Litter Cleanup in January? Yes!
We don’t usually schedule litter cleanups for January because it’s often cold and wet, and litter can be frozen to the ground. But sometimes it’s a good idea to get out of the comfort of your home to get busy when it’s needed.
MLK Day is a special day, dedicated to celebrate the life and work of American Civil Rights Leader, Martin Luther King Jr. In Richmond, there were parades, concerts, walking tours and other tributes. It’s also marked as a day of service for your community.
Our organization was invited to share the use of our litter grabbers at a litter cleanup at Blackwell Park (Charlie Sydnor Playground) on E. 15th Street. We joined the Dept. of Parks, Recreation, and Community Facilities, along with volunteers, to get the job done.
There were about 16 volunteers, and we worked for two hours. We picked up 38 bags of litter, 3 tires, 2 suitcases, storage bins, and other random things that couldn’t fit in trash bags! Yes, it was a little chilly, but the volunteers were dedicated and were happy with the work they were doing. We’re grateful for their time and effort, and appreciate the positive impact they made at Blackwell Park. Studies show that an area that is cared for and not littered is more like to stay clean – we hope that’s the case for the area we worked at on MLK Day.
In addition to our Executive Director, Cristi Lawton, wielding a litter grabber, our Intern Elena was there to help as well. And as a VCU student in Advertising, she put her skills to work creating this short video of the event.
Thank you, Richmond Parks & Rec, volunteers, for inviting the KVB team to participate in a cleanup event. When we’re all working together, we can accomplish good things, just as Martin Luther King Jr. would have envisioned.