Cabarrus employees team up to beautify Concord’s Church Street
A problem lines many North Carolina roads and Cabarrus is no exception. That problem? Lots of litter.
On April 12, a group of Cabarrus County employees volunteered their time to collect roadside trash over a two-mile stretch of Church Street in Concord, from the Cabarrus County Government Center to Mr. C’s Restaurant.
The effort was part of North Carolina Department of Transportation’s (NCDOT) 2021 Spring Litter Sweep, running April 10 through 24.
Donning orange safety vests, gloves and face coverings, the volunteers scoured both sides of the street, collecting five full bags of trash and one bag of recyclable material.
“We came across a lot of cigarette butts, disposable masks and trash from fast food restaurants,” said Hanna Lightsey, who organized the event and serves as internal communications specialist for the County. “It’s upsetting to see that amount of trash on our roadsides … knowing it’s there because someone was careless. It takes an effort from everyone to keep our streets clean, safe and beautiful.”
Each April and September, NCDOT asks volunteers to help remove litter from roadsides. Volunteers from local businesses, schools, non-profits, churches, municipalities, law enforcement and community groups play an important role in keeping North Carolina’s roads clean.
Volunteers are provided with clean-up supplies such as trash bags, gloves and safety vests from local NCDOT County Maintenance Yard offices.
“Call on your friends and neighbors—ask them to join you,” Lightsey said. “We had fun, bonded and gave back to our community. We’ll be back to do it again this fall.”
To sign up and get more information about NCDOT’s Litter Sweep, visit ncdot.gov/littersweep. To learn more about local Adopt-A-Street programs and other anti-litter volunteer opportunities, contact your municipality.
NCDOT advises residents to do their part by:
- Holding onto trash until it can be disposed of properly. Use a litter bag in your vehicle so you can properly dispose of trash later.
- Securing loads before driving. Unsecured trash can fly from a vehicle and end up as roadside litter.
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