ASEZ volunteers from the University of Pittsburgh gathered on Sunday, November 17 for a cleanup along Oakland Avenue and Atwood Street. These streets are high-traffic areas for University of Pittsburgh students coming and going from their apartments. Atwood Street especially tends to accumulate garbage, much of it remaining for weeks or months at a time before being cleaned up. Students automatically think of Atwood as a dirty street. So, mentioning it as a location for a cleanup was met with widespread approval. Lately, increased crime rates have been reported in the area, prompting ASEZ students to host a cleanup to help with the uptick in crime.
ASEZ Volunteers Make Improvements to the University of Pittsburgh Community
During the winter, Atwood Street becomes more difficult to clean, making this event that much more impactful. Volunteers collected bottles, cans, pizza boxes, and various other pieces of litter. In addition, they also helped improve the appearance of the area by removing leaves, sticks, and other plant debris that blocked the sidewalks.
One of the local residents expressed her gratitude to the volunteers and encouraged them to continue their excellent work. She has lived nearby for decades and appreciates the efforts of young people like ASEZ volunteers that spend their time serving others. Previously, ASEZ at the University of Pittsburgh hosted a cleanup in the Oakland, PA area not far from Atwood Street.
Partnership with Pittsburgh Police
Pittsburgh Chief of Police Scott Schubert joined the event and expressed his desire to continue his participation. “We appreciate the fact that everybody’s out trying to help make a difference and keep our community safe,” said Chief Schubert. “It’s one of the things that we really wanted to partner with.”
The event fit right in with ASEZ’s Reduce Crime Together movement. Once one person acts, it’s much easier for others to join in for the cause. ASEZ volunteers pledge to continue to make a positive impact on their community and share the love of a mother, not only with their fellow students on campus but with all people throughout the world.
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One Response
I remember this cleanup! It was really impactful for the student community. Everyone in the area was happy to see the hard work of the WMSCOG members as well as students that joined. I was really excited to have the Chief of Police join us.