A community clean up event is being organized for Monday, Jan. 20, from 9 a.m. to noon in Riverbank. The goal of the event, said coordinator Cynthia Prieto-Diaz, is to come together in service to honor Martin Luther King Jr. Day while cleaning up “our shared environment.”

The volunteer event is an outreach of ESAL, Engineers & Scientists Acting Locally, which is a national non-profit working to increase civic engagement by STEM students and professionals.

“I am a newer resident to Stanislaus County and during my runs I noticed a significant amount of litter, especially tobacco product waste,” explained Prieto-Diaz. “To address the litter and foster a sense of community and belonging, I decided to organize a citywide cleanup encouraging everyone to participate.”

For this first community clen-up effort, Prieto-Diaz said her focus will be primarily in the Patterson Road and Eighth Street area, which is near a transit stop.

“(That’s) where on Christmas Day I collected over 300 cigarette butts with many still needing to be picked up,” Prieto-Diaz said.

Volunteers are urged to just show up for the Monday morning project, Jan. 20, with all cleaning supplies to be provided. Those attending can bring their own snacks and water if they choose. For more information, contact Prieto-Diaz at cynthia@esal.us

While Prieto-Diaz will be focused in one area, volunteers are welcome to spread out across the city and clean up an area near their home or anywhere in the community.

The ESAL goal is to help solve problems to benefit local communities.

“Advancing public health through the promotion of environmental stewardship while fostering a sense of community and belonging” is another stated goal of the ESAL group, with the focus on areas with known litter and/or illegal dumping with an emphasis on removing tobacco product waste.

“A long-term goal,” the ESAL information indicates, “would be to increase discussions related to a more proactive approach to pollution and litter, which may include but is not limited to advancing efforts associated with product lifecycle management and pivoting to a more just and circular economy.”

Primary goal of the Jan. 20 community clean up, Prieto-Diaz added, is “proactively advancing public health by protecting and helping to restore natural environments.”

Secondary impacts that could come out of the volunteer effort include promoting physical activity and minimizing environmental contamination for a safe and healthy environment.