10/18/19
Gadsden State seeks volunteers for Clean Home Alabama Initiative
Gadsden, Ala. — Gadsden State Community College is partnering with residents and organizations in the communities it serves for the Clean Home Alabama Initiative. The college-led effort is a part of Chancellor Jimmy Baker’s plan to help beautify the state’s natural landscapes, growing infrastructure and expanding communities.
“Our students, faculty and staff will work alongside those in our community to beautify a number of areas within our service area – Etowah, Calhoun, Cherokee and Cleburne counties,” said Bridget Burney, dean of Outreach Initiatives. She is coordinating the Clean Home Alabama projects with Dr. Deborah Curry, dean of Health Sciences.
Gadsden State will deploy faculty, staff, students and volunteers to 11 parks throughout Etowah County to pick up litter from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Nov. 1. Parks include Attalla City Park; Adams Park in East Gadsden; Moragne Park and the City Docks in Gadsden; Wilson Park in Glencoe; Hokes Bluff Community Center; North Gadsden Park; Maddox Sports Complex in Rainbow City; Rainbow City Park; Rainbow Landing; and Banks Park in South Gadsden. A reception will be held for volunteers at 2 p.m. at Beck Conference Center. Partners include Buffalo Rock and Local Joe’s.
Calhoun County will have two Clean Home Alabama projects with the first being on Nov. 1 at the Military Pet Cemetery at McClellan. The clean-up will begin at 8:30 a.m. and conclude at 11:30 a.m. with a reception at the McClellan Development Authority Building.
Partners in the McClellan project include the MDA and Webb Concrete and Building Materials. The clean-up is being organized by Gadsden State Ayers Campus employees, Eric Stringer and Jay Johnson.
A second Calhoun County project will take place on Nov. 8. Volunteers will clean up an area of Coleman Road beginning at 7:30 a.m. at the Ayers Campus Administration Building. Refreshments will be provided at the College. Michele Conger, Ayers Campus director, is coordinating.
For the Cleburne County project, Gadsden State is “adopting” the Cleburne County Career Technical School for a beautification project from 8:30 a.m. to noon Nov. 4. Volunteers with Gadsden State and the Cleburne County Schools will sand and paint awning poles at the school to support an ongoing multi-year campus improvement project. A reception with cakes and cupcakes will take place at the school. David Hartley with Gadsden State’s Testing Services is assisting with project planning.
Cherokee County’s project – the Trash Bash – will be on Nov. 12. It will begin at noon and conclude at 1:30 p.m. with a reception in the community room at the Cherokee Chamber of Commerce.
Gadsden State Cherokee faculty and staff have partnered with Youth Leadership Cherokee and the Weiss Lake Improvement Association for the Keep Cherokee Clean Trash Bash. Along with Gadsden State Cherokee nursing students, general academic students, Baptist Campus Ministry participants and members of the Science, Math and Engineering Club, they will pick up litter along a one-mile stretch of Highway 9 North and South in front of the College. Students from all five Cherokee County high schools will also participate. The Trash Bash is being organized by Luanne Hayes, campus director.
Chancellor Baker said Clean Home Alabama was established with the mission of ACCS institutions continuing to serve its communities both inside and outside of campus walls.
“Community is so much a part of what our colleges do each day that it’s even in our name,” he said. “Alabama’s community colleges are located within every region of the state, which means we are perfectly positioned to organize and execute an effort of this magnitude to help maintain ‘Alabama the Beautiful’ during our state’s bicentennial year.”
Those wishing to participate in any of Gadsden State’s Clean Home Alabama projects should register at www.gadsdenstate.edu/clean-home-alabama.cms.