Community Health & Resource Access

SAME SHORE. EVERY MONTH.

Community infrastructure includes the natural environment. IBTU applies the same rigor to the beach as it does to schools and food access.

OVERVIEW

Coastal Care is IBTU's monthly environmental stewardship program at the Venice Fishing Pier, running every second Saturday from February through December. In five events, 366+ volunteers have removed 20,463+ items of debris including 4,237 microplastics and 3,997 foam pieces, collecting nearly 300 pounds of waste. Every cleanup generates detailed data — 27 debris categories tracked, 30 crew data cards per event — because stewardship without measurement is just picking up trash. This is community infrastructure applied to the coastline.

BY THE NUMBERS

20,463+Items Removed

4,237Microplastics Collected

366+Total Volunteers

~297 lbsDebris Collected

27Debris Categories Tracked

14Total Activations Planned

IBTU Coastal Care data collection card on clipboard in the sand at Venice Beach

Data-Driven, Not Performative

Every Coastal Care cleanup produces detailed debris tracking across 27 categories. Volunteers complete crew data cards that log item counts, weight, and material type. In March 2026, a single event removed 8,049 pieces of debris weighing 75.7 pounds — including 4,237 microplastics that would have otherwise entered the marine ecosystem.

This data serves a purpose beyond the cleanup itself. It builds the evidence base for coastal policy, informs partner organizations, and demonstrates IBTU's commitment to rigorous measurement in every program. The same operational discipline that tracks 7,581 assistance instances at the Hub tracks every cigarette butt and foam fragment on the beach.

Group of volunteers gathered at Venice Fishing Pier for a monthly cleanup

Consistency Builds Community

Coastal Care happens every second Saturday, February through December. The consistency is the point. Volunteers know when and where to show up. Families plan around it. New participants join because someone they trust told them about it.

The June 2025 launch drew 100 volunteers and removed 2,011 pieces of debris. July matched that with 100 volunteers and 2,059 pieces. By August, the Back 2 School Coastal Care Day brought 55 volunteers for a 126-pound haul. The program grows because people return — and they return because IBTU treats the coastline with the same commitment it brings to schools and the Hub.

Families and volunteers participating in a Coastal Care wellness activation

Wellness Meets the Waterline

Coastal Care is not only an environmental program. It is an outdoor wellness activation. Cleanups incorporate yoga sessions, community connection, and time on the beach — combining environmental stewardship with physical and mental health benefits. Families bring their children. Friends bring their neighbors.

The program creates a bridge between IBTU's wellness activations and its community health infrastructure. The beach becomes another place people already are — and IBTU meets them there with purpose, structure, and care.

WHO WE SERVE