Group organizes to clean up city streets
By Daniel Monahan
dmonahan@sentinelandenterprise. com
FITCHBURG » The city recently became home to a new organization that’s striving to keep its streets beautiful.
Chapter Leader Sam Squailia announced on Feb. 5 the Keep Fitchburg Beautiful initiative and its plan to clean up the city. The organization is an affiliate of Keep America Beautiful, a national nonprofit group.
“ The main purpose of the group is really to put an organization behind the cleanup and beautification work we do already here in Fitchburg,” Squailia, a city councilor, said on Monday. “ To promote what we do, get more people interested and involved to help, and grow and empower our volunteer community to be able to effectively help out on their streets.”
Squailia said the city organizes several cleanups through the Health Department and Department of Public Works each year already, and she helps coordinate weekly cleanups in the spring.
But now, she said, there’s an organization totally devoted to cleaning up trash and beautifying the city.
“ T h e s e cleanups are a great way to meet neighbors, get exercise and fresh air while cleaning up the roads we live on, drive on, and walk on in our city,” Squailia said.
Squailia said she was inspired to create the organization after learning about Keep Ashby Beautiful and decided it was time for Fitchburg to have its own official chapter.
She said it’s the goal of Keep Fitchburg Beautiful to create, promote, and help coordinate events designed to clean and improve the community.
“ We intend to collaborate with existing organizations and work with sponsors for projects to beautify our city; making it cleaner and greener,” Squailia said.
Keep Fitchburg Beautiful recently held its first organizing meeting on Thursday, where Squailia was elected as chapter leader and five co- leaders were selected.
Those co-leaders include Ward 3 Councilor Andrew Couture, Fitchburg Rotary President- Elect Alexander Vera, Fitchburg Art Steward Sam Godin, and community volunteers Joe Bowen and Josiah Richards.
The group will hold monthly meetings through the end of the spring and starting again in the fall to help plan cleanups and beautification projects throughout the city.
Keep Fitchburg Beautiful is funded through its sponsorship with Keep Massachusetts Beautiful, said Squailia. That makes the group eligible for a $ 500 yearly cleanup grant.
The group also plans to request sponsorships and donations from the community to pay for cleanup efforts, she said.
Squailia said anyone in the community who’s interested in lending a hand can join the effort. “ We need our community to help in any way they can,” she said. “ Cleaning up a bag of litter on their morning walk, to joining in one of our weekly spring cleanups down the streets and in the parks of Fitchburg.”
Monthly meetings will be posted on the groups Facebook page and on its website at keepfitchburgbeautiful. com.
