Community volunteers recently banded together in East Akron to clean up vacant lots, making them more appealing to pedestrians and neighbors. (Photo Courtesy of Keep Akron Beautiful)
East Akron residents recently gave a facelift to a couple of vacant lots as part of a two-day restoration project. With the help of community volunteers and Keep Akron Beautiful’s Community Pride Trailer, the group comprising East Akron Neighborhood Development Corp. and employees of Myers Industries and Huntington Bank, among others, gave some attention to lots at the corner of Chittenden and McKinley, and at the corner of Arlington and Baird.
Residents said the lots had become so overgrown and unsightly they were unappealing and difficult for pedestrians to pass by on the sidewalks. With the help of the trailer, volunteers were able to clean up the sidewalk, trim shrubs and trees, plant flowers and spread seven yards of mulch.
Kyle Julien, Director of Urban Planning at EANDC, said, “We don’t have storage capacity right now, so KAB’s equipment was essential in the project. We were able to bring together 15 volunteers from the neighborhood to accomplish a great deal of work in a single day.”
Keep Akron Beautiful (KAB) community improvement trailers, the Community Pride Trailer (CPT) and the Litter and Illegal Dump Cleanup Trailer, are all available for community volunteer efforts. Groups throughout Akron have already been using both trailers since the start of the season in April.
(Photo Courtesy of Keep Akron Beautiful)
The two trailers are equipped to help with different types of projects. The CPT is perfect for vacant lot restoration, community garden installation and maintenance of existing community landscaping. Groups using the CPT have access to tools like lawnmowers, rototillers, weed whackers, shovels, rakes and more. The Litter Trailer is smaller and suited for large scale litter cleanups and illegal dumpsite eradication. Gloves, litter grabbers, litter and recycling bags are just a few items found on Litter Trailer.
In 2015, the trailers have been used for volunteer projects around the city by groups like City Hope, First Energy, Centenary United Methodist Church, Lowe’s of Fairlawn, Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership, Akron City Youth Council, Educational Talent Search, Mt. Carmel Baptist Church, Emmanuel United Church of Christ, Firestone YMCA, The University of Akron Off-Campus Student Services, Build a Better Block and Glendale Community Garden.
The season to reserve one of the trailers lasts until the end of October but reservations have already started filling up. Go to www.keepakronbeautiful.org to book the trailers for projects that will benefit the community. KAB works with a designated project coordinator to schedule the trailer for your project and will set up trailer delivery to the project site—for free. Applications, equipment list, and rules and requirements for both trailers can be found online or by visiting the KAB office.
Keep Akron Beautiful is a 501(c) (3) agency celebrating 34 years of serving the citizens of Akron by improving Akron’s quality of life through beautification and responsible environmental management. For additional program information, visit www.keepakronbeautiful.org.
