Volunteer organization helps clean up the beach

[00:00.41] Miami beaches have traditionally been a very attractive destination for both tourists and local residents.

[00:07.32] But keeping them clean and attractive is a job that often falls to a dedicated group of volunteers that pick up trash under the scorching sun.

[00:16.61] You don't want to go and see there in a dirty, trashy beach.

[00:19.80] And so for me I want people to experience what the real Miami, the beautiful Miami, right, which is clean water not just for us but also for our wildlife.

[00:30.43] And so that's why I spend most of my time cleaning instead of tanning, which is well, I still get pretty dark.

[00:37.33] Originally from Colombia, Maria Algarra came to Miami from New York,

[00:42.12] got a law degree and started working as a paralegal, spending her weekends cleaning up the beach with some of her friends.

[00:49.29] Soon Algarra realized working in the fresh air was more fulfilling than dealing with legal contracts in stuffy offices.

[00:56.99] That's when she had the idea of founding the volunteer organization clean this beach up.

[01:03.36] I didn't want to be on a 9-5 working towards something that wasn't inspiring me or my passion.

[01:10.27] So when I was able to find what I really wanted to do which is this, I decided to quit my job and dedicate myself to run clean this beach head full time.

[01:19.57] Yet Algarra's family supported her decision to quit a high-paying legal job.

[01:25.68] Back in my country, I'm from Colombia. They see picking up trash as you know a job, a dirty job.

[01:33.91] But it's the most rewarding thing ever, and so now they understand that and they feel really proud.

[01:39.75] Today dozens of volunteers help Algarra clean the beach, and hundreds more people take part in the events she organizes.

[01:47.19] Together with her team, she's trying to turn cleaning the beaches into something festive.

[01:52.24] There's music, snacks and even a collective warm-up before each cleaning session.

[01:57.28] When I first started doing these kinds of things, I think she was one of the first people I met like this organization.

[02:03.92] And she was like really nice and like she just like took me in. So I think without her, maybe I would have been just like doing here and there.

[02:11.63] But I joined her organization. I've been doing it like almost every week.

[02:14.82] The group now has over 2,000 volunteers to help pick up trash.

[02:19.60] And so far they've collected over ten thousand kilograms of garbage.