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CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - The city of Charleston’s Adopt-A-Block program was suggested by Mayor John Tecklenburg to encourage citizens to become active stewards to maintain the city, according to Jamie Gillette, programs manager for Keep Charleston Beautiful.
Individuals or groups are encouraged to adopt a block to perform at least four cleanups per year, for two years. They’re defining a block as any roadway segment between two intersections, which includes both sides of the street.
“It’s a partnership between government, businesses, and residents to all take part in maintaining a clean and beautiful city,” Gillette said. “So, this is an opportunity for all of our residents to really help make that a reality, and it’s kind of a shared responsibility.”
Responsibilities include keeping the property free of litter and overgrowth and removing weeds. There’s also a way for residents to report larger issues like potholes, graffiti, and sidewalk repairs on their online system. Those clean-up results are then reported online.
“We’re also encouraging adopters just to start with one block initially, and if they can expand their efforts in time, they’re more than welcome to adopt additional blocks,” Gillette said.
Keep Charleston Beautiful will provide DIY litter clean-up kits, but they’re encouraging people to utilize their own supplies.
The program is still in its early stages since officially starting up in March. Currently, about 15 blocks have been adopted, but Gillette said their goal is to get 100 percent of blocks in the city adopted.
To sign up to adopt your own block you can click here.
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