By Elizabeth Goussetis
Staff Writer
People doing spring cleaning around the house always run into the same problem: what to do with the items to be thrown away.
Fortunately, there are groups that will take most of that stuff, and many of them will come together as part of this year’s Community Clean-Up Day.
The Reynoldsburg Community Clean-Up Day gathers together services for residents and deploys volunteers to help spruce up the city. This year, the day is June 7 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and it kicks off Community Clean Up Week, which runs until June 15.
“It gives everyone the opportunity to get everything cleaned up,” said Mary Hudson, the event’s co-chair. “It’s grown every year, more and more, it’s a great thing.”
The main event will be held in the city hall parking lot at 7232 E. Main Street, and in John F. Kennedy Park behind city hall.
Residents will be able to turn in their red recycling boxes for new ones, bring in documents to be shredded, and get rid of old electronics. Members of a local church will collect old, unwanted bicycles, which they refurbish and then donate to kids in need. Boy Scout Troop 141 will collect old flags so they properly dispose of them. Batteries, old appliances, unwanted building supplies and furniture can also be dropped off at the event. Non-profit groups Community Computer Alliance, Furniture Bank of Central Ohio, and Habitat for Humanity will be on hand to accept donations of these unwanted items, which the groups can use to refurbish, resell or donate to those in need. During the week, residents can dispose of bulk items in the dumpsters located at city hall.
“It really has become a tradition for a lot of residents,” said Nathan Burd, the director of public services for the city.
Clean-up day started with the document shredding service, Hudson said. Each year, the city tries to beat its own record by shredding more than the previous year.
Seniors, and people with disabilities that make home repair difficult, can apply to have volunteers do light fix-it work on their homes or yards. The application is available at the Senior Center, City Hall, and on the Parks and Recreation Department website. The deadline is May 24. Volunteers are needed to help with this project, to pick up litter and to work at the various booths at the main event.
“We need volunteers for almost everything,” Burd said.
Many people hold garage sales on the weekends of clean-up week, because the city temporarily lifts its requirement to get a permit and pay a fee to hold a garage sale. Some neighborhood associations organize garage sales, such as in the Brier Cliff neighborhood, said Hudson.
Residents interested in volunteering can contact Michelle Brennan at mbrennan@ci.reynoldsburg.oh.us or call (614) 322-6806. Information is available at www.ci.reynoldsburg.oh.us.
