Up and Coming Weekly is a weekly publication in Fayetteville, NC and Fort Bragg, NC area offering local news, views, arts, entertainment and community event and business information.
Issue link: http://www.epageflip.net/i/1410310
WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM SEPTEMBER 15-21, 2021 UCW 11 EVENTS Volunteers needed for Cumberland County cleanup events a STAFF REPORT On Sept. 18, community cleanups will take place in Fayetteville, Hope Mills, Spring Lake and unin- corporated areas of Cumberland County. e goal is to combat health, environmental and economic harm caused by litter. At the Fayetteville Beautiful cleanup, volunteers will be given free t-shirts and other giveaways. You can choose to clean around your school, street, church or other faith organization, or right in front of your home. Cleanup teams can enter a photo contest for a chance to win milkshakes for every team member, donated by Duck Donuts. Fayetteville Beautiful is organized by the city of Fayetteville and the nonprofit Sustainable Sand- hills. It is a bi-annual city-wide cleanup, held to raise awareness about litter prevention and help residents take pride in their city and neighbor- hoods. In Fayetteville, litter has been measured at a 14-year high, and litter crews pick up more than two tons of litter each week. Litter is not only harmful to wildlife, but it is costly for businesses and city litter crews to clean up. It can also lower property values by around 7%. Wind and rain can also wash litter into and pollute waterways such as the Cape Fear River, which is a source for drinking water. On Sept. 18, Fayetteville Beautiful volunteer team leaders can pick up supplies in front of Segra Stadium between 8 and 10 a.m., and then join their team to clean up the area they are registered for. Volunteer registra- tion and more details are available at fayetteville- beautiful.com. All cleanup supplies will be provided. Fayetteville City Council Member Yvonne Kinston is one of the event orga- nizers. "Sign up online now to participate in this wonderful event," Kin- ston said. "Clean up with friends and relatives or do this yourself to show that you care about the place we call home. e big win is that we're helping ourselves, our futures and the earth. I challenge you to show up in a big way." "We want to go beyond cleaning up litter, and also convince people not to litter in the first place," says Jonelle Kimbrough, executive director of Sustain- able Sandhills. Kimbrough hopes that large community clean- ups like Fayetteville Beautiful can help bring awareness to the problem and reach people with the message to not litter. "Reducing disposables is also part of the solu- tion," says Kimbrough. "at's why it's so impor- tant to use reusable water bottles, coffee cups, and grocery bags." Fayetteville Beautiful partners include Duck Donuts, Beasley Media, Fayetteville Public Works Commission, the Rotary Club of Fayetteville, 4im- print, the Fayetteville Woodpeckers, Dunkin' Do- nuts, Biscuitville, Starbucks, Lidl and Navy Federal. Volunteer registration and details on how to sign up for the Sept. 18 cleanup event in Cumberland County are available at fayettevillebeautiful.com. (Photo of previous cleanup courtesy Sustainable Sandhills) e American Red Cross Eastern North Carolina urges everyone to plan for emergencies by making preparedness a priority this September during Na- tional Preparedness Month. We have recently seen emergencies impacting people who don't usually experience a major disaster or extreme weather, while other communities are going through the devastation of disasters multiple times a year. "Disasters can happen anywhere, anytime. We urge people to prepare now and be ready if an emergency occurs in their home or in our local community," said Barry Porter, Regional CEO, American Red Cross Eastern North Carolina Region. "Helping people during disasters is at the heart of our mission. Help keep your loved ones safe — get Red Cross Ready today." Help keep your family safe by taking three ac- tions to 1) Get a Kit. 2) Make a Plan. 3) Be In- formed. First, build your emergency kit with a gallon of water per person per day, non-perishable food, a flashlight, battery-powered radio, first aid kit, medications, supplies for infants or pets, a multi-purpose tool, personal hygiene items, copies of important papers, cell phone chargers, blankets, maps of the area and emergency contact information. Next, plan what to do in case you are separated from your family during an emergency and what to do if you have to evacuate. Coordinate your plan with your child's school, your work and your com- munity's emergency plans. Don't forget to include your pets. Know in advance which pet-friendly hotels are in your area, and where your pets can stay in an emergency situation. Finally, plan to stay informed by finding out how local officials will contact you during a disaster and how you will get important information, such as evacuation orders. Depending on your household's needs, there might be additional considerations to take into account as part of your emergency planning. For example, older adults or people with mobility, hearing, learning or seeing disabilities may need to create a support network of people that can help during an emergency.e Red Cross recommends creating a plan that considers each person's capabilities, any help they may need and who can provide it. is is especially important if evacu- ations are called for or if the power goes out for several days. Disasters can be scary for children. It's impor- tant to talk with your kids about preparing for common emergencies, how to stay safe and what to expect before a disaster happens. e Red Cross has free programs and tools to help, visit redcross. org/youthprep for more information. National Preparedness Month is also a good time to take steps to help your community get prepared for emergencies of all sizes. By volun- teering, donating blood or learning lifesaving skills, you can be ready to help your loved ones and neighbors when needed. Visit redcross.org to learn more. Red Cross volunteers play several critical roles in their local communities, including providing aid after disasters and educating people about home fire safety. People can also support local military members, veterans and their families, or volunteer as a blood donor ambassador or a blood trans- portation specialist to be the critical link between blood donors and recipients. Blood can take up to three days to be tested, processed and made available for patients, so it's the blood already on the shelves that helps to save lives in an emergency. To help prepare your com- munity, make an appointment to donate blood or platelets and help save lives. Learn lifesaving skills so you can help people in a crisis until medical professionals arrive. Sign up for a first aid, CPR or other classes available online or in-person. Learn what to pack in an emergency kit at https://rdcrss. org/3tolVEv (Photo courtesy American Red Cross) September is National Preparedness Month a STAFF REPORT