Clean Home Alabama
In November 2019, Gadsden State Community College partnered with residents and organizations in the communities it serves for the Clean Home Alabama Initiative. The college-led effort is part of Alabama Community College System Chancellor Jimmy Baker’s plan to help beautify the state’s natural landscapes, growing infrastructure and expanding communities.
“Our students, faculty and staff worked alongside those in our community to beautify a number of areas within our service area – Etowah, Calhoun, Cherokee and Cleburne counties,” said Bridget Burney, dean of Outreach Initiatives. She coordinated the Clean Home Alabama projects with Dr. Deborah Curry, dean of Health Sciences.
There were two Clean Home Alabama projects in Calhoun County starting with a clean up of the Military Pet Cemetery at McClellan. The partners included the McClellan Development Authority and Webb Concrete and Building Materials. The project, which was organized by Ayers Campus employees Eric Stringer and Jay Johnson, ended with a reception at the MDA building.
A second Calhoun County project took place on Coleman Road near the Ayers Campus. Students, faculty and staff picked up trash along the roadside. The project was coordinated by Michele Conger, the Ayers Campus director.
Cherokee County’s project was known as the “Trash Bash” and included a number of groups and organizations, including Gadsden State’s faculty and staff, Youth Leadership Cherokee, the Weiss Lake Improvement Association, Gadsden State Cherokee nursing and general academic students, Baptist Campus Ministry and members of the Science, Math and Engineering Club. They picked up litter along a one-mile stretch of Highway 9 North and South in front of the Cherokee campus. The Trash Bash was organized by Luanne Hayes, campus director.
For the Cleburne County project, Gadsden State “adopted” the Cleburne County Career Technical School for a beautification project, where awning poles at the school were sanded and painted. The project was in support of a multi-year campus improvement project. The event was organized by David Hartley with Gadsden State’s Testing Services.
There were 11 Clean Home Alabama projects in Etowah County. Jason Millirons, the business services analyst for Gadsden State, organized events that attracted approximately 200 volunteers. Clean-up efforts took place at Attalla City Park, Adams Park, Moragne Park, the City Docks, Wilson Park, Hokes Bluff Community Center, North Gadsden Park, Rainbow City Park, Rainbow Landing and Maddox Sports Complex.
Chancellor Baker said Clean Home Alabama was established with the mission of ACCS instituttions continuing to serve its communities both inside and outside campus walls.
“Community is so much a part of what our colleges do every day that it’s even in our name,” he said. “Alabama’s community colleges are located within every region of the state, which means we are perfectly positioned to organize and execute an effort of this magnitude to help maintain ‘Alabama the Beautiful’ during our state’s bicentennial year.”
