By Jennifer Joyner
This year, the city of Bryant is implementing a new volunteer[more] initiative.
The project, founded by Megan Vanderpool, will enlist help from the citizens to “Keep Bryant Beautiful.”
“Volunteering gives the community the opportunity to take ownership of the city we love and keep it beautiful as it grows,” Vanderpool said.
The initiative has three major projects planned: the Adopt-A-Street program, the beautification of Bryant and the city clean-up.
With the Adopt-A-Street program, the group will aim mainly to utilize youth volunteers to clean up specified streets around the city, Vanderpool said.
The beautification and improvement venture involves targeting three areas.
“These are large projects, and we may only be able to get to one,” Vanderpool said.
A major priority is the Bryant exit. The group will provide volunteers to work on, for example, improving the landscape by planting trees and bushes. They might put up signs and the Bryant logo.
Other possibilities for beautification projects are Mills Park and Reynolds Road. “Right now, it’s all asphalt and grass,” Vanderpool said.
The third initiative is the city clean-up – the Litter and Trash Removal Program. A major element will be the implementation of an annual Clean-up Day. On a specified day, community members are invited to team up with a church or neighborhood group to work together on cleaning projects.
The group will also choose a Dumpster Day to distribute bins throughout the community. The dumpsters will provide citizens with a place to dispose of items that are usually difficult to get rid of, such as yard clippings and appliances.
Vanderpool’s goal is to make “Keep Bryant Beautiful” a brand, like “Keep Arkansas Beautiful,” so that it will be a memorable and a lasting initiative. They will provide volunteers and work with the waste department.
“As the city grows, as it has and will continue to grow, it is important to maintain the community atmosphere,” Vanderpool said. “We want to keep the neighborhood-feel and make it nice-looking for those who live and want to raise their kids here. We want it to never become just a place to eat and shop. It’s a place to live. To us, it’s home.”
