keep philadelphia beautiful community cleanup resource guide

Community Cleanup

AUTUMN 2014 EDITION

Resource Guide

A proud affiliate of Keep AmericaBeautiful and Keep PennsylvaniaBeautiful, we engage individuals to takegreater responsibility for their communityenvironments through providingresources, education, assistance andpromotion. Find out more about us atwww.keepphiladelphiabeautiful.org, orvisit us on Facebook, twitter, andInstagram.

This is meant to be a living document,and as such Keep Philadelphia Beautifulwill keep revising as necessary. Pleasecontact us with any feedback orquestions [email protected].

About Keep Philadelphia Beautiful

How do I planCommunity Cleanup/Volunteer Day?

a successful

1Have a plan!

Before you can organize a volunteer event in your neighborhood, you need to have aplan! Here are some questions we find it helpful to think through as we plan our

events:

What would make thegreatest impact in yourcommunity, while still

being manageable for youto successfully plan and

execute?

How many individuals willyou need to help you plan

and implement yourproject? Are there

organizations, whetherbased in your community or

not, who would want topartner on your project?

How many volunteers, andvolunteer teams, will you

need to successfullycomplete the project?

Will you need permission orCity permits to completeyour project? If so, build

that need in to yourplanning timeline!

Do you have, or need, amaintenance plan? After

you’ve beautified a piece ofyour community, how will

you keep it that way?


a successful

2Procure Supplies

BlockCaptain?

Are you a

Read here!

BlockCaptain?

Not a

Read here!

If you’re a registered BlockCaptain with the PhiladelphiaStreets Department, you can

contact the Philadelphia MoreBeautiful Committee (PMBC)

about cleanup suppliesavailable through their office.

Want to learn more aboutwhat Block Captains do, and

how to appoint BlockCaptains in your

neighborhood? Contact PMBCat 215-685-3968 to find out

more!

The City offers suppliesthrough the Community Life

Improvement Program (CLIP),a division of the ManagingDirector’s Office. You can

request supplies atphila.gov/qualityoflife,

though you will beresponsible for picking up

and delivering supplies backto the City’s warehouse. You

must pick up supplies theweek before your cleanup, and

return them the week after.Note that CLIP will coordinatetrash pickup with the Streets

Department after yourcleanup.

Community CleanupSuggestedSupplies

Rakes, Shovels, Brooms

Bags (separate your trash from recycling!)

Gloves

Weeding & PlantingSuggestedSupplies

Wheelbarrow

Gloves & Shovels

Mulch (and a place to store it)

PaintingSuggestedSupplies

Brushes, Paint Stirrer, Drop Cloths

Gloves, Water Cups, Rags, & Water

Paint & Can Openers

Need Help?we're here!

Reach out to us at:

www.keepphiladelphiabeautiful.org

For support procuring supplies

Suggested Supplies

How do I plan

Community Cleanup/Volunteer Day?

a successful

3Complete Your Pre-Cleanup Checklist

VolunteerTasks

Have clear tasks for all volunteers.

If you are splitting volunteers in to teams, makesure each group has a designated team leader. If thevolunteer site is large, provide your team leaders andvolunteers with a site map and contact informationfor you and any fellow event organizers.

If needed, provide team leaders and volunteers withwritten instructions on completing the task they areassigned.

Schedule ofEvents

Prepare a desired schedulefor the day, and share thatwith your team leaders. Thisschedule should include timefor any tasks that need to becompleted after the serviceportion of the event isfinished (washing of paintbrushes, storing of supplies,etc).

MeetingLocation

GATHER HERE!

Choose a specific meeting location that will be easy for your volunteers to find. Provide volunteers with a clear address, directions using public transportation or car, and landmarks. If you are planning a cleanup in a park, for instance, give volunteers the address as well as a clear marker for where to find you.

Tell volunteers where they can expect to find registration oncethey arrive – and use a visual if possible. Place signs around the siteto direct volunteers on the day of the event, if needed.

RestroomFacilities

Figure out if there are restroomsvolunteers can use, and wherethey should park their cars whenarriving. Make sure to letvolunteers know if there will beno access to bathrooms, andwhere parking is readilyavailable.

VolunteerRecruitment

Tell neighbors, friends, local businesses,and community based organizationssuch as community developmentcorporations, business improvementdistricts, and neighborhood / civicassociations; post on social media; andmake contact with groups or individualsyou know who may be looking forvolunteer opportunities, includingagencies and schools that work withindividuals in need of community servicehours.

