Healthier Lake Worth Cleans Up
Healthier Lake Worth launched in July of 2017 with a plan to tackle the root causes of behavioral health issues facing the residents of Lake Worth. In addition to strengthening resident connection to traditional health services and resources, Healthier Lake Worth planned to address neighborhood safety and strengthen race equity within the community. Now, a year into the initiative, Healthier Lake Worth has established a plan to “untrash” the streets of Lake Worth; members of the initiative have organized a movement to pick up the trash that litters Lake Worth streets, and to begin a campaign that will engage residents in taking better care of their neighborhood.
So, what does picking up trash have to do with behavioral health? “Trash in the streets is a visible and basic measure of a neighborhoods health,” explains John Burns, Healthier Lake Worth member. “The trash may be symptomatic of larger ills but it’s an obvious place to start when trying to improve things.” In fact, a person’s health outcomes largely relate to the environment they live in – even more so than their genetic predispositions/family history. In a neighborhood covered in trash, residents don’t have access to safe, clean areas for recreational activities like walking, biking or playing, and their health, both mental and physical, suffers as a result.
“I’m a true believer in reducing, reusing and recycling for the environmental, aesthetic, social and economic benefits,” John says. “On the environmental side, the trash that’s in the street makes its way into the Intracoastal Waterway by way of the sewer system whenever it rains. If you walk the seawall in Bryant Park at low tide during or after a rainstorm, you will see the trash freely flowing into the waterway, where it degrades the natural environment, putting wildlife at risk and actually entering our food chain.”
Healthier Lake Worth has collectively picked up over 2,000 pounds of trash and isn’t planning on stopping. “Additional initiatives will likely involve locating additional trash and recycle cans in the neighborhoods, environmental and/or community pride messaging and engaging local residents to be more mindful of community cleanliness,” explains John. He urges folks to get involved in the effort. “No special skills are required to pick up a plastic bottle and put it in a recycle bin. No significant resources are expended disposing of a plastic bag. One needs only the will to make things a little better.”
If you would like to get involved in Healthier Lake Worth’s clean-up efforts, contact Project Director Carmelle Chapman at carmelle.lakeworth@htpbc.org.
