INDIAN ROCKS BEACH, Fla. — Diane Daniel is a contract journalist, however currently, when she’s not busy along with her day job, she’s embarking on a brand new endeavor — an endeavor that requires an eye catching uniform and a little bit of humility.

On a heat however nice Wednesday afternoon, she picked a first-rate spot alongside Gulf Boulevard in Indian Rocks Seaside and draped a vibrant sandwich board over her shoulders.

“Typically, I stroll on the seashore, which I really feel actually goofy,” she mentioned with a smile as she danced and waved on the regular stream of site visitors. “And I normally — I didn’t do it at this time as a result of I simply couldn’t — I put on this factor in my hair that has these like Rasta spikes — blue. It’s loopy. Simply to get consideration, you understand.”

She’s making an attempt to seize the eye of vacationers who’re visiting the realm seashores from out of city as a result of she desires to unravel an issue that a lot of them expertise day by day.

When vacationers go away Indian Rocks Seaside and fly house, they return with numerous recollections, however they usually go away behind meals gadgets, seashore toys, and books of their short-term leases and resort rooms.

Daniel, who typically rents out a part of her house, knew that from expertise.

“What I had discovered — began discovering increasingly — is that once I would come again after a number of months, there can be like a lot stuff left at my home,” she mentioned. “Every single day there’s a lot meals that’s being thrown out as a result of individuals come and go on daily basis.”

So, Daniel is endeavoring to treatment that wasteful dilemma in Indian Rocks Seaside.

Weeks in the past, she launched an effort — dubbed Trip Donations — to teach vacationers and trip rental homeowners on how they’ll merely donate unopened meals gadgets to a neighborhood pantry and seashore toys and books to different guests.

That info can now be discovered on Daniel’s all-encompassing web site, VacationDonations.org.

“I’m making no cash. I don’t promote advertisements,” she mentioned. “It’s solely to assist.”

In keeping with the positioning, departing vacationers or snowbirds can donate meals and toiletries to the Seaside Neighborhood Meals Pantry, which is positioned only a block behind Guppy’s restaurant on Gulf Blvd. at 1615 1st Avenue.

They will donate through the pantry’s enterprise hours on Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. and Thursdays from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Alternatively, they’ll drop off the gadgets after-hours within the on-site donation bin, which is obtainable outdoors the pantry 24-7.

“The necessity is totally on the market, and to consider throwing out the quantities of meals that individuals are throwing out when different individuals actually should not have sufficient to eat like there’s acquired to be a method to convey these issues collectively,” Daniel mentioned.

Daniel’s concept is already exhibiting its proof of idea.

Just lately, along with her assist, 12 households donated 35 baggage of unused groceries to the pantry, and extra donations may be dropped off quickly.

Wednesday, as Daniel strolled towards a seashore entry off Gulf Boulevard, Monica Leffler seen her sandwich board and stopped to inquire.

“I believe it’s implausible. I believe it’s an incredible concept,” Leffler informed her. “It reduces waste, however extra importantly, it feeds hungry individuals.”

Leffler, who flies into city from Indianapolis, has vacationed at Indian Rocks Seaside yearly for 15 years.

When she arrives on the town, she shares up on groceries at Publix, the place she mentioned the “Purchase One, Get One” offers normally go away her with loads of unopened, leftover meals on the finish of her keep. Typically, that meals results in the trash.

“It kills me, however sure,” she mentioned. “We simply don’t know what to do with it.”

Now, after chatting with Daniel, she knew there are methods to donate that meals with little problem, and he or she hopes Daniel’s idea will develop and catch on with different vacationers and rental homeowners.

“There ought to be a push from homeowners, from administration corporations, to get on board with this,” Leffler mentioned. “Completely.”

Daniel has ready magnets that may be positioned on the fridges inside trip leases. As her idea grows, she’s hoping for extra collaboration with rental homeowners and the Metropolis of Indian Rocks Seaside.

She will be contacted via her web site.