OPCA Neighborhood Clean-up

Motor City Grounds Crew and O’Hair Park Community Association are teaming up with teamGM Cares again to help improve the area surrounding O’Hair Park which is located in Northwest Detroit.  We are working with a number of community organizations in the area and the City of Detroit to ensure this year’s project has a significant visual impact on the area and its residents. Volunteers will be beautifying the one square mile surrounding O’Hair Park over two days.  O’Hair Park is an 80 acre nestled behind Henry Ford High School.  We will be physically cleaning-up, boarding-up and beautifying properties in the square mile that is O’Hair Park Community Association.  This area was selected because of the great work the O’Hair Park Community Association has been doing over the past 4 years.  Not only is it important for the residents in the community but also the perception of visitors and those who pass through this area of Detroit.  We are working with the residents, churches and businesses along the borders and within the square mile to ensure their support and their commitment to assist with maintenance of the improvements created by the project. We will provide basic yard care tools; such as, garden rakes, spade and flat shovels, leaf rakes, hand pruning saws, loppers and 2 pole pruners/saws & wheelbarrows, weed whackers, lawn mowers and street brooms.  We will also provide gloves and safety glasses.  If you want to bring your own tools, please ensure you label them so they are easily identified.

We will clean-up & board-up vacant homes and garages, clean-up and remove overgrown brush/lawns, and clean-up of streets/storm drains.  This project will include the beautification of vacant lots (installing benches and planting shrubs, etc) and manicuring of lawns/lots.  We have tasks for all ages and skill levels so please indicate your preference when registering.  Below is a description of the teams and type of work each team will be focusing on:

Debris & Litter Removal:  Removal of all debris, litter, non-organic material from yards (not inside any structure) and placement in assigned dumpsters

Overgrown Brush Removal:  Cutting and removal of overgrown shrubs and small trees in yards and placement in assigned dumpsters/staging area

Board-up:  teams of 8 will measure, cut and board-up vacant properties

Beautification:  planting of small shrubs and/or flowers, possibly construction of benches for placement at bus stops

Other:  runner, food/water distribution, tool/equipment distribution, errands

To learn more about the groups involved in this project click on the following links:  http://www.mcgroundscrew.org and http://ohairpark.org.   Thank you in advance for your support of our ongoing activities to restore the City of Detroit, one community at a time.  

Recommended Skills: Good physical condition that will allow participants to pick-up debris (including furniture), utilize small power tools, cut down small trees and shrubs, etc.  There will also be a need for volunteers to assist with administrative activities that don’t require physical activity beyond walking and some standing.

Skill Description (if needed): Knowledge and comfort with small power tools, lawn/garden hand tools, painting, general household tools and equipment.

Requirements: A desire to improve conditions in the City of Detroit and overall good physical condition