We recently flew in 30 people from all across the country (plus six locals) for a company meeting, for which my boss wanted to incorporate a beach cleanup. I reached out to Heal the Bay, who was happy to assist us - we ended up opting for their Suits on the Sand program (sponsorship required), wherein they hosted us for two hours: after a fun icebreaker, we were given an informative talk about the environment and how our trash ends up on the country's beaches (even when not left by beachgoers), after which we were divided into groups and sent on our merry way. The cleanup ended with us bringing back our respective hauls, having them weighed, and the winning team collecting an award (since our group is naturally very competitive, this was right in everyone's wheelhouse). Then it was time for a little trash talk before we wrapped up. :) Antonio was awesome in the runup to our event, and extremely patient with me as I navigated my company's systems to make this possible, and the ladies who actually hosted the cleanup were friendly, engaging, and extremely knowledgeable. Our team LOVED the time on the beach, and that it was active - and actively giving back. Rave reviews from all. If anyone reading this is looking for a unique teambuilding service project for their organization, I highly recommend reaching out to Heal the Bay - and if you're interested in an accompanying "after-party" picnic, please see my other reviews! read more

So I started (9/15/18) to do their twice monthly beach clean ups (coastal clean ups); I decided to because my family and I have been enjoying the beach our whole lives and it kills me to see trash in the sand. They do good work! Volunteer if you can. Bring your own gardening gloves, bag and water container.... (and don't forget to bring your consent form they usually send it via email a few days before) spend as long as you like and tally the trash you pick up. Then turn in the tally sheet and your bag of trash at check in. They go thru the trash to see what can be recycled. I met some real cool people who care about doing something good for the enviro and networked for nursing school! read more

I signed up for the May Beach cleanup in Venice. I attempted to reach out via phone and email regarding the event. No response. There was no communication as to where to meet up on the beach or who to look for. I showed up promptly with my son and wandered around aimlessly trying to locate where the event was taking place on Venice Beach. Very disappointing as my son and I were looking forward to participating. Poor communication and lack of responsiveness by Heal the Bay!! I love the cause, but I don't understand how disorganized they are when they are reliant on volunteers. I'll try again another time read more

Heal the Bay is dedicated to protecting Santa Monica Bay, Malibu's Point Dume on the north and the Palos Verdes Peninsula on the south. Basically, they support efforts to preserve and protect all Southern California coastal waters. The staff is great and really accommodating. You can volunteer by yourself, with your friends, your family, your company, school or community group. Heal the Bay's volunteer opportunities come in different sizes. Projects can take place at the beach, in the office or at a school. Some last only a few hours, while others require more of a time commitment. I've participated in their cleanups numerous times now and it's a great way to give back to Mother Nature. Give them a call or check out their website: http://www.healthebay.org/ read more

Heal The Bay - Community Service/Non-Profit Near Me - Santa Monica, California

Can't give enough kudos to HtB for making my foray into beach clean-up super fun and rewarding! Seriously folks, they cannot make it any easier for you to partake in what dealing with the tragedy called littering and pollution that ends up killing our marine life and us! Once you sign up for one of its once a month beach clean up days, HtB sends you a detailed email with what you should/n't bring including the waiver form you need to sign. There's a mix of of those who get a big group of friends together to those who make it a family affair with those who do it alone! It really doesn't matter because there are hundreds you can instantly bond with based on your shared interest in taking care of our beach environment. Gloves, a bucket or bag, sunscreen, and shoes are all you need. They have gloves and a bucket/bag there to use if you don't bring one. It just helps to BYO! Once you're done, you find out how much trash was collected as a group. On our day - 101 pounds! Crazy. If you don't have time to give up 2 hours on a Saturday, then take advantage of the many other ways to contribute via HtB. Check out their website. read more

I have to give Heal the Bay props! The organization awakened a huge portion of Southern California to the notion that we deserve clean beaches and a clean ocean. I know, I know - it's crazy to think there was ever a point where we just threw up our hands and said "Oh well, pollution happens". For a time in SoCal, it was sort of like "boys will be boys" in the worst possible sense. That is, until Heal the Bay said "no more". In the mid-1980s the organization was formed to stop the dumping of untreated sewage directly into Santa Monica Bay. If that sounds crazy and gross to you, it's because it is! Thankfully, they were successful. Today, Heal the Bay and others keep those same polluters in check. The real beauty of Heal the Bay, however, is the way they've been able to get YOU involved. My favorite way they do this is through their Beach Report Card, which tells you which beaches get an "A" and which get an "F". I'll bet you'll be surprised to find out which beach gets each grade. Check it out at www.beachreportcard.org. If your beach is getting an "F" and that pisses you off, Heal the Bay gives you an opportunity to do something about it. Coastal Clean Up Day and other volunteer events happen every year. Folks who participate often get an "eww" feeling when they realize how much trash is out there, but they also get a sense of accomplishment. Together with organizations like Surfrider, they help YOU to make an impact on the quality of our beaches and oceans. So, take some time. Get involved. And help keep Southern California beautiful. Thank you Heal the Bay. read more

OMG is the Santa Monica/ Venice Beach dirty as hell. I volunteered one day just to make a friend happy (I was content with just shopping on the boardwalk). I walked for a mile (hardcore, huh? I KNOW) picking up broken glass, styrofoam (sp?), wood pieces, paper shreds, and condoms! Ok, of course I didn't pick up the condoms but someone else in my group did. Ewwwww. So you can imagine how much healing this bay needs. Ok, if you don't care about the healing, at least go for the exercise and tan. Like I wrote above, I walked about a mile in sand (300 calories?) and got darker from the 90 degrees weather. It was pretty sweet. As for the company itself, it is well-established, organized, and compassionate about their cause. read more

