When Michigan resident Alex Begle graduated from Albion College last Spring with a major in International Studies, two things were clear to her: “I know I wanted to work for a non-profit,” she said, adding with a mock-chagrin, common in almost all recent graduates, “And I knew the economy sucked.” Begle was not exaggerating. Due largely in part to the auto industry’s stronghold on Michigan’s economy; the state has one of the worst economies nationwide.

In fact, aside from stories of auto-plant closings, titanic layoffs, increased crime, airport security scares, and one wickedly corrupt Detroit mayor, few national stories trickle out of Michigan these days, and when they do, rarely are they positive.

But in the wake of a decade of job loss (230,000 jobs lost last year alone), Michigan is bouncing back, creating jobs to clean up the messes that big business left behind, and shifting focus to community and the individual, in order to keep the “Great Lakes State” just that: Great.

Among the organizations spearheading ecological job creation in Michigan is Clean Water Action, a national organization whose focus on local, grassroots campaigning led to its initial success over three decades ago. Local Clean Water Action branches are providing jobs to qualified Michigan graduates like Begle, whose interests are already piqued because they want to help in any way they can. “Like Obama, I figured knocking on people’s doors after graduation was a great thing to do. Now I’m working to bring renewable energy and jobs to Michigan, one door at a time.”

Though, in Michigan, campaigning for funds door to door can sometimes be daunting. “The economy affects what I do every day,” Begle admits. “There is no one in Michigan who hasn’t been affected by the economy, but when someone says ‘I’m out of work, I can’t donate,’ I say, ‘That’s why we’re here.’” Part of Begle’s job is to garner support, one door at a time, for the American Clean Energy Security Act (ACES), which narrowly passed in the House, and is now going on to face the Senate. “The Department of Labor estimates this bill will bring 17,000 jobs to Michigan through solar and wind energy. It won’t replace the auto industry, but now is the time for Michigan to step up and become a leader in renewable energy.”

And renewable energy means clean water renewal, which is vital in Michigan, whose surrounding Great Lakes make up roughly 20% of the earth’s fresh water supply. Protecting the Great Lakes is how Clean Water Action began. In the late 1960s founder David Zwick joined a young Ralph Nader to create Water Wasteland, a toxic two-year study on the nation’s water pollution. That book gave birth to Zwick’s grassroots campaign, which led to the passing of The Clean Water Act in 1972. Today Clean Water Action boasts a network of over 1.2 million, all “working to empower people to take action to protect America’s waters, build healthy communities and to make democracy work for all of us.”

As part of that network, Begle’s dedication is perhaps a hint at Clean Water Action’s growing success. She plays a direct link in protecting the water for the people and stopping pollution from coal, Big Oil, and other major corporations who have millions of dollars to lobby with.

“A lot of people care about our water, especially in Michigan because we have so much of it. We’re here to provide a voice to the politicians. They work for us, the people, not big business. Nestle is pumping water out of our Great Lakes, bottling it in Ice Mountain Water, draining our great lakes and selling it back to us. We have to make sure politicians are not privatizing our water. ”

And though she admits the job is a “treasure hunt” when it comes to supporters, the hunt has taken her across the country to work with a national network of non-profits, including Citizens Action Coalition in Indiana, Ohio Citizen Action, and the Texas Campaign for the Environment, giving her in-depth insight on how the political machine works and taking community action. Not too bad for what she thought was just going to be a summer job.

For those interested in donating to Clean Water Action, you can visit their website at CleanWaterAction.com. If you cannot donate monetarily, visit their volunteer page to find out how you can work to contact local politicians in your area to promote clean water renewal.