Little Big ChangeMakers cleanup, 2/23/20

On Sunday, Feb. 23, 2020, Friends of Adaire joined forces with a great team of Fishtown groups and businesses on a successful Little Big Change Makers cleanup. The event started with Adaire 3rd grader Laney Grubb telling her mom, Friends of Adaire co-founder Chris Morrissey Grubb, that she would like to do a neighborhood cleanup. Laney said she was inspired by her participation in the Friends of Adaire-organized Schoolyard & Sidewalks Cleanup on Dec. 7, 2019. Friends of Adaire Schoolyard Team Leader Denis Devine connected Laney and Chris and their fellow Little Big Change Makers, including Minnow Lane principal Rebecca Brett, with the Fishtown Neighbors Association's Beautification Committee. Together, they set about planning a cleanup, and Laney participated in a Feb. 9th planning meeting at Minnow Lane.

We were incredibly lucky with the weather on Sunday, Feb. 23rd, with Spring-like weather making it easier for families to participate. And participate they did! More than 36 families and more than 130 people helped collect trash from all around the neighborhood. Together, we worked for 4.5 hours, collecting more than 50 bags of trash and litter from almost 60 blocks in Fishtown!

So many families gave their time. And to make this event successful, many gave more than time, too: Adaire parent and Little Big Change Maker leader Claire Sheridan enlisted generous donations of donuts from Federal Donuts; pretzels, apples, and bananas from IGA at the Richmond Shops; and water coolers from Cub Scout Pack 500 Riverwards, Philadelphia, and Fishtown neighbor David Katz, via the Buy Nothing Fishtown Facebook group. The Fishtown Recreation Advisory Council generously donated pizzas bought from Franco's Pizza. The Fishtown Neighbors Association's Beautification Committee's Ellis Mair and Tapan Karr contributed cleaning supplies they own thanks to generous support from the Penn Treaty Special Services District. Friends of Adaire contributed cleaning supplies we own thanks to generous support from Comcast via Comcast Cares Day. Minnow Lane contributed cleaning supplies they generously bought and donated to Friends of Adaire. Chris Grubb's mother generously donated her pickup truck to enable volunteers to pick up bags of trash around the neighborhood and consolidate them near the Fishtown Rec for pickup by the Philadelphia Streets Department, a pickup coordinated by FNA Beautification's Tapan Karr. Many others contributed in countless ways, too. 

This inspiring group of families and community volunteers got our Little Big ChangeMakers cleanup started off right!

This map helped organizers plan and track which teams of volunteers were cleaning up which blocks.

On Feb. 9th, Laney Grubb joined FoA's Denis Devine and Rebecca Brett of Minnow Lane at the great shop on Frankford Ave. to start planning the cleanup.

Yumm! Donuts donated by Federal Donuts helped power the cleanup. Thanks to Claire Sheridan for securing this donation!

Yumm! Apples donated by the IGA at the Richmond Shops helped power the cleanup! Thanks to Claire Sheridan for securing this donation!

Yumm! Philly Pretzel Factory pretzels from IGA helped power this cleanup! Thanks to Claire Sheridan for securing this donation!

Yumm! Bananas donated by the IGA at Richmond Shops powered this cleanup! Thanks to Claire Sheridan for securing this donation!

Pizza ordered from Franco's and paid for by the Fishtown Recreation Advisory Council helped power this cleanup! Thanks for supporting this work!

Claire Sheridan helped secure loans of two big water coolers from a Cub Scout troop and a generous neighbor, helping us avoid using disposable plastic water bottles!

Our very first volunteer, local high school student Anthony, signs up and worked hard all day!

Adaire parent & Friend of Adaire Brad Kacer works hard to haul heavy bags of trash; his son Jude helped a lot too!

A group of Adaire students, Kindergarten to 2nd grade, clears debris from a storm drain on Miller Street.

Hard-working Adaire students clean up litter at the corner of Miller and Orange Streets.

Event co-organizer Chris Grubb is proud of her hard-working students and alumni who came to help out!

The Wachter family works together to clean up trash on Thompson Street.

Event co-organizer Rebecca Brett and Friends of Adaire Schoolyard Team leader Susan Fox worked hard on Palmer Street alongside their equally hard-working daughters.

Hard-working kids take a break beneath I-95 after cleaning up the rain garden behind them. Thanks, Sheridans and Bennetts!

A well-earned snack break for this quartet of hard-working young helpers.

A "Before" picture of a trash-strewn sidewalk on Palmer near Frankford, before Adaire parent Katie Bayes and her daughter tackled it.

An "After" picture of a formerly trash-strewn sidewalk on Palmer near Frankford, after Adaire parent Katie Bayes and her daughter tackled it. Thanks!

Hard-working Adaire students proudly pose with the day's haul of trash picked up from Fishtown streets.

In the foreground, event co-organizer Denis Devine poses with the garbage haul for the day while in the background, Dave Grubb is still getting work done.

Adaire parent and Friend of Adaire Steve Chiaramonte adds another bag of trash to the pile; he worked hard with his kids to clean up Wildey Street.