Litter Be Gone

In 2018, the City of Minneapolis partnered with the Alliance for Sustainability to launch Litter Be Gone, a citywide cleanup designed to build community pride and reduce neighborhood litter. As a board member of the Alliance, I led the campaign’s launch—directing the media strategy, developing promotional materials, and designing the website.

Following a successful first year, I stepped into the role of lead coordinator for the next two years. I oversaw event logistics, volunteer engagement, sponsorships, budgeting, and managed a team of five outreach staff to scale the program across the city.

In just three years, the event grew to include:
• 1,700+ volunteers
• 950 city blocks cleaned and over 650 bags of trash collected
• 15 neighborhood hubs offering free cleanup kits and volunteer incentives
• 50 sponsoring organizations and local business partners

Impact:
• 100% of participants said they would join again
• 96% felt it reduced litter in their community

In 2020, when the pandemic disrupted in-person events, I quickly pivoted the model. We replaced centralized gatherings with neighborhood supply hubs, pre-packaged cleanup kits, and built an online map with a self-reporting tool to track participation. The shift preserved momentum and allowed residents to feel connected, even while participating safely on their own.​​​​​​​