Friday, May 9, 2003

Cleaning up their lives and their neighborhood

A group of men who are working to clean up their lives will host a campaign May 17 to clean up their northwest Atlanta community.

Participants at the Jefferson Place Emergency & Transitional Shelter, located at 1135 Jefferson Street, will work with volunteers and residents 8 a.m.-noon in sprucing up their street, plus nearby Marietta Boulevard, Joseph Lowery Drive, Donald Hollowell Parkway, Rice Street, Glass Street and Law Street. The effort is coordinated by the Fulton County departments of Human Services, and Environment and Community Development.

Community association members and neighborhood watch groups will help pick up paper, trim grass from curbs, sweep sidewalks and perform other chores to help beautify the area.

Workers will meet at Jefferson Place to receive cleaning supplies, such as brooms, shovels, rakes and plastic bags. A picnic will be held there after the cleanup.

"The men pass through these streets every day and wanted to do something to show that they care," says Wayne Scruggs, manager of the Emergency and Transitional Housing division of Human Services. "We take pride in this community and want to share it with our neighbors."

Jefferson Place provides emergency shelter and detoxification services for homeless men, plus long-term transitional housing with supportive services that help them become self-sufficient.

For more information, call 404-874-0412.