August Volunteering

I woke up early on Saturday, got my grocery shopping done, then headed to Pennypack Park in NE Philly to help with the clean-up effort there. I had toyed with canceling on Friday. I didn't feel like driving there (it was farther than I had thought when I signed up), I didn't want to skip the farmers market, I realized that between the clean-up and baby-sitting I'd be gone most of the day. But, I felt bad canceling so late because it was a Saturday morning event, and a lot of people cancel at the last minute and we're getting close to the end of the month and I needed to volunteer. Good job, blog!

I got there, was handed a trash-picky-up thingy, a trash bag, and a bucket for cans, and headed on my way. Pretty early on, I found a half-full can of PBR. Apparently, someone was unaware that people on drank PBR because it was a crappy beer and drinking crappy beer makes you cool (?). Anyway, that person just dropped the can in the park. It was pretty much the most awesome thing we found for a while, when I found a toy gun. As we ventured farther into the park, we decided to go off of the paved trail and follow a path into the woods to find where the teenagers party. Success! Another girl found a joint. We also found a lot of beer cans and beer bottles and capri suns. Interesting party.

I was surprised how many people who were using the park thanked us. Walkers, runners, cyclists. One guy on a bike stopped to ask how he could volunteer. Another guy on a bike didn't stop, but yelled as he passed us that there was a dead deer way far away from where we were. We were like "um, thanks..." I don't think a deer would fit in my trash bag, nor did I want to carry it. Or be near it. Unless it had been butchered.

We got back and found out that someone else had found part of a real rifle and another had found handcuffs. They were the winners of the day. And I'd totally do a Pennypark Park clean-up again. It was awesome.