Keeping our neighborhood clean, one sweep at a time
GPSMNA has joined the City of Asheville's Adopt-a-Street program. Four times a year, neighbors walk Macon Avenue and Charlotte Street north of Edwin with grabbers and bags — and we need your help!
The City of Asheville's Adopt-a-Street program lets neighborhood associations take responsibility for keeping a stretch of city street free of litter. Beyond picking up trash, we also report hazards we spot in the road or on sidewalks. Our commitment is a sweep as needed and at minimum once a quarter. The City provides everything: safety vests, gloves, grabbers, and bags.
What a sweep actually looks like:
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Time: An hour or two
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Gear: Provided by the City (vests, gloves, grabber, bags). Wear long sleeves and pants.
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Paperwork: A one-time liability release from the City
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Frequency: Four sweeps a year minimum across the association. Join one or join all four!
Christine's story: Trashy Trash Pick-Up Day
At first there were only a few cigarette butts to pick up along the edges of Grove Park. I thought of Tobias, a former Grove Park neighbor, who routinely kept our area butt-free. Figuring out the garbage grabber was easier than using chopsticks for the first time, and something I am now proud to add to my “can do list.” The large black plastic garbage bag remained mostly empty for long time, flopping by my side. It felt good to wear the bright yellow vest because I was now an Asheville insider on a mission for good. People could ask me for directions. Road workers looked at me with curiosity. Yard crews smiled and greeted me like I was one of them. I could go where others could not. I was an official Grove Park and Sunset Mountain volunteer!