Visit the Philadelphia Associationof CDCs member list (www.pacdc.org) orYoung Involved Philadelphia’s CivicEngagement Guide (www.yiphilly.org) tostart your search for thecommunity based organizations in yourarea, or contact us at KeepPhiladelphia Beautiful.

SupplyList

Make sure you have an estimateof how many volunteers toexpect, so you have more thanenough supplies.

Prepare a list ofsupplies neededto complete eachproject (including for post-event cleanup, such as sinksfor washing paint brushes),assign pre-registered volunteersto each project, and make sureyou have enough of each supplyfor every volunteer. Have someextras on hand, too! (And don’tforget gloves!)Hi!

Pre-Cleanup Checklist

TrashPick-Up

Coordinate a special trash pick up with the Philadelphia Streets Department, eitherthrough the Community Life Improvement Program, the Philadelphia More BeautifulCommittee, or Keep Philadelphia Beautiful.

MediaOutreach

Have a designated volunteer totake pictures, and post to socialmedia as the event is takingplace.

Think about contactingthe media! Does yourcommunity have a localnewspaper or blog? Invite themto cover your event! If they do,send a thank you note!

Pre-Cleanup Checklist


a successful

Cleanup Day Checklist

Make each volunteer register with you when they arrive, so you can keep in touch andinvite them to other volunteer opportunities! If appropriate, give each volunteer abrochure or hand out about your efforts and how to stay involved. Depending on thescope of your cleanup, you may also want to have each volunteer sign a waiver releasingyou from any liability should an accident or emergency occur, and allowing you to usetheir image in promotional materials. You may also find it worthwhile to ask volunteershow they heard about your event, to help guide future outreach strategies.

Registration

Gather your volunteers around at the start of your event to thank them for spendingtheir time giving back to Philadelphia, and to explain how the day will work, the tasksthey will be performing, and general safety rules. Also be sure to notify volunteers ofwhere to leave full trash bags for pickup by the Streets Department. Ask volunteers toreturn to the registration table at the end of the volunteer day, to thank them againand formally wrap up the event. Be sure to thank any partner organizations orsponsors.

Volunteer Instructions

4


a successful

Cleanup Day Checklist

Make the day fun! Play music, run a contest, spice it up! Consider havinglunch for volunteers after their tasks are finished – and see if you can getlocal businesses to donate the food and drinks.

Keep it Fun!

Take pictures and post updates throughout the event to Facebook andtwitter!

Keep it Social!

Determine and record your impact! How many bags of trash didyour volunteers collect? How many trees or flowers did youplant? How many volunteers did you engage? Think aboutincluding a visual element during the event, such as a signwhere you keep track of these metrics for all to see.

Record Your Impact

(And make sure to bring plenty of water & snacks!)


a successful

5

Post-Cleanup Checklist

Thank YouThank all of your volunteers, partner organizations, and sponsorsformally, either via email or through a written letter. Make sure to sharethe results of your event with them.

Social MediaPost the pictures you took to social media, if you have not already done so.

Blog PostDo a blog post about your event, or put a wrap up in a community newspaperor media outlet. Share any articles or blog posts with your partners, sponsors,and volunteers.

We'd love to help you!

Depending on how far in advance you contact us aboutyour cleanup, Keep Philadelphia Beautiful can assist with:

Volunteer recruitment and event promotion

Team leader recruitmentOrganizing logistics for theday, from selectingvolunteer activities tooutlining a schedule ofevents

Procuring supplies

Identifying and contactingother potential partnerorganizations &coordinating with CityAgencies

Workshops before or after acleanup about the importance ofcommunity beautification, and theresources available toneighborhoods and individuals tohelp keep their community clean

LIKES1500

City of PhiladelphiaResources

To keep your neighborhood beautiful

If in doubt, call 3-1-1, the City’s non-emergency hotline. Call them for issues likegraffiti, trash in vacant lots, and abandoned cars! Or download the 3-1-1 mobileapp on your smart phone. You can dial 3-1-1 from a 215 or 267 area code, or215-686-8686 from a non-Philadelphia area code.

Become a 3-1-1 Neighborhood Liaison! Have a direct link to the 3-1-1 system,and track your service requests. Visitwww.phila.gov/311/neighborhoodLiason.html for more information.

Planning a Special Event? Contact the Managing Director’s Office! Fill out all thepermits you need to plan a special event by visitingwww.phila.gov/mdo/specialevents.

