MUNCIE, Ind. — Early Saturday morning at Canan Commons Park, 11 volunteers lined up for trash grabbers and neon vests to participate in a citywide cleanup effort. The organization responsible for making it happen is none other than Muncie-Delaware Clean and Beautiful.
Founded in 1977, Muncie-Delaware Clean and Beautiful has taken pride in organizing city cleanups, tree planting ceremonies, and community gardening. President Melinda Messineo has a vision for what the organization can do for the local environment.
“One year we really wanted to focus on beautification and butterfly gardens, and so at our annual meeting we gave away butterfly garden planting kits,” Messineo said.
One of the program’s most notable projects is the White River cleanup, which began in 2007. Taking place annually since its debut, over 5,000 volunteers have removed an estimated 150,000 pounds of garbage from the river’s 135 miles.
However, Saturday’s cleanup had more than one hope. As citizens gathered litter from Muncie’s streets, they expressed the importance of community and family. Katherine Harty, a local mother, explained how she took her kids to volunteer at a soup kitchen when they were younger.
“I feel like it’s really important to instill that into your children,” Harty said.
With her daughter by her side, she spoke about her excitement for doing a helpful deed for the city.
“Getting to know people, helping the community, just being a light sometimes to a dark world.” Harty expressed.
Muncie-Delaware Clean and Beautiful holds events such as this monthly. For more information on upcoming efforts, you can visit their Facebook page.
Contact Allison Branecki with comments at allison.branecki@bsu.edu.
