Community Cleanup Engages Residents near Deer Creek Tributary in South Suburbs

Join us this Thursday, November 9 for a cleanup event to support the south suburban community of Ford Heights. The Litter-Free event is a collaboration with the Cook County Sheriff’s Office, with the goals of engaging local residents, improving public health, and protecting Deer Creek, a tributary of the Little Calumet River, which flows along the village and several other nearby communities.

South suburban residents are invited to work side-by-side from 12 to 3 p.m. with Friends and the Sheriff’s Office to pick up litter and remove larger debris from lands and lots near the creek, with the generous support of WM for debris removal. Volunteers will meet on Thursday, November 9 at noon at the Ford Heights Municipal Hall, 1343 Ellis Avenue.

The cleanup is a family friendly event, and children age eight and up are eligible to volunteer. Younger family members are welcome to observe under the supervision of an adult.

All supplies, safety information, and safety monitoring will be provided. Please dress appropriately for working outdoors. Closed-toe shoes or boots, long pants and long sleeves are suggested, as well as to tie hair back or wear a hat.

Registration is requested but not required.

The Chicago-Calumet River system is healthier now than it’s been in 150 years, but litter continues to be a persistent problem that harms people and wildlife and communities. Community cleanups like this are an essential component of Friends' work in creating a Litter Free Chicago-Calumet River system.