Are you a PhillyRising neighborhood? PhillyRising is an initiative run throughthe Managing Director’s Office intended to fight blight and crime in targetedneighborhoods. Visit www.phila.gov/mdo/phillyrising to learn more.

Community Life Improvement Program - Request supplies and get vacant lotscleaned and graffiti removed with help from the Community Life ImprovementProgram - Visit www.phila.gov/qualityoflife or call (215) 686-2114.

Managing Director's Office

www.phila.gov/mdo/



Interested in becoming a Block Captain? Contact the Philadelphia MoreBeautiful Committee at 215-685-3971.

Learn about the Streets Department’s Streets & Walkways Education andEnforcement Program (www.philadelphiastreets.com/sweep), and theresponsibilities of residents and business owners for both sanitation andrecycling (www.philadelphiastreets.com/sanitations). Find out exactly whatresidents can and cannot recycle, and see the Department’s new BusinessRecycling Toolkit here (www.philadelphiatreets.com/recycling). And if you’relooking for a simple “how to” guide for recycling, the Streets Department hasyou covered (www.philadelphiastreets.com/recycling/how-to-recycle)!

Did you know you could be rewarded for recycling? Learn more about theRecycling Rewards Program at www.philadelphiastreets.com/recycling-rewards..

If you are a block captain or represent an eligible group, learn how to takeadvantage of the Tire Roundup Program to raise funds for communitybeautification projects in your neighborhood(www.philadelphiastreets.com/sanitation/residential/tire-round-up-program).

www.philadelphiastreets.com

Streets Department



Free sideyard trees through the TreePhilly program! Visittreephilly.org to register for a free tree, find out the giveawayschedule, and learn how to take care of your new tree!

Want a street tree on your block? Call 215-685-4362 (63) or learnmore about the process of requesting a street tree at Parks & Rec'swebsite.

Check out www.phila.gov/parksandrecreation to:

Apply for the permits you need to use a park

Learn about environmental education opportunities through theDepartment

Learn about compost opportunities through the Department

www.phila.gov/parksandrecreation

Parks and Recreation



The Water Department offers:

Stormwater assessment and stormwater management tools at reducedcost through the Rain Check Program

Rain barrel workshops and free rain barrels

Learn more about the Water Department's Soak It Up! AdoptionProgram at www.phillywatersheds.org/adoption, and about all of theireducation and outreach work atwww.phila.gov/water/educationoutreach

www.phila.gov/water

Water Department



List your volunteer project on ServePhiladelphia – www.volunteer.phila.gov - aproject of the Mayor’s Office of CivicEngagement and Volunteer Service.

The Mayor’s Office of Civic Engagement andVolunteer Service also works with other Cityagencies to help facilitate PowerCorpsPHL,an AmeriCorps program geared towardsenvironmental stewardship. Contact themfor possible volunteer recruitment.

http://volunteer.phila.gov/organizations/3

Mayor's Office of Civic Engagement & Volunteer Service



Want to understand city planning and help shape thefuture of your neighborhood? Sign up for the PlanningCommission’s Citizens Planning Institute! Visitwww.citizensplanninginstitute.org to learn more.

Registered Community Organization (RCO) are notified ofproposed new developments in their neighborhood. Findout which one covers your area at phila.gov/cityplanning.

www.phila.gov/cityplanning/

Planning Commission

Non-ProfitResources


Keep Philadelphia Beautiful can help you with workshops andcommunity beautification efforts, including extra supplies andworking with various City departments. Call 215-854-4000 oremail [email protected]

Help LOVE Your Park with the Fairmount Park Conservancy!Visit www.fairmountparkconservancy.org for additionalinformation.

Want to start your own garden on your block, or learn how toplant and care for trees? Who better to help than thePennsylvania Horticultural Society! Find them online atwww.phsonline.org.

Young Involved Philadelphia (www.yiphilly.org) works to fostercivic engagement among millennials in Philadelphia. Visit theirCivic Engagement Guide at www.yiphilly.org/resources for a list ofneighborhood associations and other resources throughout theCity.

Visit community based organization UC Green’s frequently askedquestions (www.ucgreen.org) for more information about tree careand the process for planting street trees in Philadelphia.

[email protected]

215-854-4000

@BeautifulPHL

@BeautifulPHL

www.facebook.com/KeepPhiladelphiaBeautiful

www.keepphiladelphiabeautiful.org

Stay in Touch!

keep philadelphia beautiful community cleanup resource guide

Documents

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