The Duffyfield Phoenix Project will hold its annual Duffyfield community cleanup on May 5 and 6.
The cleanup will begin at 9 a.m. both days at the large picnic shelter at Henderson Park, located at 901 Chapman Street, and will cover the entire historic Duffyfield community.
Volunteers will be divided into groups and given maps with specific areas of the community to focus on. Vests, gloves, grabbers and trash bags will be provided. Lunch will be served for volunteers each day.
In addition to the Phoenix Project, the cleanup is also sponsored by the City of New Bern, the Duffyfield Residents Council, People’s Assembly, and the New Bern Redevelopment Commission.
Now in its sixth year, the biannual cleanups have typically drawn between 12 and 20 volunteers each day, according to Anne Schout, chairman of the Duffyfield Phoenix Project.
Schout said the problem of trash and the dumping of garbage in Duffyfield is “huge.”
“Litter is everywhere, blown from trash bags that are opened up by animals. Less than honorable people leave building supply leftovers in the middle of the night and it stays there,” Schout commented. “We are working very hard to have a cleaner Duffyfield. It is far cleaner than it was to start with, but still has a long way to go.”
According to Schout, in recent years the community cleanups have lasted until approximately 1 p.m., several hours less than in the events early days.
“I’m not sure if we’re doing a better job or if there’s less trash,” she said. “The first time we cleaned, I’ve never seen so much stuff.”
Schout said if volunteers see larger items that need to be picked up they can mark it on their maps.
“We compile all the maps and give them to the city and stuff gets cleaned up and gone,” she explained.
Schout said another Duffyfield cleanup day will be scheduled for this fall at a later date.
Formed in 2017, the Duffyfield Phoenix Project is a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit that advocates for improvements in the physical surroundings and quality of life for residents in the historically Black Duffyfield neighborhood, organizing the biannual cleanups, home repair projects and neighborhood meetings.
To volunteer for the Duffyfield Cleanup, call Anne Schout at 704-562-9608 or simply show up at the location by 9 a.m. on either or both days.
By Todd Wetherington, co-editor. Send an email with questions or comments.