Broadsides

A changeover occurs during the early hours of Sunday in downtown Augusta. The last late-night bar hoppers have made their way home. Sunlight peeks over brick buildings. The crowded and noisy tumult of Saturday night gives way to a quiet emptiness. It’s as if the streets themselves take a day to rest and recover before festivities can recommence.

Close to 9 o’clock, Operation Clean City gathers in front of Tire City Potters on 10th Street. A handful of people–and then a dozen and then more–put on gloves, claim grabbers, and pick up buckets.

Team Lead A.C. Daniel explains the deal for anyone here for the first time: People can go their own way and clean for an hour before returning to take pictures in front of the “Happy” mural. Please don’t disturb any living spaces. He’ll go down Ellis Street until reaching the “Never Give Up” mural, which serves as a good reminder to give up and head back, he says to chuckles.

“I contributed to the delinquency of these people on Saturday night,” jokes Heather Riddick, a bartender at nearby Stillwater Taproom, “So I figured I could clean up after them.”

This is Heather’s third time volunteering with Operation Clean City, but Perry Levin has been attending for about a decade. “I’m in the habit now,” he says, “I live right on Broad Street, and so I’m walking downtown all the time. Litter particularly bugs me, and [taking part] is a convenient way to feel like I have an impact.”

Little groups start to break off and head in various directions. Some go down Ellis Street towards Le Chat Noir, others towards Greene Street in the direction of Sacred Heart. Today’s numbers are swelled by members of the Augusta Run Club, who come volunteer on the first Sunday of every month.

Kayla Bryant from the run club has brought along her children, Amelia and Ronan. “We’re military,” explains Bryant, “so we love to get involved in every community that we get the privilege to be around.”

Bryant’s story is not unlike Operation Clean City founder Glen Ford, a local servicemember who began cleaning up Broad Street with his friend Josh McLean in the summer of 2014. The regular weekend cleanups have been through multiple evolutions, but survive a dozen years later. Ford has since moved to Washington, D.C., and continues his cleanups there.

“Volunteering is one of my primary modes of self-evolution,” A.C. says. He took over as Augusta Team Lead last year. Part of his dedication to service comes from time spent at an ashram, a type of meditation temple which he describes as “basically boot camp for learning to be selfless.”

A talented artist in his own right, A.C. feels especially motivated to give back to the downtown area where the local art community resides. He recalls a memorable weekend where he spent all Saturday night drawing with some friends. When Sunday morning came, they decided to focus on an alley which housed some mosquito mural art they enjoyed.

“So we’re all delirious and exhausted,” he recalls, “but we cleaned up this area, and it was like, tattoo needles and trash. It was so gross and juicy, but we did it, and it was one of the most satisfying days.”

Kelsie Blocker is out here for the first time. “I have a lot of memories of the Augusta area,” she explains, “I am from North Augusta, but I spent a lot of time down here, when I was wild and in my early 20s.” She decided to volunteer after seeing the current construction downtown: “I guess the changes to the center of [Broad Street] kind of bummed me out, so [I was] thinking of ways to beautify.”

“I think volunteering is a good way to feel connected to a community,” says Blocker, “and to clear your head and sort of, you know, dig into what makes life more enjoyable.”

There are other benefits as well, says Michael Moeller. “It’s so hard gaining your steps these days,” he laughs, “It’s nice to kind of go for an hour-long walk, basically.”

There is an aspect of curiosity and discovery, too. Perry Levin found fifty dollars a few weeks back. He’s also found IDs and was able to call and return them to their owners. A.C. recalls cleaning with a veteran who found and identified a gun brush. Moeller tells the story of finding an industrial microwave dumped in the middle of the street. It took several people to carry it to a nearby dumpster.

When asked why they volunteer, there are common answers and themes:

For Perry Levin, “[It] reminds me there are other people that care.”

For Kayla Bryant, “The only way to improve the community is if you’re a part of the community, and you have no right to complain unless you actually help.”

And for A.C., “It seems like the more I can give selflessly, the more good stuff comes back to me. That’s not the goal, but it seems like a consequence.”

When asked what he would say to someone who says this should be someone else’s job, A.C. responds, “Why should I give up my fun?”

Operation Clean City meets every Sunday at 9AM in front of Tire City Potters. You can learn more about the group’s history at their website. They are also on Facebook and Instagram. Groups wishing to organize a clean outside of the regular meetup can reach out to A.C. through Operation Clean City’s social media pages.