Stephanie Rothkopf believes that by cleaning up one street at a time with her group of Yorkville Green Connect volunteers, she can spread a green spirit in the community to leave the world better than she found it.
For eight years, Rothkopf has joined local volunteers in environmental cleanups in the Yorkville area. On Aug. 31 from 8 to 9 a.m., the group is looking for volunteers to help clean up the streets around Burks Bros Drywall, 1207 Badger St. in Yorkville. Those interested can contact them at 630-400-2710. Green Connect is sponsored by the Yorkville Chamber of Commerce and aims to promote sustainable environmental practices in both local businesses and the community.
“I wanted to volunteer because I care about environmental responsibility in my community,” Rothkopf said. “Most of us are involved in environmentally focused projects. That passion is what brings us all together.”
Rothkopf said the bond of compassion and caring within the Yorkville community is what motivates her to continue giving. She said to wear gloves and comfortable shoes because the busy roads they chose for the cleanup have a lot of trash and debris to clean up.
“It's amazing how many people get involved in our project,” Rothkopf says, “We have families who join us regularly and we always see new faces. We've found that dropping a few pennies along the way really gets the kids excited.”
Ace Hardware in Purcell is donating a picking machine so volunteers don't have to constantly bend over, as well as trash bags for the cleanup, and Green Connection is providing bright yellow T-shirts so volunteers can stand out in the community.
Yorkville Green Connect has partnered with the Nature Conservation Foundation, whose motto is, “We protect the land. We protect the river,” and Rothkopf said working with them symbolizes their belief that changing the world is best started in one's own backyard.
“It's great to partner with them because they have the resources to best determine what areas and objectives to address in the community and most effectively accomplish our goals. Together we can accomplish great things.”
Green Connect hosts a Green Committee meeting the second Thursday of each month from 11:30 a.m. to noon at the Yorkville Area Chamber of Commerce office, 26 W. Countryside Pkwy, Yorkville.