Last year the Downtown Greensburg Project had 30 volunteers and many donations to clean up the parklet on S. PA Ave in downtown Greensburg. This year they’re partnering with the Greensburg Volunteer Fire Department and are hoping to cleanup other areas of the city.
On Sunday May 26, starting at 9am they will be cleaning up the parklet by tearing out weeds, clearing debris, planting new perennial plants, mulching and giving the park benches a shine. Volunteers walk around downtown to pick up any garbage they find. Lastly, they are looking into weeding and mulching the trees that run along the streets.
An exciting addition to the parklet this year will be a ‘Little Free Pantry’ (LFP) that the GVFD is providing. A little free pantry utilizes a familiar, compelling concept, Little Free Library, to pique local interest in and action against local food insecurity. This offers a place around which neighbors might coalesce to meet neighborhood needs, whether for food or for fun. The S. PA Ave LFP will be stocked with non perishable goods, personal care items and paper goods for anyone who may need them.
“When we met with the Greensburg Volunteer Fire Department to talk about other things they did in our community and their blood drive, we talked about the parklet project,” said Jessica Hickey, Downtown Greensburg Project director. “They mentioned their Junior Program wanting to cleanup the parklet and put in a Little Free Pantry, which was in our plans to do as well, so we decided to partner on it.”
A list of plants and items is being put together for the cleanup and local community members can donate or make a monetary donation. Many volunteers will be needed for the cleanup and will be pulling weeds, planting new plants, mulching areas and picking up debris in town.
“The GVFD is really looking forward to host a community clean up and spruce up different areas of the City,” said Rick Steele, “The kids in the 420/Junior Program are really excited to help raise money and be involved in this project to benefit the entire community. ”
One of our goals as the Downtown Greensburg Project is to foster more community involvement. Sometimes it isn’t always about if something is making money but how the quality of life is for those who live here.
Want to get involved on May 26? Fill out the volunteer form! Can’t attend but would still love to donate? Awesome! Click the corresponding button below to fill out a form to volunteer or donate!
The downtown central area could use a few more garbage cans. I believe people want to do the right thing but the inconvenience of looking for a garbage can outweighs their intentions.
We’ve discussed this issue and hopefully can come up with a solution soon. If we can get enough sponsors we will be adding a couple to the parklet.
If a sponsor purchased the receptacle, can Gbg Public Works empty? Otherwise, maybe part of sponsorship could be emptying the can on a regular basis dependent upon the volume of trash collected.