FAST FACTS:
City of Memphis and Memphis City Beautiful organize South Memphis clean up
Volunteers key to clean up initiatives
Recruited partnership with courts to help with weekend clean-up
(Memphis 05/30/2009) - Volunteers converge on South Memphis this weekend to clean up the neighborhood. They went block by block clearing debris and brush from vacant lots. Organizers from the city of Memphis and Memphis City Beautiful say the program couldn't work without volunteers.
About 100 people came together to clean up the area of South Memphis boarded by South Parkway and McLemore and Mississippi and South Third streets.
"We got up I know a good 25 bags of trash, beer bottles, cans,"said Anthony Prather, volunteer from Greater White Stone Baptist Church.
They attacked blight literally at its root by pulling weeds and clearing vacant lots that have become eyesores. Volunteers from various churches and youth groups make up some of the team of workers.
"Marian Edelman Wright said, "Service is what we pay for living here on earth". That really is what church and being a Christian is all about," said Carolyn Norris, Centenary United Methodist Church.
However, some of those working to clean up South Memphis are here to escape a trip from behind bars. Sent here by Shelby county criminal and juvenile court for committing minor crimes.
"Instead of them getting jail time the judge will assign them community service work and they're out here to help us clean up the community," said Dir. Ernie Dobbins, Div. of Community Enhancement.
Tramon Young is one of those who traded handcuffs for a rake.
Young said, "They got me doing community service for missing a drug screen and you know i'm enjoying cleaning up the city. It's the best thing that could have happened to Memphis anyway, you know what I'm saying.>
Those who live and work in South Memphis say it's a partnership where everybody wins.
"There's a lot of frustration, apathy in the community. People feel they can't do anything but when they see residents getting out and making a difference, it changes things. Attitude is what we're trying to change," said Reginald Milton, executive dir. South Memphis Alliance.
Milton knows some might consider removing trash and other litter a small feat but he says when you change the attitude of a neighborhood you change a spirit of its people. He's hoping this clean-up brings about a spirit of pride in South Memphis.
The city of Memphis also held a clean up initiative in the Jackson and National neighborhoods this weekend.
City of Memphis and Memphis City Beautiful organize South Memphis clean up
Volunteers key to clean up initiatives
Recruited partnership with courts to help with weekend clean-up
(Memphis 05/30/2009) - Volunteers converge on South Memphis this weekend to clean up the neighborhood. They went block by block clearing debris and brush from vacant lots. Organizers from the city of Memphis and Memphis City Beautiful say the program couldn't work without volunteers.
About 100 people came together to clean up the area of South Memphis boarded by South Parkway and McLemore and Mississippi and South Third streets.
"We got up I know a good 25 bags of trash, beer bottles, cans,"said Anthony Prather, volunteer from Greater White Stone Baptist Church.
They attacked blight literally at its root by pulling weeds and clearing vacant lots that have become eyesores. Volunteers from various churches and youth groups make up some of the team of workers.
"Marian Edelman Wright said, "Service is what we pay for living here on earth". That really is what church and being a Christian is all about," said Carolyn Norris, Centenary United Methodist Church.
However, some of those working to clean up South Memphis are here to escape a trip from behind bars. Sent here by Shelby county criminal and juvenile court for committing minor crimes.
"Instead of them getting jail time the judge will assign them community service work and they're out here to help us clean up the community," said Dir. Ernie Dobbins, Div. of Community Enhancement.
Tramon Young is one of those who traded handcuffs for a rake.
Young said, "They got me doing community service for missing a drug screen and you know i'm enjoying cleaning up the city. It's the best thing that could have happened to Memphis anyway, you know what I'm saying.>
Those who live and work in South Memphis say it's a partnership where everybody wins.
"There's a lot of frustration, apathy in the community. People feel they can't do anything but when they see residents getting out and making a difference, it changes things. Attitude is what we're trying to change," said Reginald Milton, executive dir. South Memphis Alliance.
Milton knows some might consider removing trash and other litter a small feat but he says when you change the attitude of a neighborhood you change a spirit of its people. He's hoping this clean-up brings about a spirit of pride in South Memphis.
The city of Memphis also held a clean up initiative in the Jackson and National neighborhoods this weekend.
