Chester block captain committee schedules monthly cleanups, seeks volunteers and funding

Dakeem Williams, a committee member for Chester’s Block Captain program, and fellow organizer Haley Jurina outlined the program’s goals and calendar at a community meeting, including a summer cleanup series with a May 31 event at Twentieth and Edgemont and ongoing monthly cleanups.

The program aims to mobilize residents for neighborhood beautification and to expand communication between the city and residents. “My name is Dakeem Williams. I am a committee person for the block captain program,” Williams said, explaining the group’s role. Jurina described the volunteers’ focus: “We don't go find and fight crimes. We try to fix and beautify the community.”

The committee said the summer cleanup series began with an April event at Chester High and will hold recurring cleanups on the last Saturday of each month; the next scheduled cleanup is May 31 at Twentieth and Edgemont. The committee will also table at the city’s Riverfest this coming Saturday and expects to participate in the city’s Safe Summer Fair at month’s end to publicize youth programs and city resources.

Committee members said they are collecting Block Captain applications and have sent a list to the city for formal approval. “We do need to get it passed through council as they come in… they'll have to be passed through council,” Jurina said. The group plans to present certificates to recognized block captains at a June meeting (the committee noted the date will not be June 19 because of Juneteenth observance).

Funding and partnerships: the committee said supplies for the first cleanup were grant-funded through Keep PA Beautiful, the local affiliate operating as Keep Chester City Beautiful. “All of our funding for our supplies for the last cleanup … was entirely grant funded through keep a beautiful,” Jurina said. The committee said donation and corporate sponsorship opportunities are being pursued; organizers thanked Chris Lamb of the Fire Department and TNT for donating a dumpster at the first cleanup and invited local businesses to provide supplies or volunteers.

Recycling and logistics: Melber Rothwell, the city’s recycling coordinator, offered to partner with the block captains to promote recycling at future cleanups and mentioned an upcoming shred event. Residents in student-heavy neighborhoods such as Sun Hill raised concerns about recurring trash, landlord and tenant turnover, and gaps in past volunteer programs. Organizers said they have discussed outreach to Widener University’s civic-engagement offices and are open to working with student volunteers or community-service programs to supplement capacity.

Program supports and limits: the committee said it will provide a handbook, safety waivers, signage from Keep PA Beautiful with block-captain names (for those who opt in), and a group chat for coordinators. Organizers emphasized that block captains are not law‑enforcement or policy makers and said volunteers should avoid putting themselves at risk when engaging neighbors.

Next steps: the committee plans to finalize locations for later cleanups, produce printed flyers for accessibility, create a contact list of block captains (subject to participant privacy preferences), and seek additional grants and corporate partners. Organizers asked residents to sign up on the meeting sign-in sheet or via the program’s social media pages and said they will call applicants after city approval.

The presentation included an explicit call for volunteers, corporate donations and partner organizations, and noted the program is in an early, grassroots phase. “We have to be better at problem solving and not just problem identifying,” Jurina said, urging residents to take part in the cleanups and other neighborhood efforts.

Ending: The committee reiterated event details and outreach channels: Riverfest this Saturday (tabling), the May 31 cleanup at Twentieth and Edgemont (start time 10 a.m.), and a June meeting where recognition and certificates are expected to be issued once the city has processed applications. No formal votes or ordinances were recorded during the presentation.