As part of ongoing efforts to clean up neighborhoods in Macon-Bibb County, the Public Works and Solid Waste Departments will help lead two neighborhood cleanups on Saturday, April 15 and Monday, April 17.

They will work in Kings Park on April 15 from 8:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. in a partnership that has taken place twice a year for the past 25 years. In advance of the cleanup day, the neighborhood hands out fliers encouraging people to gather any materials, litter, and debris from their properties and the vacant or blighted properties near them; it’s all to be pile on the curb by Friday evening. The departments will send crews through the neighborhood throughout the day to pick up the piles, and the neighborhood feeds them lunch at Sam Hart Community Center (3283 Kingston Court).

“In the past several years, we’ve collected as much as 20 tons of debris, everything from appliances to auto parts to tires to old lumber to household materials…and more,” says Public Works Director Marvin Land. “It’s one of those events are departments look forward to each year because with that focused effort, we feel like we’re really making a difference and the people of Kings Park are great to work with.”

Recently, Land decided to expand that effort by doing a similar outreach for the Country Estates community (6381 Thomaston Road). The next cleanup effort – which will be the third total for this community – will be Monday, April 17 beginning at 7:30 a.m. and lasting until all the debris is collected. Similar to Kings Park, residents will be putting debris on the curb by the night before for crews to collect.

In addition to these cleanups, the departments also conduct a similar cleanup once or twice a year at North Park Manor off of Highway 247. The Public Works Department has also begun leading donation collection drives for Macon-Bibb County, collecting more than 4,000 items for the Middle Georgia Food Bank last Fall and more than 7,300 items and $300 in cash, checks, and gift cards for the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Georgia.

Efforts like this are part of Macon-Bibb County’s national award winning Forward Together Strategic Plan. These clean up and outreach efforts are the departments working in the Economic & Community Development and the Safe Neighborhoods & Safe Communities Strategic Focus Areas by bringing people in the community together to address blight issues. And by working together, they are building a stronger community.