Medford looking for nonprofit involvement in Clean Communities Grant Program

With the return of the spring season, Medford Township is looking for non-profit organizations to help clean up township properties through its Clean Communities Grant Program.

Headed by Judy Scherf, the township’s recycling coordinator, the grant program gives money to non-profits in return for volunteering to clean up the township’s parks, streets and other properties. The grant money also pays for cleaning supplies and equipment.

“The funding comes from the state to the township,” Scherf said. “It’s for cleaning the town. I have non-profit adult groups, and I have Boy and Girl Scout groups as well.”

The state’s Clean Communities funding can only be applied toward cleaning township properties. The township’s Neighborhood Services Advisory Committee identifies a number of cleaning projects varying from parks to streets and assigns them to different non-profits.

“We usually do the parks, like Bob Meyer Park, Freedom Park, Bende Park,” Scherf said. “That’s what the Boy and Girl Scout groups usually do. I recently had Jones Road done and Gravely Road done. Our adult groups go out on the roads.”

To receive the money from the state, the township files a report detailing the projects and the organizations working on them. Scherf said the funding varies from year-to-year depending on the number and scope of the projects.

“(The state) takes that grant and looks at how much work we did, what we worked on and how many supplies I bought,” Scherf said. “Some years, we haven’t been able to do a lot, and there are others years where we’ve had a lot going on.”

Even though the grant money is only awarded for cleaning projects, the program has had a residual effect on the community. Scherf said many of the participating non-profits return to their project sites for further beautification and restoration on their own time.

“We give them a donation from the program,” she said. “Afterward, they can do what they want with beautifying it.”

One such example in recent years was a cleaning project at the municipal building on Main Street. Following the Clean Communities project, groups returned to plant flowers and further beautify the property.

Another positive of the program has been its facilitation of a community service attitude among youth organizations.

“The kids are learning so much from it,” she said.

The Clean Communities program is something the township is pushing as the weather warms up and residents partake in more outdoor activities.

Councilman Randy Pace took a few minutes to inform the public about it at last week’s council meeting in hopes to get more organizations involved this year.

“Right now, we have about 10 to 12 non-profits involved,” he said.

Scherf said the township is open to inviting new non-profits to get involved with the program. She emphasized businesses are not permitted to participate.

For more information on Clean Communities or to get involved, contact Scherf at (609) 654–6791 ext. 322 or email jscherf@medfordtownship.com.