or financial support to assist nonprofits responding to this event. While we are not asking you to donate, unsolicited donations may be offered in the following manner: for donations with an estimated cash value up to $10,000, submit the offer through the National Donations Management Network at http://www.aidmatrixnetwork.org by clicking on LA on the map. For offers that exceed an estimated cash value of $10,000, please go to http://labeoc.org/offer. This public/private partnership manages large donations during all hazards emergencies.

Depending on your locations and availability, you may also want to reach out to http://www.volunteermississippi.org, http://www.servealabama.gov or http://www.volunteerflorida.org to see what volunteer opportunities they may have. While you await news of opportunities on the Gulf Coast, we encourage you to look within your own communities to work with organizations that could use your willing heart and passion to benefit local citizens.

[Dezdmona]

Bill, just saw that there is a link on this site to volunteer & I thought of you.
http://www.cmt.com/one_country/index.jhtml
Don't know if it's one you've already explored, but thought I'd post it. Good luck.

[piratenurse]

Of course you would want to go help. I understand your frustration hitting dead ends. I remember driving to OKC with a carload of medical supplies after the Murrah Federal Building bombing and being turned away. If you can't help with actual oil cleanup, maybe you could work on something to help all the families in the region that have been so impacted. There must be local organizations that could use some man power. Way to go, Dr Play. Yes, you know I will always have to call you that now because you helped me fix my boo-boo on the boat!