I've participated in their Coastal Cleanups a couple times now and it's a great way to help out the community without much commitment. You arrive at the beach at 9am to check-in, go over safety guidelines, and then you're off picking trash on the beach. The most common thing you'll find are cigarette butts! It's so disgusting. Why can't people just throw them away in the trash cans! Since our beaches aren't littered with trash you just pick up a lot of little things but every little bit counts. :) They also provided coffee, brownies, and lemon cake from Urth Caffe. YUM! read more

I've been out to the beach with this group and let me tell you, they are the real deal. They truly care about our waters and everybody benefits from them and the work they do. We collected water and did PH tests and checked for bacteria levels. Learned allot. I've been out on the water perhaps 4 or 500 feet from the shore line and when you get there you'll be amazed at just how much trash is floating around you. It's everywhere. Plastic this and plastic that. Styrofoam this and that also. It's so ugly and so depressing to know what's happening right in front of us. I just donated $25 and so should you. Buy a bag or something from them. The profits help them. read more

Cool cause and a nice way to enjoy the beach. Just walk around, pick up trash, get a tan, you know......beach life for the compassionate. My advice is to bring your own bag you received from a store, so you don't have to use one they give you. Save some dolphins and reuse. read more

What a great organization. We Southern Californian's would still like to be proud of our Los Angeles area beaches which definitely is a challenge in this day and age. This is an excellent way to get some school community service hours/extra credit in soaking up a beautiful sunny day. They have buckets on hand along with gloves, but if at all possible I would bring your own gloves as the ones they have are yucky and dirty. Don't forget your sun screen, the beach is still the beach weather cleaning up or soaking up the sun. Thank you Heal the Bay for trying to clean up our beaches!! read more

Top notch nonprofit? YES! It can happen. Locals may take for granted their name, but they were really the ones who brought our "bay" back to its pristine look that we enjoy so much now. Newbies, learn their name because they make our beaches the ones you romp around in and you dont even know it. They have the best volunteers, really have their pulse on policy making, and have so many opportunities to get involved and learn more about our city and the way the pollution affects it. Their website is new and improved, so check it out to learn more and get involved! read more

I visited the W Coast waters this past summer and have been following cleanup efforts through Heal The Bay since a friend told me about the organization. If you're looking for a way to support coastal cleanup --- this is the way to do it. Not only that, but they also have a Beach Report Card (currently being sponsored by Alexander von Furstenberg according to the Heal The Bay site) that lets you know what areas have the best water quality for the day. It's an interactive tool and I have fooled around with it quite a bit to see how it works. Very informative! read more

Hey you ocean loving cuties! I know you're out there. I see you all the time. You love the ocean as much as I do! You know every single beach from Baja to Santa Barbara. You know where to swim, where to surf, where you can sneak a bonfire, and where to just chill. But, did you know that Heal the Bay not only keeps our beaches clean, but also lobbies for all kids of important laws that really keep our beaches clean (I sound like a commercial). And all kids of other cool stuff. So basically they just rock. Love the beaches. Heal the Bay. Every year I do a clean-up with them for just like one morning. It does my soul good, it keeps my away from the styrofoam (you find pounds of it out there!), and I sleep so good! read more

Such a great way to get the family outdoors and positively impact the environment! If your children need community service hours, this is a great way for them to really see that they can make a difference. At the end of the clean-up, they have a raffle and also announce how much trash has been picked up collectively. The numbers will surprise you and make you feel like YOU have made a difference. After the clean-up, we spread out towels and eat our homemade lunches right on the beach. Word of warning, you will have to pay for parking... read more

My first time with Heal The Bay. No discount on parking ($9), They should of made a deal with the city and get some kind of discount. No refreshment? No water or rest area. Walking on hot sand for over 2 hours, yeah, we ran out of my water, the nearest water stop is boardwalk. I bought the kids from my son's school water and frozen yogurt (it was expensive on the boardwalk, I bought it anyways, the kids worked so hard), it's so hot, we were drying of thirst. There was no pit stop or rest area, people were hiding under the lifeguard tower for shade. When were helping clean up with Friends of LA River, they have rest area with water, snacks to hydrate. Such a big organization, they could of gotten sponsors to help with refreshment and snacks at check point (every .25 mile or so), you guys should do better. The volunteers workers gave up their time and energy to help clean up, at least you can do is provide shade and water. The collage kids were just having a beach party with their collection bucket empty. I've work and help setup many community volunteers events, I've never seen one like this before. I'm very disappointed with Heal The Bay. You might not like what I have to say, I'm not making it up. One of the kid was so thirsty, he was going to drink the salt water, one of the kid said don't, you'll get more sick. Very poorly organized event. Thank god that no one have a heat stroke. read more

Arranged for a group of 50 high school students to clean up Santa Monica through Heal the Bay. We booked a bus, and absorbed the cost. Heal the Bay told us (in writing) we would also have to pay $40 to park the bus. Not happy, but collected enough money to also pay to park, only to find out once we arrive that the rates doubled from $40 to $72 and Heal the Bay not only didn't tell us, but would not consider a reimbursement of the difference of what they told us it would cost vs the actual cost. So disappointed in Heal the Bay. Communication is also an issue as they don't return phone calls. If you are considering a beach clean up as a community service activity, I would seek assisting with another organization, read more