Ambassador Scholar gives back to Hampton Beach through volunteering

By: Petra Opekarova, Greenheart Exchange Work and Travel participant and 2017 Ambassador Scholar

Hello! My name is Petra, I am from the Czech Republic, and this is my last blog of the summer. These days, I feel a little bit sad. Of course, I cannot wait to travel around the United States, but I am realizing that I will miss my new friends from around the world. We are trying to enjoy our last days together as much as we can.

Today I am thinking about the different needs in my host community, and how I could address them through volunteerism.

Surprisingly, I did not see any big problems or needs in my host community. From the start of my summer, I was shocked because I did not know how to volunteer! Everything is very clean in the community, and everyone seems to recycle and care about the environment. The locals try to keep the beach very clean. People walk the streets to clear trash and they recycle their garbage, too. The biggest exception to this is tourists.

Hampton Beach is a town that relies on tourists to come alive. The tourists go to the beach and support local businesses and restaurants. However, the tourists only seem worried about having fun on their vacation, and tend to leave trash anywhere they feel like it. They do not recycle or even put trash in local bins. Though the tourists are not as concerned with the cleanliness of the beach, the locals go above and beyond to care for it.

I must say I am very positively surprised by the way the locals care for the environment of Hampton Beach; I will miss it here so much.

Are you interested in volunteering to improve areas that are vital to your community? Learn more about how to get involved with the Greenheart Club!