Hundreds of volunteers clean up trash in west Baltimore Share Shares Copy Link Copy

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STORY. KATE: THE ORGANIZERS SAY THIS IS NOT A POLITICAL THING, WHO YOU VOTED FOR DOESN’T MATTER, ALL THAT MATTERS IS THAT YOU ARE WILLING TO COME HERE AND PUT IN SOME WORK. WE ARE AT THE INTERSECTION OF NORTH FULTON AND WESTWOOD AVENUES IN WEST BALTIMORE. THIS BLUE TENT IS WHERE THE ORGANIZERS HAVE SET UP, WHERE MANY OF THE VOLUNTEERS HAVE PAID OUT OF THEIR OWN POCKET TO FEED, FOR FOOD AND WATER FOR THE HUNDREDS HERE. THEY PAID TO BRING IN PUERTO POTTIES AND A DUMPSTER AND THEY HAVE BEEN WORKING SINCE 8:00 AM THIS MORNING. SOME OF THEM COMING FROM AS FAR AWAY AS OHIO AND NORTH CAROLINA. THAT IS A TOILET AND A PILE OF TRASH IN A WEST BALTIMORE ALLEY. CHAIRS, TABLES, AND SPARE TIRES, ALL OF IT PICKED UP AND HAULED OFF BY NEARLY 300 PEOPLE ON MONDAY. >> IT IS GREAT, IT IS A GOOD THING. >> THIS S OUR CITY. WE NEED TO CLEAN IT UP. KATE: MOST OF THE VOLUNTEERS DO NOT LIVE IN THIS NEIGHBORHOOD. MANY LIVE IN OTHER STATES AND NEARLY ALL OF THEM HEARD ABOUT THE CLEANUP FROM THIS GUY. >> I NEVER INTENDED IT TO TURN INTO A NATIONAL EVENT. IT WAS NEVER SUPPOSED TO BE THIS BIG. KATE: HE HAS AN ENORMOUS SOCIAL MEDIA FOLLOWING. HE SAID ONE TWEET LAUNCHED A THOUSAND TRASH BAGS. >> I AM A BIG TRUMP SUPPORTER BUT I WANTED PEOPLE TO KNOW THAT IS NOT WHY WE ARE COMING HERE, THIS IS NOT A PRO TRUMP RALLY AND ANTI-REPRESENTATIVE CUMMINGS. THIS IS THE COMMUNITY COMING TOGETHER. >> WHAT BETTER WAY TO SERVE HUMANITY AND GET THE MESSAGE OUT. >> IT MATTERS THAT PEOPLE CARE. I DON’T CARE ABOUT TRUMP. KATE: YOU SAID THIS IS NOT ENDING. >> I WILL TRY AND KEEP IT GOING MYSELF. NOT A SIMPLE FIX, IT WILL NOT HAPPEN OVERNIGHT. SLOWLY I THINK WE GET THE BALL ROLLING AND IT WILL GET BIGGER AND PEOPLE REALIZE THAT PEOPLE CARE ABOUT THIS PLACE. KATE: YOU CANNOT DENY THEY MADE A REAL DIFFERENCE AND A DENT IN THE SITUATION. WE ARE STANDING IN ONE OF THE ALLEYS OFF KNOWLEDGE -- NORTH FULTON AVENUE. IT COULD NOT WALK DOWN THIS ALLEY BEFORE. THEY CLEARED IT AWAY AND THEY ALSO CLEARED AWAY PILES OF TRASH IN VACANT LOTS LIKE THIS. THIS WAS FULL OF TRASH BAGS AND TRASH DEBRIS, FURNIURE, TV’S, AND THEY HAULED IT OUT. THEY SAY SO FAR THEY BELIEVE THEY HAVE HAULED AWAY BETWEEN 12 TONS AND 14 TONS OF TRASH INCLUDING THREE COMPLETE DUMPSTER LOADS. THEY ARE GOING UNTIL EIGHT IF YOU HAVE TIME TO COME DOWN AND GET DIRTY FOR A GOOD CAUSE. THEY WILL BE HERE AT FULTON AND

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