Community convenes for TNP cleanup in Warren

WARREN -- Trumbull Neighborhood Partnership hosted another city cleanup on Saturday in collaboration with the Geauga-Trumbull Solid Waste Management District.

Dozens of volunteers from all over Warren came together to pitch in and help clean up litter around the city.

TNP's big cleanups are scheduled seasonally, and the organization provides all of the equipment used by the cleanup's volunteers. The cleanups are part of TNP's wider mission to "improve the quality of life for our residents," according to community coordinator Sev Tripoulas.

"This is our fall citywide community cleanup. We do big cleanups for the city in the spring and in the fall," Tripoulas said. "We are supporting all neighborhoods and wards throughout the city by giving them gloves, pickers, trash bags and vests."

Along with those two big cleanups in spring and fall, TNP also hosts smaller cleanups throughout the year as part of an ongoing effort to reduce littering in Warren.

This year's fall cleanup received financial assistance from a $3,500 Go Green grant from the state of Ohio, Tripoulas said.

Members of Warren City Council participated in the fall cleanup, including Councilman Michael Shrodek, D-5th Ward. Shrodek has participated in TNP's cleanups for two years, clearing out litter in both his home ward and beyond.

"I always try to choose someplace in the 5th Ward," Shrodek said. "We've had bike trail cleanups, we've had about three or four of those. And then a lot of times we'll go and we'll clean up when it's just around my area. We'll clean up Circle Park and Boulevard Park, which are the two ends of Central Parkway."

Shrodek added that a big part of the cleanups for him is encouraging residents to both clean up trash and to not litter so cleanups are not needed.

"It's all about trying to keep it clean, and research shows that when you go down a street and there's little to no trash, or a bike trail, they're less likely to throw trash," Shrodek said. "Hopefully it will encourage people to clean up around their neighborhoods, but also to join one of these neighborhood cleanups and be less likely to litter."

Aside from TNP's own staff and city council members, this year's fall cleanup attracted volunteers from all over Warren. This included Matthew Cottrell, who cited his own childhood experiences as motivation for participating.

"Warren's the city I grew up in, and I want to give back to the city 'cause a lot of the community helped take care of me when I was a kid 'cause my mom was a single mother raising seven kids, so we struggled a lot," Cottrell said. "I always went out and did my own thing, and the community took care of me so I just want to help do the same."

Other volunteers included Donovan Stringer, a student at Warren G. Harding High School. A member of the National Honor Society, Stringer said he felt it was important for the local NHS to be seen caring for their community and to show their commitment to it.

"I think it's important as a member of the National Honor Society that we show up when the community needs us," Stringer said. "I think cleaning up for the community is a great way to show our love and respect for the place that we live."