The collapse of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig has caused irreversible damage to the Louisiana coastline and its fragile ecosystems. Oil continues to seep into the Gulf of Mexico, leaving local fisherman and small businesses in the area reeling from the impact of the spill. Contaminated waters have left fishermen without an alternative means of providing for themselves and their families.

Citizen Effect is leading an exploratory mission to the Louisiana Coast from June 27 through July 1. Our goal is to create a true citizen effect: find local charities to pair with a national fundraising drive and help fishermen to find a sustainable, environmentally friendly future— one that will accurately address the long-term economic, environmental, cultural effects of the disaster.

Tell us (gulf@citizeneffect.org) what you want to know and how we can help you — the citizen -- be part of the solution in the Gulf. Follow us on our mission to help communities in the Gulf via Facebook http://www.facebook.com/CitizenEffect, Twitter http://twitter.com/citizenEffect, and our blog http://citizeneffect.org/blog.

On April 20, 2010, the Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded in the Gulf of Mexico, causing a massive deep-sea pipeline to spill hundreds of thousands of gallons of oil into the Gulf. BP, the oil company charged for this disaster, has not been able to stop or contain the leak, nor work towards sustainable relief and recovery.

Oil seeping from the drill site has already reached the US Gulf Coast, devastating the environment, wildlife, and families who call the Gulf home. Those most affected include fishing and tourism communities in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. These communities, which rely on fishing as their primary industry, have suffered economically as well as psychologically as they watch their livelihoods and industry disappear.

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Direct Impact of Your Project

The information collected by this exploratory mission to the Gulf Coast will serve to:

• Assist in creating a sustainable, environmentally friendly future for Gulf Coast fisherman affected by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
• Create a national citizen effect by pairing local charities to build a national fundraising campaign.
• Spread a factual citizen journalist account of the current situation of the Gulf Coast fishing communities in addition to the ongoing relief and redevelopment efforts by local organizations.

Extended Impact on Your Partner Community

The positive effects of this exploratory mission are far reaching. Creating sustainable, environmentally friendly futures for Gulf Coast fisherman will further:

• Revive the local fishing communities and their economies by re-employing local fishermen.
• Improve transparency of the reality communities affected by the oil spill face. Access to this information will allow Citizen Philanthropists and local charities to become involved with the restoration of these devastated communities.
• Provide insight into potential focus areas for improvement within the community that will prevent future disasters such as hurricanes or oil spills from deeply impacting the community.