The recent rainy weather didn’t stop the volunteers from picking up litter on the property at 3800 Vollmer Road in Flossmoor for the annual Southland Community Spring Clean Up.
On Saturday, April 5, volunteers met at 9 a.m. in the Meijer parking lot with Community Engagement Manager Stephanie Wright who distributed safety vests, buckets for garbage, and trash pickers and went over procedures.
Wright said about 45 people signed up for the clean up, including students from Homewood-Flossmoor High School’s National Honor Society and many Flossmoor residents.
“This is a part of the Chicago Southland Green Committee clean up effort,” Wright said. Park Forest and Homewood also planned activities in April.
The Flossmoor Public Works Department provided supplies and vehicles for trash collection.
Volunteers picked up papers and plastic throughout the property. Some was stuck in branches and embedded in the dirt surrounding the retention pond.
“This is our effort here in the Village of Flossmoor. We clean up this area, and this is all land that the Village of Flossmoor owns,” Wright said. Being on the property kept volunteers away from traffic on busy roads.
Flossmoor Mayor Michelle Nelson credits Park Forest’s Sustainability Coordinator and Flossmoor resident Carrie Malfeo for playing a crucial role in Southland sustainability efforts.
Nelson said she’s been volunteering for the clean up for years, even before her time as mayor.
“It’s something that I don’t think just makes me feel good but everybody else feels good who’s driving by,” Nelson said. “You want your neighborhood to look good.”
Nelson said there are many visitors to Flossmoor, so making sure the village looks clean is a big priority — not only for looks but for sustainability.
The garbage accumulated on this property is from residents who don’t bag their garbage and garbage can tops blowing off, Nelson said.
With the Meijer next door, Nelson said the store does its best to keep blowing garbage under control but the amount of garbage left over from the winter can be overwhelming.
“We come out here every year, we clean everything up and I think it stays pretty clean for most of the summer,” Nelson said.