Philadelphia, PA Family Church volunteers clean up Germantown Avenue

In northwest Philadelphia lies the neighborhood of Germantown, home to the active Philadelphia Family Church community. Germantown Avenue, located in the center of Germantown, is the hub for Unificationist outreach work. It is also the center of excessive littering. Over the past few months, local Unificationists have overheard many complaints from residents about the excessive amount of trash scattered across the avenue. On one particular occasion, a young Unificationist cleaned up a corner of the street, and when he returned the next day, he found even more trash than before.

A team of Philadelphia Family Church Unificationists decided to take action, partnering with local community organizations to arrange a street clean-up on Saturday, October 12. About 30 volunteers gathered at the Treasure Banquet Hall at 9:00 a.m., including Men Who Care of Germantown, a community-based non-profit striving to enhance the quality of life through restoring and empowering youth and seniors, state representatives and local business owners.

Volunteers divided into four teams, equipped with brooms, street brushes, shovels, rakes, and garbage bags. For three hours, the participants worked hard and cleaned several blocks. “All of us had such an amazing and joyful experience working as a team,” said one local Unificationist. “So many shop owners expressed their appreciation. Our hope is that there will be more sustainable street clean-ups soon.”