What is a community cleanup? What does it take to start a

Creating a Clean Water Future One Neighborhood at a Time
What is a community
cleanup?
A community cleanup brings volunteers
together to clean, repair, and improve
public spaces or other areas (such as
vacant lots or abandoned properties)
that have been neglected, vandalized,
or misused. Cleanup projects can
involve all kinds of public spaces—parks,
creeks or riverbanks, schoolyards,
sidewalks, playing fields, and even
parking lots.
What does it take to
start a community
cleanup?
A good first step is to look around at
areas that need attention. Is a
neighborhood park littered? Is an empty
lot filled with tires, construction
materials, and overgrown bushes? Is a
nearby stream an eyesore that
discourages people from enjoying it?
Look at the people in your group. What
skills do they have?
Picking up trash requires one level of
skills; hauling huge hunks of concrete or
using chainsaws to cut up lumber calls
for another.
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Helping hands are the most important
ingredient for a successful outcome;
many of the materials and services
needed can be donated by local
businesses or environmental
organizations, even for a major
community spruce-up.
Create partnerships. Joining up with
another neighborhood or community
group can provide more help to get the
work done. Environmental groups, civic
associations, the local recreation and
parks departments, business
associations, service clubs, and religious
and social groups may be able to help or
suggest other groups.
From the director:
Every neighborhood has areas—public parks,
schoolyards, sidewalks—that are neglected,
vandalized, or rundown. You can help clean up those
places by getting involved in a neighborhood cleanup
project. A neighborhood cleanup is a project in which
volunteers of all ages work together to spruce up
their neighborhood. By playing your part in cleaning
up your neighborhood, you will create a clean water
future for your community and for Mobile Bay.
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If the proposed cleanup site is privately
owned, you will need to get written
permission from the owner. You may
have to check local land records to
identify the owner. For a public site,
contact local government agencies, such
as the permits and licenses office or the
police department, to find out what
permits may be needed, what
guidelines exist, and what kind of help is
available.
What are some of the
challenges of a
community cleanup?
You’ll need help from other youth and
adults. Recruiting core groups to
support the effort can be a challenge
because many people are busy with
other things. Point out the benefits to
the neighborhood and the whole
community of cleaning up the area and
encourage the idea of partnerships and
friends working together.
Be aware of any hazards—drug
paraphernalia, poison ivy, thorny
bushes, or glass and metal that could
cut and harm volunteers. If you find any
hazardous materials make note of the
location and contact the local police
precinct or parks department.
What does it take to
keep a community
cleanup going?
for example, from one neighborhood to
the next. Or, a specific site can be
“adopted” and kept clean.
Sharing the work—let people do
different jobs that appeal to them—
makes each new cleanup a fresh
opportunity for volunteers. Special
themes or “bring-a-friend” days can
help liven up the work.
Make sure your community cleanup
goals are realistic. It’s a good idea to
start with a project that can be
accomplished in one afternoon and
work up to larger projects. By cleaning
up a park in a day, you will generate
positive momentum for the next
project.
Whether your cleanup project is a onetime event or a year-long commitment,
don’t forget to celebrate the results.
Before-and-after photos and
videotapes, coverage by local news
media and thank-you letters from area
residents can help. Refreshments
throughout the cleanup and a meal
(sandwiches, pizza party, or a cookout)
at the end can make volunteers look
forward to working together again.
For help planning your next community cleanup
contact the Clean Water Future Team by calling 251431-6409 or visiting www.CleanWaterFuture.com.
Together we can Create A Clean Water Future now
and for generations to come.
A cleanup can be a one-time event. The
activity can also continue by moving the
cleanup from one location to another—
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What are some of the
rewards of a
community cleanup?
A community cleanup encourages
community ownership and creates
community pride. Good luck with your
project and—Go
for it!
