City volunteers clean Bowling Green community

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – The City of Bowling Green’s Neighborhood and Community Services is providing its 15th annual community clean up. 

Volunteers from Good Samaritan Ministries, Scott Waste, Habitat for Humanity, the Bowling Green Fire Department and the Goodwill Another Way Program all came together this week.

This is the second year the department is teaming up with volunteers rather than collecting items in the front of houses.

Brad Schargorodski, division manager for code compliance and animal protection said, “The idea behind this program is that instead of just sending a letter and telling someone that they need to fix something, it is helping them to fix those things.”

From scraps to furniture, debris and more, volunteers have been picking up the pieces. The Neighborhood and Community Services Department envisions a safer and beautiful Bowling Green, one community at a time, from one house to the next.

“Just in the last two days, we’ve already done about 30 smoke alarm installations. We’ve already filled up I think we are at 12 dumpsters now,” Schargorodski said.

The community cleanup happens twice a year in the spring and fall. This week the group is targeting the Shawnee neighborhood that holds roughly 395 houses.

“We informed all of the residents of all the different services we’re providing. So, that’s anything from picking up old appliances and furniture, to helping them do some light yard work and cleaning up any brush they might have. We’re putting house numbers on their houses if they don’t have a house number that’s clearly visible,” Schargorodski said.

This project is at no cost to residents, he said.  “All of the labor, whether it’s cleaning up their backyard, whether it’s hauling stuff out of their houses or putting up their smoke alarms is completely free.”

Schargorodski says while volunteers have been putting boots to the pavement, the community has also put hands in to improve the neighborhood.

He said, “It really is neighbors helping neighbors and that’s what makes bowling green great.”

The neighborhood chosen for the fall community clean is still in discussion, but Schargorodski urges residents to keep up to date on Bowling Greens social media for updates.

To file a service request, you can log on to BGKY.org or call 2-1-1.