Dr. Karen Bell, Keep Liberty Beautiful.
Well, I heard a cleanup story that brought tears to my eyes. If you ask my son, Bryan, he will say it doesn’t take much to make me cry, like watching “Free Willy.” That move gets me every time, but this story was about a little girl and her green birthday wish.
Delyla has always had a tender heart. Her mother told me that she’s had an understanding and compassion for others her whole life.
Delyla’s always been very passionate about nature and doing no harm to it. Since January, her mother has asked her what she wanted to do for her birthday, but she couldn’t come up with anything. Then, a few weeks ago, they were out, and she noticed some teens picking up trash on the side of the road. She immediately got so excited and said, “Do you know what they’re doing?! They’re cleaning up the Earth!” After a few minutes of discussing who they might be and why they might be doing it, she said she knew what she wanted to do for her birthday: She wanted to clean up the Earth, too!
Her mother was worried she wouldn’t find many 8-year-old friends to participate in the cleanup. She posted a video talking about it, and it looks like she’s started a whole movement! Delyla’s got people worldwide picking up trash and sending videos. Her mother will show them to her on her birthday as part of her gift and is so overwhelmed with what Delyla’s sparked.
I was so excited when I heard the story and cannot wait to see the turnout at Delyla’s Green Birthday Cleanup Party. Delyla’s party will be at Bryant Commons on March 13 from 1–4 p.m. We invite you to join her or volunteer for one of the many scheduled cleanups in Liberty County, starting with Delyla’s on March 13, and the countywide on March 19. There will not be a 2022 Great American Cleanups until June.
You or your group can participate in the countywide cleanup or schedule a neighborhood or group cleanup on a day that works for you. KLB provides cleanup supplies like garbage bags, safety vests, work gloves, litter reachers and water. We also offer KLB T-shirts to all registered volunteers.
To register for a Great American Cleanup, go to Sign Up Genius and search klcb@libertycounty ga.com, or use this link: https://bit.ly/KLBGAC2022.
While you are waiting to participate in a cleanup, here are a few ways to help with litter prevention:
1. Commit to picking up one piece of litter every day. We all pass a lot of litter every day, so it should not be hard to find a piece or two to pick up. Just think, you could remove 365 pieces of litter a year with this one quick action. If a few thousand of us did this every day, the results could be pretty incredible.
2. Set an example by not littering. Carry a litter bag in your car and hang on to litter until you find a garbage receptacle.
3. Ensure your trash cans have good-fitting lids so litter cannot fall or blow out. If you transport garbage or recyclable items to area solid waste convenience centers for disposal, make sure that your bags are tied off and that bags and containers are secured in your vehicle.
4. Ask your neighbors to join you in cleaning up your street or neighborhood. “Adopting” that area can help reduce the amount of litter because people litter less in maintained areas.
5. Look for ways to beautify your neighborhood and community. Areas that are maintained and attractive are littered less, and research shows that they are usually safer, too.
6. At community and sports events, look for containers to dispose of snack wrappers and drink containers. Don’t just throw them on the ground.
Be a change-maker like Delyla in Liberty County and volunteer with KLB! For more information, contact Keep Liberty Beautiful at (912) 880-4888 or klcb@libertycountyga.com.
