The City of Grand Terrace hosted a city-wide community clean up on the 13th of April. The community clean up welcomed residents of the city of all ages to help in beautifying the streets of Grand Terrace.
The community clean-up was brought together by Keep Grand Terrace Beautiful with the Foundation of Grand Terrace in order to help the local environment and getting the community involved. The event itself began with an 8 am check in where volunteers were able to sign up for specific activities such as planting plants and trees, painting, or general pick up of trash around the streets. The volunteers were treated with a hot cup of morning coffee and everyone’s favorite sweet treat, donuts to help them feel motivated and happy while cleaning up around the city.
After checking in, volunteers were separated into their designated groups where they awaited to be picked up by small city buses that later dispersed them into assigned areas. One of the designated areas within the community clean-up was Grand Terrace’s fitness park. This is where many youth groups such as Girl Scouts and volunteers were found digging holes and planting small species of plants into the ground.
The volunteers were taught by a certified master planter who was in charge in helping those accurately dig a good spot for flowers and plants. Other areas that were designated were prepped street corners off of Barton Rd. where volunteers repainted the bricked walls that belong to the city. The importance of having the community involved in such an important event for the city showcases the heart of Grand Terrace.
Jesse Smith, an executive assistant for the City of Grand Terrace explained the importance of inclusivity; “We want everyone to be a part of the event, learn something and notice the work the volunteers did or just enjoy the day out with us.” The community event ended with a volunteer lunch and the release of 36,000 lady bugs into the city of Grand Terrace. The clean-up plays a vital role in keeping Grand Terrace both beautiful and a close-knit community.