A community cleanup provides some of
the most tangible rewards of any
program. The results are immediately
visible. People might even stop to thank
you while you’re still working. Children
may come out of their houses and want
to join in cleaning up the street. And as
your volunteers walk, bike, or drive by
the site, each one will take pride in
knowing that he or she helped regain an
attractive, usable space for the
neighborhood.
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Responsibilities of a Cleanup Host:
Pre cleanup steps:
1. Determine cleanup location
a. Neighborhoods, community blocks, schools, businesses, churches
2. Select a date and time
a. Advertise selected date, time and location.
3. Pre-screen cleanup site for hazardous materials
a. Contact local police precinct or parks department to have any hazardous
materials removed.
4. Designate a trash disposal site within the selected cleanup location
a. Coordinate disposal site with public works department for trash pick-up
scheduling.
5. Organize volunteers
a. Ask neighbors, friends, family
6. Invite Your Elected Officials
a. Send the mayor and your local representatives an invitation to your cleanup—
it’s great to let them know what is happening in their district, and provides a
little extra interest for the press. You can find your representatives and their
contact information at www.votesmart.org - just type in your zip code.
7. Establish Cleanup Captains
a. Captains are helpful when tackling a large area to help with volunteers and
communicating with home station.
8. Designate home station
a. Location of sign-in/out sheet, first aid, equipment pick up and return, safety
information
Day of cleanup:
1. Come early
a. Arrive at your assigned location at least twenty minutes before volunteers are
scheduled to arrive. Give yourself plenty of time to set up your volunteer sign-in
sheets and cleanup supplies.
2. Sign in and out ALL volunteers
a. This information is needed for future community cleanups and improvement
grant opportunities.
3. Conduct volunteer orientation
a. Review Safety Instructions with volunteers. Be sure each volunteer has signed
in.
4. Review location map with volunteers
a. Designate Cleanup Captains and/or volunteers to specific areas if necessary.
5. Trash disposal site
a. Instruct volunteers to leave all collected bags of trash at the designated trash
disposal site.
6. Equipment
a. Sign out any barrowed equipment or tools, give volunteers garbage bags, gloves
and safety vests.
7. Cleanup end time
a. Inform volunteers of what time they should return to the home station.
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8. Equipment
a. Sign in any barrowed equipment or tools, collect safety vests and gloves.
9. Report cleanup success
a. Turn in sign-in sheets, photos, left over materials, equipment or tools, gloves
and safety vests.
Cleanup kit contains:
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Communities in action bulletin
o bulletin contains great tips for conducting a successful community cleanup
Map of your local area
o to help with location selection
Volunteer sign-in sheet
o ALL volunteers must sign in and out
Safety Instructions
o Do’s and Don’ts and first aid instructions
Ideas for recruiting volunteers:
Church groups: talk to the religious leader in your community about conducting a Sunday
morning cleanup. Have the pastor/priest ask the congregation to come to Sunday morning
service ready to work. Worship leader could give a short sermon on why we should protect the
earth and keep it clean. Congregation members would then go out and conduct a two hour
cleanup within and around the church community or neighborhood while the elders of the
church prepared a home-cooked meal for the congregation volunteers.
Youth groups: contact Boys & Girls clubs, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts and/or church youth groups.
Community residents: ask your neighbors and community residents to commit two hour of their
time on a selected day to help clean up the neighborhood.
Social or civic clubs: if you belong to a social or civic club, ask the members to commit a few
hours of their time on a selected day. Cleanup could be held in the community of your meeting
location.
Businesses: Ask your employees to commit a few hours of their time to clean up around the
building or block of the business.
Fraternities or Sororities: Ask fraternity or sorority members to earn their service hours by
volunteering their time to help beautify your neighborhood.
If you have any questions or need assistance please contact:
The Clean Water Future Team
251-431-6409
mbnep@mobilebaynep.com
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SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS
Safety Rules:
Please share this information with the volunteers at your cleanup event
1. Be aware of your surroundings at all time.
2. Stay out of tall grass and shrubs.
3. Wear long pants, long sleeves, socks, and closed-toe shoes for protection. If you do not,
you put yourself at risk for tick bites, poison ivy reaction, burs and scratches, injured
toes and feet, and other injuries.
