Volunteers after weigh-in of 100 pounds of litter collected during West Athens community cleanup organized by Rising Communities and Caltrans’ Clean California. (Courtesy photo)

  Dozens of volunteers turned out for the West Athens Delegation Community Cleanup on Saturday, August 24.  Community members gathered to pick up litter around a 1-mile block of the neighborhood surrounding Sunnyside Baptist Church from 94th and 95th streets between Normandie and Vermont. During the two-hour event, 15 large bags were filled totaling nearly 100 pounds of litter, such as plastic cups, food wrappers, straws, cigarette ends, paper items, glass, and other garbage.

The West Athens cleanup was organized by Rising Communities in partnership with Caltrans’ Clean California initiative, Sunnyside Baptist Church, The Crenshaw Organization, West Athens Westmont Task Force, and Los Angeles County Public Works. Representatives of the South Los Angeles Sheriff’s Station joined the cleanup, along with Alfonso Ruiz-Delgado, assistant director, Unincorporated Areas, representing Los Angeles County Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell.

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Rising Communities West Athens delegation is working to improve conditions to encourage safe walking, biking, and other active transportation as part of its effort to build community resilience in South LA. Cleaning the sidewalks and neighborhood landscapes is a critical piece of the broader effort to improve conditions.

“I was excited to see the many volunteers who came out early Saturday morning to clean up our community,” said Keith A. Crenshaw Sr., West Athens resident and South L.A. Decides delegate.

“This is just one of the many West Athens cleanup events we are planning. Zero Litter on our streets is the goal!

Minister Norris Milton of Sunnyside Baptist Church joined volunteers to pick up litter in neighborhood surrounding the church. (Courtesy photo)

Rising Communities is among 22 communities statewide that have so far taken the Clean California Community Designation Program pledge.  The Community Designation Program encourages communities to commit to an array of long-term, zero-litter policies to engage residents to support litter prevention, beautification, and environmental enhancement.

Eligible communities can include cities, towns, counties, and smaller neighborhoods and groups. Each must complete 10 of 15 specific criteria to earn the designation. It is the latest feature of Clean California, Governor Newsom’s sweeping $1.2 billion, multiyear initiative led by Caltrans to clean up, transform, and beautify public spaces.

“The Clean California Community designation spotlights communities that are zero-litter leaders with a vision for a better tomorrow. These leaders, such as Rising Communities, understand the long-term benefits to clean communities, and we applaud them for their efforts,” said Caltrans Deputy Director Mike Keever during the recent announcement of the Community Designation Program.

To learn more about upcoming West Athens area cleanup events, visit the Rising Communities website at RisingCommunities.org.