Clean Up Aiken began with a simple idea, gather people together and make the community cleaner. What started through the efforts of Marianne Yost has grown into a nonprofit focused not only on removing litter, but also on education, awareness and shared responsibility.
Co-Directors Jerry Lang and Kic Young first met at a Clean Up Aiken gathering at Newberry Hall in 2021. Both were newer residents of Aiken, and were looking for ways to give back to the community they call home. When Yost asked them to help carry the organization forward, they said yes.
From there came months of groundwork. Cleanup Aiken became a 501c3 organization, built a board, developed a website and created a model designed to make community cleanups simple for schools, businesses, civic groups and organizations. Clean Up Aiken handles the planning, maps the roads, provides supplies and gives a safety briefing. Volunteers simply show up ready to help.
That help is needed now more than ever.
Since beginning, Clean Up Aiken volunteers have collected approximately 3,700 bags of litter. A single cleanup may produce 50 bags, while one 6.2 mile effort collected 225. Beer cans, liquor bottles and fast food trash are common, with rural roads and busy corridors such as Whiskey Road facing persistent litter.
“We need your help,” Lang says. “Volunteers are our biggest need right now.”
The organization is expanding its focus on education with young people. By reaching students early, Clean Up Aiken hopes to break the cycle of littering and reinforce the idea that caring for the community is everyone’s responsibility.
That can start simply. Take trash home. Keep your property clean. Never throw anything from a vehicle.
Aiken is a large county, and there is plenty of ground to cover. More hands can make a difference. Learn more about this incredible undertaking, volunteer or support the mission at www.cleanupaiken.org.