Better Family Life has recruited some community partners to make a “Clean Sweep” of North St. Louis this summer. Malik Ahmed, president and CEO of Better Family Life, described the efforts as “rebuilding the community with a hands-on approach” during an announcement on Tuesday, May 1 at the Better Family Life Cultural, Educational and Business Center, 5415 Page Blvd.
The Regional Business Council is partnering with Better Family Life, and 12 construction companies will donate time, resources and equipment to the Clean Sweep efforts.
They will target four St. Louis neighborhoods: Hamilton Heights/ Wells-Goodfellow, Jeff VanderLou, Penrose/Kingsbury, and Walnut Park, beginning with Page Boulevard, which has long been the focus of Better Family Life development and beautification efforts.
Clean Sweep seeks to not only rebuild homes, but also to improve the landscape by removing plant overgrowth, planting seeds, and removing abandoned refrigerators and washing machines. Ahmed stressed the significance of appearance in regards to landscape, suggesting that being surrounded by dilapidated buildings is unlikely to encourage a feeling of safety.
Tony Thompson, president of Kwame Building Group, called Clean Sweep an opportunity to “convert the St. Louis black community.”
In addition to Kwame, the construction companies involved in Clean Sweep include Associated General Contractors, Ben Hur, BSI Constructors, Busey Bank, Clayco Construction, Fred Weber Inc., Holland Construction, Keeley Companies, McCarthy Building Companies, Paric Corporation, and S.M. Wilson.
One of the missions of Clean Sweep is to reduce the number of abandoned and vacant buildings and lots in North St. Louis. St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson, who attended the announcement, said that of the 130,000 parcels of land in St. Louis, 25,000 are vacant lots, and over 7,000 are abandoned buildings and structures.
Ahmed stressed the importance of the community aspect of the movement, applauding Clean Sweep’s tendency to “utilize neighborhood resources and neighborhood people.”
To that end, Better Family Life has planned four clean-up weekends this summer and is seeking volunteers to take part in the community transformation. Volunteers will meet 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. one Saturday a month from now until August to aid in the efforts of Clean Sweep by picking up trash and removing debris. Those dates and meeting places are: May 19 at Better Family Life (5415 Page Blvd.), June 30 at St. Teresa and Bridget’s Catholic Church (2401 N. Grand Blvd.), July 28 at North Side Community School (3033 N. Euclid Ave.) and August 25 (Walnut Park location TBA).
For more information or to volunteer, call James Clark, VP of Community Outreach, at (314) 381-8200 or visit betterfamilylife.org.
