(Miami-Dade County District 10 Commissioner Javier D. Souto, Florida House District 118 Representative Anthony Rodriguez, and dozens of volunteers collected 50 bags of litter at a recent “Let’s Clean Things Up” litter clean-up event in Kendall/Horse Country.)
The Miami-Dade County Departments of Solid Waste Management (DSWM), and Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces (PROS), through Neat Streets Miami, joined forces with Miami-Dade County District 10 Commissioner Javier D. Souto and Florida House District 118 Representative Anthony Rodriguez to invite residents to participate in the “Let’s Clean Things Up” litter cleanup event on Saturday, October 12, 2019.
The cleanup began just south of the Kendall Regional Medical Center, near Miami-Dade’s well-known “Horse Country” neighborhood. The DSWM’s “Waste Education on the Go!” van was there, as were nearly four dozen volunteers. Volunteers received green “Let’s Clean Things Up” t-shirts and other items.
Armed with pick sticks and trash bags, the volunteers collected 50 bags worth of litter from the public right-of-way along SW 118th Avenue, from SW 43rd to SW 49th Streets. They were joined by Miami-Dade County District 10 Commissioner Javier D. Souto, Florida House District 118 Representative Anthony Rodriguez, DSWM Director Michael Fernandez, members of the DSWM senior management team, officers from the Miami-Dade Police Department, staff from the Kendall Regional Medical Center, and others.
“The community really stepped up with a large number of volunteers and an outstanding cleanup effort,” said Mr. Fernandez. “Most importantly you could see everyone who participated takes pride in their neighborhood.”
The weather cooperated, allowing volunteers to collect litter without any rain to slow them down. A DSWM litter crew and Waste Enforcement Officer were on hand to remove some items that were too large for the volunteers to handle.
Participants received certificates acknowledging their volunteer efforts from both DSWM and the office of State Representative Rodriguez. Community service hours were also granted to student volunteers.
Miami-Dade County residents and volunteer groups interested in participating in a future litter pickup activity can register to be notified about all upcoming events here.
The “Let’s Clean Things Up” campaign is a public awareness and engagement effort designed to reduce litter and improve neighborhood aesthetics while fostering community pride. Through partnerships with individuals, community groups, civic organizations and local businesses, Miami-Dade County officials hope to combat and prevent littering on public rights-of-way in neighborhoods and public spaces throughout Miami-Dade County.
For additional information on “Let’s Clean Things Up” visit the website, call 311 or email the department at DSWM@miamidade.gov.
