Look around. Have you seen the members of the “invisible army” working throughout our community to help in the continuing battle against invasive ugliness?
I’ll bet you probably have but didn’t recognize them. That’s one of the magical aspects of invisibility — seeing something but not realizing exactly what you’ve seen.
I’m pretty sure that what you did see, and most likely appreciated, was the result of their service and its pleasing and valued environmental impact: areas across the community that are clean, green, well-tended and inviting. This is visibly apparent, and it’s no accident.
This army isn’t a military unit, it’s simply a group of people voluntarily organizing to complete a specific task. Actually, it’s lots of groups; groups of civic-minded, caring people who come together to pick up litter, collect recyclable items, and to plant trees, flowers and bushes. Some repair and paint houses, others clean waterways and trails, many tidy up parks and other public areas. Remarkably, all give freely of their time and efforts as their contribution to help ensure that our community’s environmental quality is preserved, its livability sustained and its vitality assured.
These extraordinary people come in different shapes, sizes and ages and from different races, backgrounds and communities, but they all share one common quality: They are volunteers.
Volunteers donate their service to benefit the whole community. They aren’t paid, but it isn’t because they are worthless; they aren’t paid because they are priceless. We wouldn’t be able to afford the cost of their gifts — they are too valuable.
As impressive as the results of their work are, the individual volunteers are even more fascinating. Meet Minnie, who understood that to counter creeping blight a plan was needed and a sense of hope generated, and it had to begin with neighborhood residents. Her idea and its implementation were immediate, dramatic and sustaining. Today, where there was litter, dumping and decline, there are flowers, shrubs, and repaired and renovated homes in a clean, refreshed community that reflects pride.
Randy loves the Arkansas River, but he hates what some folks do to it. He organized a flotilla of like-minded folks to scour its banks annually, removing trash and restoring the river’s natural condition. His efforts have spread to include a dozen groups in six riverside communities across the state.
Cowper, along with scores of other stalwarts, regularly hauls out every conceivable form of litter from Fourche Creek, intent on turning what is essentially, and unfortunately, a floating landfill into a clean, winding urban recreational waterway.
Nash lives downtown, where he faithfully demonstrates his pride as he clears litter from his multiple “adopt-a-spots.” In MacArthur Park, dozens of employees from local companies clean up and plant trees.
At Pinnacle Mountain State Park, Molly leads passionate volunteers in removing graffiti, and building and maintaining trails. In southwest Little Rock, Andrea is one of scores of volunteers who repair and paint houses. Out west, realizing that volunteering offers valuable hands-on learning experiences, Sandi enlists youth for cleanups around the Thompson Library.
All over the capital city, hundreds of “invisible army” volunteers take on the tasks of helping maintain our streets, waterways, neighborhoods, parks and public places, ensuring that they are clean, fresh, attractive and inviting.
Beautiful spaces and pleasing places bring people together. They help develop understanding, shared experiences and cultural collaborations; they build connections and relationships that merge to shape strong, vigorous and dynamic communities. Like ours.
So look around. The next time you see this invisible army, stop and say, “Thanks!” Better yet, join them.