On April 29, Montavilla residents cleaned up and managed to fill at least 15 huge dumpsters with unwanted debris. Volunteers at the event saw scrap wood, bicycles, tires, furniture, televisions, computers, toys whew! The old adage, One man?’s junk is another man?’s treasure, certainly held true on this day, as there was plenty of swapping and stashing going on. Once again, neighbors and businesses came together. Montavilla Baptist Church graciously offered the use of its parking lot for our clean up and provided the greatest contribution of all volunteers Keith Callaway and Michael Morkve, who expertly ran the show. They were calm and cool even when the line of cars went clear around the block. Thanks, as well, to a recovering Kevin Stone and the neighbors along SE Hawthorne who were extremely patient with our morning traffic!
Touchstone Coffee on NE 78th and Glisan provided great coffee in the morning to get us started. Our local Taco Bell on 82nd supplied tacos at a discount, and the Safeway public relations office donated $50 to help cover lunch expenses for our staunch volunteers. We really appreciate the support of these businesses in helping us reward our volunteers for their hard work! Our neighborhood clean ups provide a wonderful opportunity for people in the community to help one another. At least 15 truck owners offered their services to pick up stuff from our home-bound neighbors. Many of our volunteers came from the congregation of Montavilla Baptist Church, with entire families pitching in. We really appreciate your dedication to making our event a success. Thanks to each and every one of you!