Reading’s Adopt-a-Block program has its first volunteer for the new year.
Samuel and Chantel Delacruz, owners of Berks Barber School, 432 Schuylkill Ave., pledged to oversee and coordinate weekly cleanups in the block as part of the program.
The initiative, which is aimed at engaging residents in keeping Reading’s streets, sidewalks, parks and playgrounds cleaner and safer, is a good match for the school, he said.
“I’m very much about community, you know, community in general,” Samuel Delacruz said. “And I think that we have enough people here to work together to ensure upkeep of the area.”
There are eight students enrolled in the school’s nine-month course, he said, noting that as some graduate, new students will take over on the cleanup crew.
Picking up litter and other debris deposited on the sidewalk and in the street is a way of showing respect for the neighborhood and those who live or do business there, he said.
“We want to set an example to the community by ensuring that we’re doing our best here to keep everything clean,” he said.
Delacruz, 46, moved to Reading from New Jersey when he was 13. He owned the Double Platinum Barber Shop on North Ninth Street for more than 20 years before buying and renaming the former Charlie Haynes Barber School on Schuylkill Avenue.
He and his students already keep the area outside the school tidy, he said, and are ready to extend their efforts throughout the block.
“We want to be an example not only to the adults and children of the neighborhood,” Delacruz said, “but also to the entire city of Reading.”
Since the program rolled out in the summer of 2022, 168 individuals, groups, businesses and organizations have stepped up to adopt city blocks, playgrounds, gardens and other public spaces, said Ryan Bradley, clean city coordinator.
Adopt-a-Block volunteers commit to cleaning litter in their adopted block at least once a week for two years.
They also are encouraged to record results and post photos online.
Adopted blocks are marked with a sign showing the name of the captain and acknowledging participation.
The city’s Public Works Department provides the volunteers with safety equipment, such as disposable gloves and pickers, and orange-colored trash bags.
The large plastic bags are collected by the city’s solid waste and recycling division.
Bradley said the orange color helps the city identify the amount of trash collected by Adopt-a-Block volunteers and monitor the cleanliness of the neighborhood.
“Once a block has been adopted and over a period of time, we should be collecting less orange bags as we move forward,” he said.
Keeping plastic and other debris out of the gutters is important year-round, he said, noting trash and other items can clog the storm sewer drains.
When drains are clogged, water from heavy rains or melting snow cannot enter the sewer and backs up onto the street. This can cause flooding and ice buildup, which can lead to vehicle accidents. It can also cause damage to public streets, other infrastructure and private property.
Snow can sometimes hide litter and debris and wash them into the storm sewer drains as it melts, Bradley said, so it is especially important to collect and remove items from the street and sidewalk before they cause a clog.
For more information or to volunteer, visit the city’s website at readingpa.gov/adopt-a-block.
Source: Berkshire mont