Neat Neighborhoods competition new in 2024
After thousands of volunteer hours logged and tons of litter and trash collected since 2021, the Clean Green Springfield community cleanup initiative is back in 2024 with new opportunities and fresh challenges. Registration for a fresh series of city-wide activities planned in April and May is now open at cleangreensgf.com through May 31.
Activities are planned during the months of April and May. Individuals, families, businesses, neighborhoods and service organizations are invited to roll up their sleeves and participate in one or more opportunities including: roadside trash pickups, stream cleanups, neighborhood cleanup dropoff events and more. The City will provide trash bags and supplies as well as pick up full trash bags when activities are complete.
Learn more about Clean Green Springfield initiative and get registered for volunteer opportunities at cleangreensgf.com.
New Neat Neighborhoods Competition
A new component of Clean Green Springfield will launch this spring called Neat Neighborhoods, patterned after the Tidy Towns tradition rooted in Ireland since 1958. This community challenge has now found its way to Springfield, thanks to the Hatch Foundation, marking the start of an exciting competition aimed towards a cleaner, greener, and more happy city.
Erin Danastasio, executive director of the Hatch Foundation, noticed an unusually neat and clean environment in the towns and villages she visited during a recent trip to Ireland. “I asked the locals, how do you keep your town so clean? Without hesitation, most mentioned “Tidy Towns”, she said. Intrigued because of the Hatch Foundation’s ongoing support of Clean Green Springfield and other community improvement initiatives, Danastasio started researching the storied tradition. She shared what she learned with Cora Scott, the City of Springfield’s Director of Public Information & Civic Engagement, who was excited to make it available in Springfield.
In Springfield, the competition will be organized across our four City Zones: Zone 1, Zone 2, Zone 3, and Zone 4. Registered neighborhoods within each City Zone will compete against one another, fostering a sense of friendly competition and camaraderie. The competition will award one neighborhood in each Zone as a winner of Neat Neighborhood with a total of four winning neighborhoods each year. This hands-on approach not only gets the community involved but also lets us take a personalized look at the special projects each neighborhood is diving into. That Hatch Foundation is donating $10,000 to each of the four winning neighborhoods. First place winning neighborhoods in each zone will win $6,000, with second place winning $3,000 and third place winning $1,000.
“As we dive into the new Neat Neighborhoods competition, the spirit of Clean Green Springfield, born from collaboration and a shared commitment to positive change, becomes a key player in our quest for a tidy town,” said Becky Volz, President of the Neigborhood Advisory council. “It’s not just about tidying up; it’s about leaving a lasting impression and being proud of your neighborhood.”
The Neat Neighborhoods competition is divided into five categories, each contributing to a total possible score, with the score being a reflection of the collective efforts and achievements of participating neighborhoods. The categories cover a broad spectrum including: community planning, public spaces, green spaces, streets, tidiness, and more.
Since some neighborhoods are located in two Council Zones, the Neat Neighborhoods committee created a list that placed each neighborhood into the competition zone that Volz and others felt most appropriate for sake of even distribution of the neighborhoods.
To learn more about Neat Neighborhoods, join a neighborhood team or start a team, visit cleangreensgf.com/neatneighborhoods.
