CAMDEN, N.J. (KYW Newsradio) — A new program in Camden aims to clean up the city one block at a time. The Camden Strong initiative will soon sweep through the city, picking up trash, cutting down weeds, and fixing street lights.
"This is a long time coming. It is extremely important," said Camden resident pastor Jose Martinez Jr. at the neighborhood cleanup campaign's kick-off event on Thursday
Martinez says the summer-long initiative, which teams up workers from police, fire and other city departments, is important for building stronger communities.
"It’s not just about cleanup. It’s about bringing a sense of pride to our neighborhood," he said. "For most people, it's probably just a city they go through to go to work, or go to Philly, but for us it's home."
Officials say the program takes a holistic approach to tackle blight through street and park cleaning, sidewalk clearing, and making other quality-of-life improvements.
"This is what we want — for people to beatify this beautiful city we call home, and I pray that it will be contagious."
After the initial effort is over, officials say they'll need help from neighbors to keep the areas clean. Kyle Smith from the city's public works department says widespread invovlement is vital to keeping the program going.
"We need to have participation with the residents. We need to have participation with the business community. Anybody who's willing to help out however they can," Smith said. "And I believe we've been doing a great job,
but we want to do an excellent job now."
He says it's about residents being proud of where they live.
"We can clean this city all together and be proud of this city," Smith said. "I've been in this city for over 60 years. I remember when it was very clean and a great place to live. Uh, I'd like to see that come back before I leave."