By Karisa Arterbury | Director of Operations + Development
Dear Youth Supporters
We hope this message finds you well and thriving. Today, we wish to extend our heartfelt gratitude to you, our cherished supporters, whose contributions empower Ocean Blue Project’s mission to restore and protect the world’s oceans, waterways, and wildlife. Your generosity fuels the positive impact we are making together, specifically the prevention made through vital youth education projects.
As we reflect on our recent successes, we’re thrilled to share that Ocean Blue has cleaned up over 1.6 million pounds of plastic and debris to date—a remarkable achievement that would not have been possible without your steadfast support.
One testament to the impact of our work is the beautiful story shared by Temple Beth Elohim synagogue, whose community members recently participated in an Ocean Blue Clean Up event at Cochituate State Park in Natick, MA. Their profound experience was captured by Mira W., Tikkun Olam Youth Educator:
"Temple Beth Elohim synagogue partook in an Ocean Blue Clean Up in Cochituate State Park in Natick, MA. Our cleanup occurred two days after Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. One ritual of Rosh Hashanah is called tashlich, a ceremony where we atone by casting away our sins from the past year into bodies of water, using either breadcrumbs or stones. Before we started our clean-up, we all went around and shared what we wanted to cast off into the water.
As a way to frame our clean-up, we talked about trash as being a representation of our sins this year - so to start the year off right, we threw rocks into the water and picked up trash. Many group members reflected on how often we must walk by trash on the ground.
At first glance, the park seemed clean and volunteers were worried about filling the time. As we looked closer, we realized all the trash that we walk over and live with every day. We were all hoping to leave this experience with sharper eyes, both to notice all the good in the world and all that needs human repair and attention."
This testimonial beautifully reflects the deeper purpose of our clean-ups: to inspire communities to connect with nature, reflect on their impact, and take action to protect the environment.
As Giving Tuesday approaches, we humbly ask for your continued support. Ocean Blue’s Blue Schools program educates and empowers students to become stewards of the environment, fostering a lifelong commitment to conservation. Your donations enable us to expand educational efforts, remove more litter from fragile ecosystems, and restore hope to our oceans.
Together, we can create a ripple effect of positive change. Please consider renewing your support on Giving Tuesday to ensure Ocean Blue’s critical work continues. Every contribution makes a difference. From all of us at Ocean Blue Project, thank you for standing with us in this critical fight for a healthier planet.
With your help, we will continue to make waves for change.
Best regards,
Karisa Arterbury
Director of Operations | OBP Blue Schools Developer
www.oceanblueproject.org
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