Rochester nonprofit works to clean litter across city

ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) — Although summer has come and gone, there is one major part left behind across the city’s streets: litter. Walking For Rochester, a local nonprofit, aims to get rid of it.

Matt Apple co-founded the organization in 2020 and since then, the support and involvement from the community has grown immensely.

“Our goal ultimately is to spread litter awareness, but Walking For Rochester is about action. We need people in the streets showing that they care about the community,” Apple said. “This is a really easy way for you to do that.”

Now with over 400 volunteers, the organization aims to expand outside of its normal clean-up area in the south-east neighborhoods of Rochester. They want to eliminate litter anywhere they can, including the north side.

Honestly, our goal is to take over the city. We want to eradicate litter once and for all in the city of Rochester and say proudly that Rochester, New York is litter-free,” Apple said.

Another working piece to the organization is their annual fundraiser . This year, the goal is to raise enough money to hire a program director. Apple adds that this is a vital piece in their organization’s growth.

“We want to expand into the other quadrants of the city. We’ve been working on the backs of volunteers for the past three years, and in order to best serve our mission, we need to remain sustainable,” Apple said.

The fundraiser will be held Oct. 17 at the Divinity Estate & Chapel on S. Goodman Street in Rochester. Those interested in volunteering are encouraged to call or email using the information provided on Walking for Rochester’s website .

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