A few weeks ago we introduced you to a small group in the community taking on a large- scale project by picking up trash around Cypress. Known as the Litter Ladies, the group consists of elementary and middle school gals and lads. Their mission: Pick up trash and keep litter in its place. Residents were invited to join the effort by assisting the Litter Ladies in picking up trash in a variety of locations throughout our community.
Answering a request for sponsorships to help fund the cost of supplies as well as adding to their ability to make donations, Howard Hughes Holdings Inc. became a patron of the energetic group by sponsoring a community cleanup day.
On Saturday, November 18, a group of nearly 50 dedicated residents gathered at Josey Lake Park. Instructed by the Litter Ladies of the do’s and don’ts of picking up, the group dispersed to four different areas of Bridgeland on their mission to rummage for rubbish.
Equipped with safety vests, gloves, trash bags and pickers, all supplied by Harris County Precinct 3 Commissioner Tom Ramsey and delivered by Jennifer Almonte, an engineer with the Roads and Bridges Department who also participated in the cleanup, volunteers got to work. Two hours later they returned with nearly 40 bags of trash.
A scavenger hunt was incorporated into the pickup where volunteers were in search of a golden water bottle hidden in advance at each location. The lucky finder of the golden litter could redeem it for a $5 CVS gift card. For volunteering their time, residents were entered into a raffle to win a variety of gift cards, swag and even a voucher for summer camp that were donated by the following local businesses: Local Table, Chick-fil-A, Bad Ass Coffee, School of Rock and Mia’s Table.
The Litter Ladies continue to look for sponsors to support their cause. Not only do they volunteer to beautify the Cypress area, they are using the donations they receive to support other local causes. Just recently the group donated $500 dollars to Keep Houston Beautiful. Their efforts earned them recognition at the Mayor’s Proud Partnership Awards Luncheon held in October. Individuals as well as businesses are encouraged to donate. If you’d like to sponsor their next pick up, Venmo any amount to @litter-ladies-cypress. In return, they will do a cleanup and feature your name in an Instagram post.
GOOD DEEDS ARE CONTAGIOUS
A recent Instagram post features a friend’s daughter who was inspired by the Litter Ladies and took it upon herself to pick up trash in her own neighborhood. Good deeds are contagious, indeed! On the very same day that the Litter Ladies organized the community cleanup, a group of Bridgeland High School students were assembling to accomplish the very same task. Led by Lagina Nosavanh, who is the Dual Credit and AP Environmental Science teacher and also the sponsor of Science National Honor Society, students set off in an opposite direction to fill an additional 10 bags of trash.
The Litter Ladies make picking up trash a fun activity. With cartwheels, songs and plenty of skipping, they turn each pickup into a little adventure. You could say it was truckloads of fun, because nearly an entire truck bed of trash was picked up on Saturday.
You may notice a little more sparkle as you walk the paths in our community, thanks to the resident volunteers, students and a group of enterprising young people who are seeking to leave a place looking better than they find it. Let’s help them with their endeavor by making sure trash finds its way into a proper receptacle and even by sponsoring their next outing.