Framingham cleanup program launched during pandemic continues to grow

FRAMINGHAM - Framingham may not be the cleanest city in Massachusetts yet. But Michael Croci, co-founder of Keep Framingham Beautiful, says it may be the one that's made the most progress getting litter off its streets. "The big thing that has shifted in the community is really just this belief that we can have nice things," Michael explains as he drives through Framingham. "That wasn't necessarily the case, across the board, five years ago."

The change started in 2020. As the city's Earth Day Festival director, Michael and his team had planned a big celebration. When the pandemic shut it down, they started brainstorming. Could they somehow transfer the energy and excitement for the festival into an activity residents could undertake remotely? In just weeks, they had an idea. They launched a "Clean Up Framingham" Facebook page and made a gentle suggestion-when you're out on a "pandemic walk," bring a bag and pick up litter. Residents responded immediately and with enthusiasm. "I always say that we caught lightning in a bottle... Everybody wanted to do something tangible to help the world during this global pandemic."

Keep Framingham Beautiful

Four years later, Keep Framingham Beautiful , an official chapter of Keep Massachusetts Beautiful , has removed more than 150,000 pounds of trash from city streets. The Facebook group, to which some people post their cleanup photos daily, boasts 3,000 members. Volunteers are impossible to miss. They wear bright yellow t-shirts, hats, and gloves. Visibility helps with outreach and safety. Two hundred and fifty bright signs (in three languages) dot Framingham yards; a reminder that the group is active and always accepting new members. Donations, grants, and sponsorships pay for equipment.

Beyond visibility, the group's positivity is a major draw. KFB has built relationships with city departments, businesses, schools, churches, and the Framingham farmer's market. The Facebook group prides itself on an uplifting ethic that bans snarky or negative comments. Volunteer, steering committee member and "gear captain" Marty Dutton credits Michael's leadership for the tone. "He's an incredible human being," she explains standing in a garage full of gear and garbage-grabbing tools. "He wants to do good in the community and this is a manifestation of that. It's a movement. He's created something really special."

Something even bigger than an all-volunteer cleanup crew.

Camaraderie extends beyond cleanup mission

Michael never expected that the group would grow so quickly or so much. He also could not have imagined that members would form such strong emotional bonds; camaraderie that extends beyond the litter-busting mission. KFB Co-chair Debra Caplan is similarly stunned. "What surprised me most is that it kept going and growing," she exclaims as she walks toward the KFB-designed pollinator garden near Farm Pond. "People have made friends... We have people from little kids up to people in their eighties."

It is hard to imagine a more dedicated ambassador. Caplan whips out a KFB business card and shows off the easy-to-use QR codes. She recently handed out one to a stranger she met in a laundromat. "Positivity attracts positivity," she says as she waves to a passing Parks & Rec crew. "We really have built community. And we do refer to it as the KFB Community."

Michael will be the first to tell you that there is more work to be done. Despite regular efforts to remove trash from Route 9, the busy traffic and business area is a challenge to keep clean. But there is an awareness now, even on the busiest roads, that people care about keeping Framingham clean. Driving through residential neighborhoods, he cannot help but smile. He knows which residents keep specific areas clean and explains that some have carved out their own "routes" for which they take responsibility.

"I have a purpose now"

Joe Hudock proudly patrols one of those routes, saying "I love doing this! I have a purpose now." Joe explains, bucket and trash-grabber in hand, that he is a survivor of a traumatic brain injury who was lost until he started cleaning up in his neighborhood. Meeting Michael and joining KFB opened his world. "I know everyone! I know all the movers and shakers in town. And it's pretty wild. It's pretty wild to go out here and have people say thank you for what you're doing."

People now refer to the Route 126 bridge on his route as Hudock Bridge. Students in a passing school bus roll the window down to cheer for him and wave. "Look what's come from this," he says plucking an errant wrapper from the street. "Mike and Debra-it's amazing what they've done. That's a total team effort."

He praises KFB for creating a way for residents to contribute. "They get to be part of it," Hudock said. They're part of something big. That's what makes you grow as a person-having purpose."

High school students set example

KFB just wrapped up "Trash Bash 250." It set a goal to include 250 people in cleanup efforts over five days. Framingham High School students were out on "day one." With 40-50 volunteers, it was an impressive turnout particularly on an early-release day. Students who could have been at Starbucks or at home gaming were reaching through fences to retrieve litter and scouring the athletic fields. Senior Jack Trostel cleaned glass and plastic that, he worried, could harm wildlife.

The president of the Framingham High School KFB Club Hiranmayi Narasimhan hopes their efforts set an example. "It's not just adults who do this. It's really us because it's our future. And if we keep the earth clean, the people who could after us...they will... look upon us and they've be like, 'Wow! They did something great for us,'" Narasimhan said.

Looking out at a field dotted with helpful teenagers, Michael exudes pride and gratitude. "It's just incredible-the amount of positive energy that we've injected into the community," he said.