Support One Clean COAST'S Mission

It is of no surprise to anyone that Gulfport and our coastal communities have hit a tipping point. Residents want a clean and healthy environment, yet looking at our byways, highways, and in our own neighborhoods, we see litter, illegal dumping, and property blight out-of-control. OCC believes strongly that we cannot expect our government to tackle it all. We believe you, as a community member, want to help but sometime just don't know where to begin. Here are the ways to get involved with One CLEAN Coast. 

As a volunteer here are just a few activities you may join in on!

• Become a Prevention-Educator: Commit to contacting one to two community groups per week (Faith-based, youth groups, medical groups, property managers, schools, businesses, civic clubs, government agencies, etc.). Share written information about using SAMHSA's model, the Strategic Framework for Prevention. Prevention-Education training is provided and on the horizon. Educate on how litter, illegal dumping, and property blight create an unhealthy community for residents, wildlife, and aquatic creatures. It especially hurts children's health and learning, negatively affects the environment, waterways, property taxes, home values, tourism and businesses, quality of life, and health and safety in our communities. (Keep America Beautiful 'KAB' Study, 2021). * 

• Help identify those businesses trying to achieve "Keeping It CLEAN Is Catching On!" status by making a consistent effort to maintain their property. Help us to recognize them for their efforts! Businesses will receive an OCC "Keeping it CLEAN is Catching On,"  letter and sign for their window. Corporate offices will be notified of their local achievement. * 

•  Join OCC's standing volunteer group, CLEAN Coast Corps, committed to conducting regular community cleanups. *

• Help Develop resources to assist persons economically unable to comply with codes, so they can get take their household goods to the landfill (mattresses, furniture, tires, etc.): Low-income seniors, or persons with disabilities. **

• Commit to OCC's "Adopt a Block," program. Fashioned after corporations and groups dedicated to keeping our highways clean, choose a neighborhood block with some friends, youth groups, and neighbors--maybe YOUR block--and pick up litter once per month! OCC will provide bags and loan out grabbers. *

• Join our "Keeping it CLEAN is Catching On" Campaign! Commit to regularly sending out "canned letters" (don't worry, OCC will create those for you!) to businesses, retail establishments, and property managers whose properties do not meet healthy community standards. Let them know that currently their property standards do not help create pride in our neighborhoods or communities. Help inform them of what we are trying to achieve. Solicit their help. Together we're better! Corporate offices will also be notified of lack of cooperation from businesses at the local level. **

• Fundraise for OCC so that we may create prevention messaging and purchase cleanup supplies: Printing costs for fliers and posters, buying billboard and ad space, grabbers, gloves and cleanup bags, supporting volunteer activities, and many other activities to support our mission! *

• Host your own community clean-up and count us in! We will promote it on our web page and our Facebook Group Page, and help you gather volunteers. *

• Host a Mix & Mingle event, You provide the refreshments, guests and venue, and OCC will show up to share about how to "Get Involved!" 

• Sponsor Volunteer T-Shirts. Our CLEAN Coast Volunteers are provided shirts, depending upon the size, T-Shirts cost between $18.00 and $22.00. *

• Join our fundraising and event committee: Help us plan our first signature event! *

• Volunteer to assist with administrative tasks and/or volunteer coordination. *

• Commit to staffing our OCC office for a regular shift once per week.* 

• Donate, donate, donate...we are in our in our infancy with an all-volunteer "staff" and board of directors. *

• Help us develop the "Keeping it CLEAN is Catching On," BUTT-OUT! Receptacle program where people and businesses can purchase/sponsor outside ashtray receptacles for cigarette butts--the most littered item nationwide (KAB Study, 2021). **

• Help with our Neighborhood Tire Removal Program. Currently suspended so the City of Gulfport can catch up with an overwhelming number of tires collected, we've already removed over an eighteen-wheeler full of tires from four neighborhoods! Stay tuned for when the City of Gulfport is up and running again.  Help us take this to additional coastal communities. *

• If you are an organization, get involved by agreeing to meet monthly as a coalition: Share information, strategies, resources, advocate policy changes, and assist us with our efforts to reduce litter, illegal dumping and property blight in our coastal communities. **
  
   

Note: Okay, we have lofty goals, so please note the asterisks:

* Current activities

** Planned activities