Volunteers Help Residents With Cleanup Duties

(MENA)  Over 450 volunteers chipped in and helped fellow Mena residents with cleaning up homes and yards.

A joint effort by the City of Mena and volunteers from Clean Up Mena, in cleaning up properties all across the city took a concentrated two day task and culminated with a huge THANK YOU cookout on the lawn of Janssen Park Sunday evening.

The volunteers tackled over 125 scheduled projects. Those projects came from all over the Mena area. Most of the projects consisted of mowing lawns, weed eating, cutting and hauling brush to the curbside and other needed services.

The cleanup by the volunteers in such a large number was the first time that such an effort has taken place, in recent memory. Organizers were anticipating around 400 volunteers, but exceeded that goal.

The City of Mena Street Department will continue the effort when they begin picking up the debris and trash from throughout the city, going with a similar schedule pickup as Southern Disposal’s trash pickup. However, the city will pickup the materials one day afterwards.

Pastor Victor Rowell of The Crossing Church, stated that if a dollar amount could be given in volunteer hours, over $100,000 could be estimated.

Mayor Seth Smith, who also volunteered his time during the two day cleanup, is also anticipating going out with city crews in picking up the materials to take to the landfill and other appropriate lcoations.

Smith added that one interesting story from the volunteer effort was that an older lady discussed that her dream home that her husband and herself formed many years ago, became difficult and unmanageable to maintain through the years.

Smith stated that she was extremely appreciative that after the volunteers cleaned up the overgrowth on a tree in the backyard. Smith said that she will be able to witness her grandchildren being able to enjoy the tree that her children used to play on now, after the much needed sprucing of her property.

Rowell expressed that the convergence of strangers helping one another has created long – lasting friendships and relationships with their neighbors, with this project.

Rowell and Smith hope to see this become a regular event, but will be determined after the completion of this year’s

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Jeri Pearson

Jeri is the News Director for Pulse Multi-Media and Editor of The Polk County Pulse. She has 10 years of experience in community focused journalism and has won multiple press association awards.

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