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Nonprofit Georgia Works pitches cleanup crews and job placement to Lithonia council
Summary
A Georgia Works representative described a second-chance cleanup and workforce program, said the nonprofit manages crews that collect large amounts of trash and tires across Atlanta-area cities, and gave an estimated contracted crew cost range of roughly $150–$200 depending on scope; council members expressed interest in exploring a pilot contract.
A representative of Georgia Works told the Lithonia City Council on Dec. 16 that the nonprofit operates supervised cleanup crews that both remove illegal dumping and provide job training and placement for participants.
"We house about a 100 men," the presenter said, describing the organization as a second-chance workforce-development program that provides housing, food, clothing and "wraparound services" while training men on supervised street crews. The presenter said Georgia Works has grown from a couple of contracts to about 18 municipal contracts and cited partners including the city of Atlanta, College Park and Riverdale.
The presenter described typical crew sizes and pricing: crews generally run with about six people for a job, and when asked for a price the presenter gave a range, saying, "we would go anywhere from 150 to 200" depending on scope and budget. The group also described cases where it sent larger crews for heavy cleanup days, citing examples of dozens of tires and multiple bags of trash removed in single operations.
Why it matters: Council members said the group's model could help the city manage illegal dumping and beautification while creating employment pathways. Georgia Works representatives said placements into regular employment have resulted from the program, and the organization emphasized added community-engagement services for homeless outreach when crews operate in encampments.
Council discussion centered on logistics and budget: council members asked about crew size, pricing, and the possibility of a phased pilot contract; one council member suggested evaluating a one-off job or limited pilot to test outcomes and costs before committing to ongoing service procurement.
What to watch: If council requests a proposal or budget allocation, staff will need to return specific scope, pricing and contracting language for a future meeting. As presented, the group asked the council to consider local participation and potential contracting in 2025.
The council received the presentation and discussed options for inviting Georgia Works to perform pilot work for the city.
