A street cleaning dispatch from volunteers Jan Cook and Tom Colin:

The rain on a recent Sunday was uninviting, but it didn’t deter the monthly Parkside/Sunset cleanup crew. We joined a handful of volunteers. One hour and 15 blocks later, we proudly presented our haul: four trash bags filled with smashed cans, plastic bottles, food containers, store receipts, rain-sodden cardboard, a size 11 man’s sneaker, innumerable cigarette butts, eight mini liquor bottles, and seven dental floss sticks. We snagged lots of debris that had washed into neglected storm drains. (The city’s Adopt-a-Drain effort is eager for more volunteers!) 

The unexpected outcome of our expedition: It was fun!

So the next week, we joined the Great Highway Park Cleanup, another monthly gathering whose starting points alternate between Taraval and Judah. This time, it was a beautiful day and we enjoyed an invigorating walk. People thanked us! One older gentleman demonstrated solidarity by lifting the seat on his walker to show the plastic bag he uses to collect trash on his daily walks along the Great Highway. Once again, we netted a good haul.

Central Sunset also hosts a monthly cleanup. Several organizations partner in organizing the cleanups, including Friends of Great Highway Park, RefuseRefuseSF,  Shine On, SF Public Works, and TogetherSF.  It’s easy to find a time and place to join the fun on TogetherSF. 

Reported and written by volunteer community journalists Jan Cook and Tom Colin We encourage retired journalists and student journalists in high school and college to volunteer as writers for Supervisor Engardio’s newsletter. Interested? Apply here. Do you know a story you would like to see featured in the newsletter? Tell us about it here.