Keep Gastonia Beautiful, the City’s not-for-profit initiative for clean cities, is joining the nationwide effort to encourage Gastonia residents to clean up litter and trash in their communities. The Great American Cleanup® starts March 20 and ends June 20.
“Although we are seeing more litter on City streets and highways, this event can help bring awareness to increased litter and continue to beautify our neighborhoods,” said Juliann Lehman, director of Keep Gastonia Beautiful. “By everyone joining the City of Gastonia to do their part, we can support safe and healthy communities. Clean communities are safe communities.”
The City has employed several strategies during past years to combat litter and help beautify communities: Excess Household Trash Week (March 22-26), school education, Adopt-a-Street, “X-Stream Cleanup” at Lineberger Park to clean our tributaries (May 22), and Earth Day celebrations. The City also contracts with Trinity Hands, an organization that helps pick up litter. Last year the company collected 3,600 bags of litter around the city and on highways.
During the Great American Cleanup campaign, residents and volunteers can get involved in several ways:
- Identify volunteers on their block to target a specific area in their neighborhood and choose a day to clean up the area.
- Contact Neighborhood Watch Program to organize a cleanup effort.
- Plant a tree.
- Pick a project to beautify their communities.
- Encourage others on social media to join in the spring-cleanup effort.
City Employees to pick up trash on Saturday, March 20:
- Gastonia Police Department uniformed officers and civilian staff will pick up trash from 1:00-4:00 p.m. starting at 1402 Gaston Avenue.
- Councilwoman Donyel Barber (Ward 6) will lead a cleanup crew from 10 a.m. – 12 noon, starting at 260 N. Myrtle School Road.
For more information about how to get involved, contact Juliann Lehman, director of Keep Gastonia Beautiful, at 704-869-1938.
