CORNWALL – You won’t be able to miss volunteers with the Adopt-A-Street program in the city in the future.
The city’s parks department gave out new safety vests, emblazoned with “Adopt-A-Street Volunteer,” during a recognition event at the Benson Center Wednesday afternoon.
It was also to – as Parks Supervisor Jim Althouse put it – “to say thank you” for the work people have done to keep the Seaway City clean.
Althouse told Cornwall Newswatch response to the program, officially launched in August 2015, has been “fantastic…I never expected this.”
He thought there may have been a dozen people signing up when it started but the civic pride program now has roughly 45 volunteers going out at picking up trash along city streets.
Volunteers commit to going out at least once a month between April and October and are given training and cleanup supplies by the city.
Althouse told the audience that the city is always “flexible to help you do your activity” by arranging supply deliveries or arranging pickup of larger items that are found by the volunteers.
The get together was also a chance to get some feedback on the program. Some volunteers would like to see the program become “more visible,” such as a map at the Benson Center showing the streets adopted. The city is reviewing the suggestions.
The program is supervised by Althouse and Arborist Supervisor Scott Porter.
The recognition event included a number of gifts for volunteers that recorded the most mileage, the most garbage and the longest serving members.
Volunteers also received buckets, which were donated to the city by the local RONA — the city’s hardware supplier.
The city is always looking to add to the volunteer base and you can get more information here.