By Jeff Devine, Dale County Chronicle
Organizers with Step Up Ozark are continuing a growing community cleanup effort at the Shops of Ozark, where volunteers have now removed 42 bags of litter from the area through ongoing volunteer work sessions.
Last week alone, participants collected 16 bags of trash from the shopping center location, according to Adam Kamerer, the group’s organizer. He says the continued accumulation of litter in the area has prompted an ongoing commitment to return weekly until conditions improve.
Kamerer emphasized why organizing the volunteer cleanup group is important, saying, “This is a major shopping center along Highway 231 where visitors passing through Ozark on their way to the beach or Montgomery stop for lunch. We don’t want their first experience with Ozark to be a shopping center covered in trash.”
The next cleanup is scheduled for Saturday, May 16, with a change in meeting location. Volunteers will now gather in the parking lot in front of Annie’s Nails on the opposite side of the shopping center, and the cleanup will begin at 7 a.m.
The group says participants are welcome to arrive late or leave early as needed. The most recent cleanup, held Saturday, May 9, was a success. Councilmembers Les Perault, Bryan Macario, and Winston Jackson assisted with yesterday’s cleanup efforts, Kamerer added.
The group hopes more volunteers will join to help clean up the city. A limited number of trash grabbers and work gloves will be available on-site; however, volunteers are encouraged to bring their own equipment if possible. Bags, high-visibility vests, and bottled water will be provided.
The cleanup is expected to conclude at 8:30 a.m., followed by a social gathering at Wild Honey for volunteers who wish to attend.
Step Up Ozark will be planning to expand the initiative into weekly litter cleanups at various locations across the city, with future sites determined based on the time and scope of each project.
For questions or collaboration opportunities, you may reach out to Kamerer by email at [email protected] or by phone at 334-733-3595.
The effort is part of a broader push to improve public spaces in Ozark through community participation and ongoing maintenance of heavily traveled commercial areas.
Step Up Ozark volunteers Megan Murphy, left, Marianela Aruz, right, and Bill Murphy in the background. Photo provided courtesy of Adam Kamerer.
