At SAOLA, we're fortunate to have a handful of ambassadors, named "Believers," at our side, who not only spread the good word about SAOLA, but who also represent all that is good in the world. They’re playing outside, creating change, and protecting the planet. Meet Becky Mendoza, a California-based Believer, action-sports attorney, and co-founder of Changing Tides Foundation.
Changing Tides was founded in 2016 by five water, travel, and adventure-loving women with the goal of empowering others to add an element of service to their own travels through the foundation's partnerships with other global non-profit organizations.
The foundation focuses on environmental, social, health and safety initiatives and has worked on disaster relief in Mexico, the Caribbean, Indonesia and at home in California in response to the wildfires. Changing Tides has created female empowerment programs in Panama, the Dominican Republic, and their next initiative will be in Peru this fall.
"We focus on environmental issues such as single-use plastic pollution," says Mendoza, "and give people tools and education on how to live and adventure consciously. It has been such an enriching and rewarding endeavor and I get to work with my best friends on doing our part to make the world a little bit better."
PLASTIC SWEAR JAR
Each year, the average American uses 167 disposable plastic water bottles and the average American family consumes almost 1,500 shopping bags. Sadly, only 23% of plastics get recycled in the US. As you can imagine, this ends up being a major problem for our wildlife, oceans, environment, and our livelihoods.
Changing Tides is taking a stand against single use plastic with their 3rd annual Plastic Swear Jar challenge. The goal? To raise our own personal awareness about the single-use plastic waste we all create daily. How? Keep track of single-use plastic use for one week. One single-use plastic item equals one swear, or $1 in the Plastic Swear Jar. At the end of the week donate your swears to organizations like Changing Tides Foundation, or to use that money to purchase reusable items so that you can be better about single-use plastic consumption moving forward.
Win, win? We think so!
OTHER INITIATIVES
But that's not all. There are many other initiatives going on. Live in Hawaii? Check out the North Shore Community Compost Movement, which aims to keep food scarps out of the landfill, reducing methane in the atmosphere and putting carbon back in the ground to make nutritious soil used to grow new food.
If you're a traveler, #adventureconsciously by bringing reusables, water filters, and partner with local community organizations. Want to jump start a program you're passionate about? Contact Changing Tides with your ideas, they are happy to help!
Join us in our adventure, and together we can #MAKEANIMPACT
Photos: Maggie Kaiserman, Jianca Lazarus, Kind Humans Movement
