Community volunteers cleaning up Regina alleyways

A handful of volunteers have taken it upon themselves to clean the garbage out of Regina’s back alleys.

On Saturday, the group started working in the North Central area of the city. Volunteers plan on cleaning the alleys one by one until their neighbourhood is cleaned up.

The initiative started with Lonny Mickel, who put out a call on Facebook.

“I looked outside my back alley and noticed there was garbage everywhere,” Mickel said. “So I decided to reach out to the community and see if they wanted to join in and help.”

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The group has already made progress.

“Right now the alleys are full of needles, full of drug paraphernalia, full of everything,” Mickel said.

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“The garbage from two to three alleys could probably fill a half-ton truck full of the garbage.”

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But the benefits go beyond just aesthetics.

“I have a daughter,” said volunteer Maria Spottek, “and knowing she won’t pick up stuff on the ground and put it in her mouth or anything like that, now I know she’ll be safe outside.”

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Mickel says he plans to continue collecting garbage in his neighbourhood — and beyond — on a daily basis.

“This is Regina and I just want to show pride in our city. I think we all could show pride in where we live,” Mickel said.

He invites anyone who wants to join to visit the “Free Regina” Facebook page for more information.

The group also challenges others to start clean-up crews in their neighbourhood.