4. Use sun block and bug spray if desired.
5. Cleanup areas often have varieties of poison ivy, oak, or sumac. It is advised to take a
shower after the event, scrubbing your skin with soap and water.
6. Do not lift heavy objects. If you need help, please ask another volunteer or Cleanup
Captain.
7. Wear gloves AT ALL TIME for protection. Be extremely careful with sharp objects and
glass. Children should not pick up any sharp objects, glass or heavy debris.
8. Stay out of slippery, rocky, or steep and dangerous areas.
9. Report any injury to your Cleanup Captain and immediately call 911 if there is a serious
injury.
10. Children under 18 must be accompanied by an adult. No one should stray from the
group.
11. Drink plenty of water in order to stay hydrated.
12. Watch out for wildlife. If you see trapped or injured wildlife, please inform your Cleanup
Captain. Never approach an injured animal.
13. Hazardous materials should not be handled by volunteers. Alert your Cleanup Captain if
any hazardous materials are found.
14. If you haven’t done so already, please sign in.
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WARNING
POISON IVY – POISON OAK – POISON SUMAC
“Leaves of Three, Let It Be”
Facts:
Poison ivy and its similar cousins
(poison oak and poison sumac)
are normally observed growing
low to the ground. Average
height is fifteen inches to
three feet in height.
Mature vines growing upward on a
tree and are light gray and have thousands of hair
like fibers (two inches long and as wide as three
and can also cause the rash.
Poison Sumac are tall shrubs or small trees
with 7-11 leaflets arranged in pairs, and an
single leaflet at the end of the midrib.
Yellowish green flowers and whitish green fruits hang in loose
clusters.
inches)
with alternate leaves
additional
Poison ivy rash occurs if contact is made with the urushiol oil (pronounced oo-roo-she-all) from
the plant. This can be done by directly touching plants and clean up tools with your bare hands.
Symptoms:
Itching of the skin in exposed areas
Skin redness or inflammation in the exposed area
Tenderness of the skin in the exposed area
Warmth of the exposed area may occur
Skin lesion or rash at the site of exposure may include (Redness, blister, pimples)
Clean Up Procedures:
The best protection is to avoid poison ivy in work areas, if possible.
Report symptoms immediately if contact is made to your skin.
Wear long sleeves and long pants, wear work gloves, when cleaning near brush or trees near
poison ivy.
Do not touch the pickup ends of any tools used in the cleanup.
Quick Action Needed:
Because urushiol oil can penetrate the skin within minutes do not waste time if exposed. The
faster your skin is cleansed, the greater the chance of removing the urushiol oil before it gets
attached to the skin.
Cleansing may not stop the initial outbreak of the rash if more than10 minutes have passed, but it
can help prevent further spread.
If exposed to poison ivy, oak or sumac, Follow the steps below:
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Cleanse exposed skin with generous amounts of isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol. (Don’t
return to the woods or yard the same day. Alcohol removes your skin’s protection along
with the urushiol oil and any new contact will cause the urushiol oil to penetrate twice as
fast.)
Wash exposed skin with water ONLY. Find a water hose or sink somewhere.
Get to FIRST AID STATION immediately for further directions
When you get home clothes, shoes, tools, and anything else that may have been in
contact with the urushiol oil should be wiped off with alcohol and water and wear gloves
while completing the steps and then discard them.
Signs of an Emergency:
About 15 percent of the 120 million Americans who are allergic to poison ivy, oak, and sumac are
so highly sensitive to the plants that they break out in a rash and begin to swell in 4 to 12 hours
instead of the normal 24 to 48. Their eyes may swell shut and blisters may erupt on their skin.
This is an emergency. Call EMS or 911 and get to a hospital as soon as possible.
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