Keep Meridian/Lauderdale County Beautiful is encouraging residents to join an effort to beautify the community as the anti-litter organization plans a Good Citizen Clean-up on Saturday.

The half-day clean-up will task volunteers with clearing litter from a variety of locations throughout Meridian with a celebration of a job well done to be held afterward at Highland Park.

Betty Lou Jones, who leads the Keep Meridian/Lauderdale County Beautiful initiative, said the group has worked hard to address barriers residents faced in participating in other litter removal initiatives and hopes to see a good turnout for Saturday’s event.

“This Saturday, we’re going to say, ‘Bring your crew.’ A crew can be two, one, 20, and then we’re going to have drinks for them in the different places around where they are,” she said. “Then at 11 a.m., they’re going to go to the designated place in the city to celebrate what they’ve done and what they’re going to do in the future.”

Volunteers will be supplied with all of the necessary supplies to pick up and dispose of litter at their assigned locations, Jones said, and the City of Meridian will collect the garbage afterward for disposal. Throughout the clean-up, city code enforcement officers will be available to respond to any issues that may pop up, she said.

Locations chosen for Saturday’s event include:

•Royal Road at State Boulevard;

•Highland Baptist Church;

•B Street down to Third Avenue;

•Walmart South;

•15th Street and 25th Avenue;

•Merrehope;

•2906 36th Street to North Hills Street;

•3825 35th Avenue to North Hills Street;

•701 26th Avenue up 7th Street to Rose Hill Cemetery; and,

•A choice of location.

To participate, volunteers are asked to contact Craig Wilkes at 601-485-1998 or 917-664-7255 to chose a site. Volunteers can also contact Jones at 601-917-4344 or Community Development Director Craig Hitt at 601-604-5610. For questions concerning Lauderdale County litter removal, contact Daniel Mabry at 769-298-8552.

Saturday’s event comes as Keep Meridian/Lauderdale County Beautiful looks to bring new energy and momentum to its efforts combatting litter in the community. As with many other community initiatives, the group’s efforts to prevent and remove litter were squashed by the COVID-19 pandemic, Jones said. Subsequent efforts to reignite the flame have been unsuccessful.

Now, Jones said, the time has come to try again. Saturday’s clean-up will provide the group with valuable insight into effectively organizing litter removal events as well as providing a spark to rekindle the greater anti-litter movement.

Additional events and initiatives to educate the community and prevent litter are slated to launch after the holidays.

“We can drive down the road, and there can be litter on both sides, and if we don’t look at it, it’s not going away,” Jones said. “It’s something that we have got to make an effort. And, it’s got to involve all parts of the population.”

Jones said Keep Meridian/Lauderdale County Beautiful will be working to hold trainings for local teachers to help them educate their students about litter and the impact it has on the community. Additionally, she said, she is available to speak at civic organizations, clubs, church groups and more about the steps Meridian and Lauderdale County residents can take to do their part combatting litter in the community.

Litter isn’t a problem that can be solved overnight, Jones said, and lasting solutions will require buy in from all aspects of the community. Saturday’s clean-up, she said, will be a start, and efforts to clean up the community can go from there.