by Emmanuel Young
South Jersey Information Equity Project
Mayor Carstarphen and volunteers continue their clean-up events in the Camden Community to achieve their goal of a cleaner and safer community for the county’s residents.
Since 2021, Camden officials have organized local cleaning events in areas within the county to ensure clean streets and public places for families and residents to gather. This plan was supported by many businesses, police and fire departments, and residents because they believe the streets and parks represent the community.
The office of the Mayor will hold 13 events in a dozen locations, starting in parks, fields, cemeteries, and squares and moving into the local streets of Camden. Many of these locations are public places, such as Alberta Woods Park, Cramer Hill Waterfront Park, and Yorkship Square, all in Camden County. They run from April to August, working to clean up the streets and engage with residents on problems and issues within their community.
“I lived in Camden all my life, and I love what the mayor is doing for the community with the clean-up events,” one resident on Tuckahoe Road said.
Since then, these events have gathered more volunteers, from residents to volunteers representing their companies. The first event of the year kicked off on Earth Day, a day people celebrate by giving back to their homes by cleaning up waste and materials off the streets of their community.
“As Team Camden grows, it’s more than just a group of volunteers at a clean-up. The team is about a much larger belief and growing confidence in Camden, a belief in our resilient residents, and confidence in the city’s resurgence,” Mayor Carstarphen said in his State of the City address.
The Department of Public Works provides vehicles to transport trash bags and waste that volunteers collect and take to be properly disposed of. It also distributes information about events with many locals about better ways to dispose of trash and provides waste bins for residents to sign up for.
This program is one of many projects the Mayor’s office created to improve Camden since his appointment. For instance, the disposal of a large illegal dumpsite on 7th and Chesnut has existed for many years. Another is the park reconstruction plan, which will improve the parks in Camden with brand-new benches, street lights, cameras, and even playgrounds for seven parks in the county.
The Mayor also uses these events to talk to residents while walking the streets of Camden about their questions and concerns for his office and how they can solve them. This interactive event has gathered many volunteers, increased support in the community, and encouraged more people to do their part in helping their towns.
As the summer continues, there will be more events and opportunities to volunteer. To learn more about the events and their locations, visit the City of Camden website or the Camden Community Events Calendar. Camden Strong–The City of Camden.
This story was produced as part of the Center for Cooperative Media at Montclair State University’s South Jersey Information Equity Project fellowship and supported with funding from the Independence Public Media Foundation.
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