This is the third week in a row that a group of about 100 young Memphians will hit the streets to tackle blight in the city.
They are members of Shelby County Mayor Mark Luttrell’s Fight Blight Team, which was created to address the growing litter problem in the city, while giving young people a job and a chance to participate in a productive summer activity.
Since the program began on June 5, participants have removed over 20,000 pounds— or 10 tons— of trash from the city’s roadsides.
“I’m pleased so much debris was removed from the roadsides,” Mayor Luttrell said. “I commend the team members and their supervisors for their efforts to beautify our city.”
The blight-fighting team will work through July 28, picking up litter Monday through Friday in various neighborhoods throughout Shelby County.
The non-profit Clean Memphis, whose goal is to engage people all over the the city in keeping Memphis clean, has been helping the County determine the best cleanup routes for the team.
“We’ve made lots of progress,” executive director of Clean Memphis Janet Boscarino said. “The young people and their supervisors feel a real sense of pride about their work.”
