Group of good Samaritans share before-and-after photos of their citywide trash pickup efforts: ‘Y’all are inspiring [us]’
Littering is a major problem in most cities — and recently, a group of do-gooders decided to clean up their streets in New York.
As detailed in a recent post on the r/DeTrashed subreddit, the Pick Up Pigeons are a group of volunteers who gather to scoop up the garbage and waste that litters areas of the Brooklyn neighborhoods they call home.
The post of impressive before-and-after photos shows the group’s impact on green spaces and city streets alike.
“We continue to detrash weekly all over Brooklyn! We have cool shirts now :),” the poster wrote in a follow-up comment, which also invited local users to join the group in their next detrashing meetup.
On the group’s Instagram page, posts show off the progress that members have made in Williamsburg, Crown Heights, Greenpoint, Brownsville, Bushwick, and other neighborhoods in New York. The account also shows off the oddities that the group finds as it cleans up, including a massive pile of carrots, a Dunkin’ hat and foreign DVDs. The group also enjoys spending time together after each detrashing outing, going to bars, karaoke, and even Coney Island together.
According to a comment in another thread, the Pick Up Pigeons was founded in early 2023 after a few Brooklynites were inspired by the posts they saw on the r/DeTrashed subreddit. The group meets every Tuesday night and frequently welcomes new members.
Users shared their approval in the comment section of the most recent Reddit post.
“Always impressed with how much you accomplish! Love the group photo and tshirts!” one user wrote.
“Thank you!! Y’all are inspiring and doing a great service :),” another user said.
“I love the shirts and group organizing!! Thats so much better than just doing it individually. So inspiring,” another commented.
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