Just added: Clean Team photo gallery
Community Clean Ups
“Remember the 1970s, and all the social marketing to remind people ‘DON’T BE A LITTERBUG’? Well in the intervening years, we seem to have forgotten that lesson and there’s not much stigma around being a litterbug now. More and more Calgarians comment to me that the city is dirtier, and that littering has reached dramatic proportions. My aim with Joe’s Clean Team, is to actually do something about it beyond complaining, and to restore a sense of pride and ownership of our city. I believe that if enough people take personal responsibility for keeping our city clean, it will serve as a deterrent to littering for other people and we will have a clean city in the long term.
While there is no denying that littering is a city-wide problem, as Alderman for Ward 9, I chose a central location from which the Clean Team ventures forth to pick up rubbish for 90 minutes spreading out in four directions.
The idea was brought to reality over two years ago with the help of the Volunteer Coordinators at the Calgary Drop In Centre. The Clean Team gets together with Drop In Centre clients to not only pick up litter together but to learn more about what it’s like to be homeless.
I am deeply concerned about the homeless in our city, and by involving Drop-In Centre clients who volunteer to work on Joe’s Clean Team, we have occasion to interact and make connections with each other. I learn what they’re up against, and they get involved with other members of the community. By engaging in worthy work together, I believe we build empathy and understanding for one another, and pick up a whole lot of rubbish into the bargain. We welcome all comers, and I promise you that it will be a very rewarding 90 minutes in all kinds of ways.
Join us by email clward9@calgary.ca
Almost all the Ward 9 communities organize a Community Cleanup.
Joe participates in each one and provides vests, gloves and litter pickers to volunteers.
Drop – In Centre Clean Ups
Bring your volunteer group, your friends and family for the community action event.
Work with clients from the Drop In Centre who help clean up the area.
For more information call Ward 9 Community Liaison Sharon Stevens at
268-5330 or email clward9@calgary.ca
Meet at the Drop In Centre 423 4 Ave S.E. Route maps, sgloves, bags and garbage picking tools are provided.
Routes are within 1 km of the Drop In Centre. Work with clients from the Drop In Centre who help clean up the area. After the clean up, join Joe and his crew at Broken City for snacks and refreshments.
Bring your volunteer group, your friends and family for the community action event. Call (403) 268-5330 for more information.
Every Day is Earth Day in Ward 9!
A BIG thankyou to all the individuals, teams, offices, schools, businesses who were out on Earth Day! No need to confine this to only one day – especially one that was so cold and snowy. Please don’t hesitate to make your own Earth Day event any day soon – pick a sunny day. Send in photos and stories.
Read Joe’s diary of Clean Team adventures: