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Keep Cobb Beautiful is looking for people who don’t mind sprucing up where they live.
While a cleanup day is scheduled along Cobb County’s largest thoroughfare on Saturday, April 16, organizers also hope to enlist the help of those interested in cleaning up their neighborhoods and streams throughout the coming months.
HELPING HANDS: Volunteers are essential to many Keep Cobb Beautiful programs. Neighborhoods and organizations that hold cleanups can get free assistance from Keep Cobb Beautiful at (770) 528-1135.
As part of The Great American Cleanup event running through May, Keep Cobb Beautiful is offering free garbage bags, gloves, certificates, posters, stickers and children’s activity sheets to support cleanups organized by individuals and organizations.
“This gives every Cobb County resident an area to focus on, whether it be in their back yard or on a public road,” Keep Cobb Beautiful Public Programs Coordinator Gwen Baldwin said. “We’ll support them.”
The Adopt-A-Stream program is offering similar help to those who want to remove debris from local creeks and waterways during April, Baldwin said. The Cobb County Water System will supply gloves, bags and free T-shirts to participants.
During four major cleanup events organized by Keep Cobb Beautiful last year, more than 400 volunteers removed 7,260 pounds of trash, Baldwin said. In total, the volunteers gave nearly 1,000 hours of their time to the efforts.
Beautification efforts doesn’t mean just picking up trash, however.
Cobb Trees is inviting the public to assist with its last tree planting for the season on Saturday, March 19, in west Cobb. Volunteers will plant trees at Lost Mountain Park, located at 4845 Dallas Highway in Powder Springs.
The plantings will begin at 9 a.m. with instructions and a demonstration. Volunteers will be served breakfast and lunch, organizers said. To take part in this event, or in case of inclement weather, call (770) 528-1135 for information.
Efforts made by residents are key to many of the Keep Cobb Beautiful initiatives. Baldwin said they are especially hoping for high turnouts among various civic-minded groups such as scouting and church organizations.
The planned April 16 road cleanup, which begins at 9 a.m., will concentrate on the Chastain and Barrett Parkway exit and on ramps to Interstate 75. These locations represent a major gateway for visitors to Cobb — particularly shoppers, Baldwin noted.
“Some of their first impressions will be when they exit off of Interstate 75,” she said. “First impressions are everything.”
By making sure the exits are clean, those helping will have a clear, positive impact on the county, she added. Many Kennesaw State University students have already volunteered to take part.
Breakfast will be served to participants and free T-shirts will be given while supplies last, Baldwin said.
Keep Cobb Beautiful also wants to continue to educate the public about the importance of recycling and properly disposing of their trash. Too many times, people find it easier to toss their garbage on the ground than take it with them, she said.
“It’s just one step more to take it to the trash can,” Baldwin said. “The end result will be a better place for us to live and a cleaner environment for our children.”
For more information about the Adopt-A-Stream program, call Jennifer McCoy at (770) 528-1482. Those interested in volunteering for the April 16 cleanup can call (770) 528-1135.
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