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Volunteers Take Part In Downtown Baltimore Cleanup, Remove Trash From 106-Block Area

BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Dozens of volunteers hit the streets of Baltimore Tuesday to deep clean some target spots in the city.

The effort, led by the Downtown Partnership of Baltimore, is designed to clean up downtown for both residents and visitors.

"This is what community is about," Shelonda Stokes, the group's president, said.

It comes as public works crews have battled increased trash volume and staffing shortages due to the coronavirus pandemic. In addition to the daily street cleaning, graffiti removal and trash pickups, the organization is taking to the streets to do a deep clean in specific areas to help pick up the slack.

"Baltimore City needs change, and I think this is a good time, even during a pandemic, that we need to come together and make change for the better for our community," Danette Gayle with the Downtown Partnership said.

With the help of the organization, a group of roughly 50 volunteers split into teams of five to cover all 106 blocks of downtown in just a few hours.

"Downtown is the fastest-growing residential neighborhood in the city, so we got a lot of residents here," City Councilman Eric Costello said. "We're all working together to help keep the neighborhood clean."

Tuesday was the second community cleanup day. So far, organizers said the response has been great.

Moving forward, the Downtown Partnership plans to continue hosting the efforts at least once per quarter.

"If you think about Baltimore and all of the assets we have here, the people are what's most important, and this effort shows just how much people care to make Baltimore better," Stokes said.

The next cleanup day is set to happen after the holidays. To learn more, email info@dpob.org.

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