Green Street Gets a Cleanup from 'The Norristown Project'

Members of "The Norristown Project" took to Green Street on Saturday morning, in an effort to remove blight and add a little shine to the neighborhood.

Roughly 15 volunteers spent the morning cleaning the 1000 and 1100 blocks of Green Street, the alley between the 1100 block of Green and Arch streets, the alley behind the 1000 block of Green Street, and the area at Elm and Arch streets near Ebenezer Church. In total, 10 bags of trash were removed from the area, and the alley – which was impassable due to overgrown weeds and broken glass – is now safe for vehicle travel.

[Check out the BEFORE and AFTER photos]

Saturday's effort was the second such cleanup project for the group, which plans to continue to do so every weekend throughout the summer.

"Our next project will be on East Moore Street, beginning at the intersection of Arch and going all the way down," said Shae Ashe, founder of The Norristown Project. "All ages are encouraged to volunteer, and community service hours will be awarded for those who need it."

Ashe initially attempted to raise money to pay volunteers, but after falling short, he adjusted his plan to include unpaid volunteers who receive a free breakfast and water bottles. He also received a $1,000 grant for graffiti removal projects, which he plans to begin near the west end of Oak Street in July.

For anyone interest in volunteering for the project, you can contact them through their Facebook page by clicking here. Additionally, the fundraising campaign will remain open for the next few weeks. You can make a donation by clicking here.