Picking Up Litter and Gathering Momentum
- 01/31/2023, West Vincent Township
The Litter Lifters of West Vincent Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service, held on Monday, January 16, combined efforts with new partners, the Owen J Roberts High School Eco Club, the Owen J Roberts High School Leo Club, and the Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps to clean up the litter on our beautiful roads in northern Chester County. Highlights of the day include:
40 volunteers and 45 bags of litter removed from three roads in our township on Route 401, St. Matthews Road, and Horseshoe Trail.
Student leaders Henri Brunel, Conestoga High School and Naomi Tzoanos, OJR High School (both Young Ambassadors with Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful) participated along with 20 environmental-focused friends.
Upper Uwchlan Township Police Department and West Vincent Township Police Department helped to protect participants and slow down the traffic.
25 lbs. of food were collected for the Chester County Food Bank.
The Litter Lifters 2023 plans include to:
continue to share the Litter Lifters display in all libraries in the Chester County system,
hold clean up events on Route 100, Pughtown Road, and St. Matthews Road,
create outdoor artwork about litter using litter to be displayed at the Spring City Library this spring,
partner with Camphill Village Kimberton Hills to clean up Pughtown Road,
develop outreach programs with libraries and schools to include education on the adverse effects of littering and how individuals can affect changes within their communities, and
introduce “Louie the Litter Lifter” mascot through social media and at clean up events.
Local, County, and State Exposure and Recognition
The Henrietta Hankin Library showcased a Litter Lifters informational display in January, which has been moved to the Spring City Library for the month of February.
The Litter Lifters physical impact to our landscape has been continually acknowledged and recognized, locally and state-wide. They were highlighted in an article in Coventry Living November 2022.
Since summer of 2020, when the Litter Lifters joined the efforts of PennDOT and Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful, participating in Adopt a Highway, their work has been recognized in 2021 and 2022 by the Ocean Conservancy and Pick Up PA.
Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful’ s “Affiliate Volunteers of the Year Program” is a recognition program for KPB and local KAB Affiliates. Through this state-wide program, each affiliate can honor an outstanding volunteer. Beth Intoccia, has also been nominated and will receive her recognition from the Chester County Commissioners in person on March 1, 2023!
The WVT Board of Supervisors, Administration, and residents appreciate Beth's dedication and resourcefulness. Congratulations Beth!
Follow the Litter Lifters on Instagram at: litterliftersofwestvincent
If you would like to learn more about how you can support the Litter Lifters or help at a future event, email litterliftersofwestvincent@gmail.com. Volunteers must follow the Safety Instruction Sheet and complete the Litter Lifters Volunteer Waiver and Release Form when participating in a Litter Lifters clean up event.