Hundreds of pounds of ocean debris wash up on our coast on a weekly basis.
But now, volunteers are giving back and cleaning up that trash. Along our peaceful shores, you’ll find Friends of Palm Beach and Vickie Resdorf.
SPECIAL COVERAGE: Protecting Paradise
"What we pick up is nothing compared to what’s down there," Resdorf said during a recent cleanup effort.
Friends of Palm Beach is continuing their mission of someday having a clean, pristine coastline.
"It’s sad," said Resdorf.
She's been picking up trash on the beach for two years and it’s always a big haul. Resdorf works for Diane Buhler.
"I went from Wall Street to Waste Management," said Buhler.
She founded Friends of Palm Beach in 2013. Since then, she and her crew have collected more than 100,000 pounds of ocean debris.
"It’s a win-win," said Resdorf, who didn’t have a job or home roughly two years ago. "I was homeless and Diane offered me employment. There you go. I have a place to go home at the end of the day."
Buhler hires clients of The Lord’s Place and pays them through donations.
"Hoping to end the cycle of homelessness by ending the trash on the beach," said Buhler. "We’re changing lives one bucketful at a time."
Changing lives and protecting paradise: the perfect combination.
For more information on Friends of Palm Beach, click here.
