Chester block captains set inaugural citywide cleanup for Sept. 27; seek volunteers to staff nine sites

Organizers of Chester’s Block Captain Program announced plans for an inaugural citywide cleanup on Sept. 27 and asked volunteers to staff nine simultaneous neighborhood sites and a noon–2 p.m. celebration.

The announcement came at a program meeting in which organizers described the Sept. 27 event as the culmination of a summer cleanup series. Organizers said individual neighborhood cleanups will continue, but the citywide event will run from 10 a.m. to noon at nine locations, with an after-party and celebration from noon to 2 p.m. (Speaker 2).

Why it matters: program leaders said the citywide cleanup is intended to build on months of neighborhood-level cleanups, connect residents with city departments and community groups, and highlight persistent issues such as bulk trash, abandoned vehicles and alleyway obstructions that organizers say reduce parking and play space in some neighborhoods.

Organizers asked block captains to staff the nine sites. They said responsibilities will include overseeing a site, helping with event setup beginning around 11:30 a.m., and checking in participants at a registration table so the program can gather contact information for follow-up. Organizers said they will provide cleanup supplies (gloves, bags, first-aid kits and clipboards) and encouraged block captains to accept support from local community organizations that might bring their own tables and supplies (Speaker 2).

The program said vendors and small businesses are welcome at the celebration and there will be no vending fee, but groups must register so event leaders can track participants. Organizers asked anyone unable to staff a cleanup to consider helping with setup or check-in at the celebration.

Organizers said they will hold several planning calls and meetings to coordinate logistics. During the meeting they referenced planning calls on “the eleventh,” an in-person block captain meeting on “the eighteenth,” and a virtual run-through on the “20 fifth” (as stated in the meeting). They asked volunteers to attend a virtual planning call if they will oversee a site so staff can go over supply distribution, signage and staffing.

Program leaders said they are coordinating outreach by sharing screen grabs of the presentation in the Block Captain Facebook group, distributing flyers and posting signage at the nine locations in the lead-up to the event. They also said they plan to ask an intern to help map block captains’ addresses to match volunteers with nearby sites and that organizers will continue reaching out to local organizations for donations of dumpsters, food and other support (Speaker 2).

At the meeting, organizers described recent cleanup work in a neighborhood they called “Holy City,” noting city crews had towed vehicles to clear alleys and that many bulk pickups had been coordinated with Public Works. Organizers said the city’s ticketing and public-works reporting systems may create a paper trail for follow-up and urged residents to report problems so departments can respond (Speaker 2).

Keep Delco Beautiful invited the program to a follow-up site visit at Sun Village Park, organizers said; they also referenced a related public event scheduled “tomorrow” from 2 to 3:30 p.m. with free water ice and pretzels (Speaker 1). Crystal Burrell, who program participants identified as working in parks and recreation, was named as running a block party at Avenue Of The States where the program expects to tabling on the coming Saturday and demonstrate what a staffing table looks like.

Organizers discussed supplies and fit issues experienced at earlier cleanups (small gloves, heat during work) and said they are applying for a small grant this quarter to support supplies and expect to reapply in October. They encouraged volunteers to sign up for a welcome kit and to take advantage of existing resources rather than wearing ill-fitting equipment.

The meeting included repeated appeals to encourage neighbors to participate and to centralize communications in the Block Captain Facebook group or by email while the program develops a more unified messaging platform. Organizers also asked block captains to take screenshots of site maps and share them in the group to help neighbors find their locations.

Organizers said the citywide cleanup is intended to be an annual event and thanked block captains and Councilman Shaquan Davis for attending recent neighborhood cleanups. They emphasized that the program seeks to build momentum through volunteer engagement and partnerships with community groups.

The program did not present or record any formal votes or decisions at this meeting. Organizers said further planning and assignments would be confirmed in upcoming planning calls and meetings.

Looking ahead: organizers told attendees they will confirm the celebration location and circulate a schedule and site assignments through the Facebook group and email lists. They urged block captains to notify program leaders if they can oversee a site or help with setup, and to submit names and contact information so organizers can finalize maps and assignments.