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Day work litter cleanup program to expand state-wide

Sophia Schmidt, Delaware Public Media
Gov. John Carney announces the statewide expansion of the "Work a Day, Earn a Pay" program alongside DelDOT, city and state as well as program participants

A program that gives Delawareans the chance to “work a day” and earn wages in a public works job is expanding statewide. 

 

The “Work-a-Day Earn-a-Pay” pilot program in Wilmington has employed more than forty individuals since its launch March 1, offering single-day work cleaning up litter. The program’s crews have collected more than 700 bags of trash along Wilmington’s I-95 corridor, according to officials. 

Gov. John Carney and DelDOT officials announced Thursday the program is adding four new seven-person crews who will clean up litter in all three counties starting August 1. 

“The problem of litter and actually dumping in Kent and Sussex County is a very serious problem,” said Carney. 

Tina Hylton, a member of Wilmington’s Work-A-Day crew, says she found the program through a substance abuse recovery service. She sees the work as rewarding. 

“When we leave, we know that the kids have a safe place to play,” she said. “We’re not just cleaning the streets, we are prideful. When we leave, the place looks completely better.”

Goodwill of Delaware is a partner on the program. CEO Colleen Morrone says the program includes professional development. “We are incorporating other skills to help them become more successful and to be attractive to more positions and to grow and to improve their quality of life,” she said. 

DelDOT is funding the expanded “Work-a-Day” program with $483,000 as part of a $2 million investment this fiscal year into litter control.

DelDOT Secretary Jennifer Cohan says the expanded program will focus on cleaning up roadways entering the state to make a “good first impression.”

 

Sophia Schmidt is a Delaware native. She comes to Delaware Public Media from NPR’s Weekend Edition in Washington, DC, where she produced arts, politics, science and culture interviews. She previously wrote about education and environment for The Berkshire Eagle in Pittsfield, MA. She graduated from Williams College, where she studied environmental policy and biology, and covered environmental events and local renewable energy for the college paper.
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