Jacob’s Waterway Cleanup
Donation protected
Hello! My name is Jacob, and I live in beautiful Colorado Springs. Well, I guess beautiful is a relative term. It’s a gorgeous city when you look up at Pike’s Peak and the mountain terrain that spans from either side. However, when you look down from the horizon and at the actual city, 9 times out of 10, your gaze will be filled with copious amounts of litter. This litter is especially bad in our waterways.
About a month ago on a crisp, sunny January afternoon, I decided to walk over to the creek located by my place of work. The sound of ducks playing and rushing water enticed me as snow/ice was melting, and I was hoping to see a serene view of wildlife in nature. However, when I got to the edge of the road and stared down at the creek, I was horrified.
The entire bank was covered in litter, to the point to where you could hardly even see the ground. The ducks that I had heard were wading in the murkiest water I have ever seen, and they were being bombarded by trash that was flowing down the creek. It made it even more sad that the ducks seemed unaffected by this. They dodged the trash like they had been training for it. The sad part is, they probably had been.
I tell myself all the time since then that I should have never walked over to the creek side, but then remind myself that ignorance is not bliss.
Last year I had a very big health scare and it put a lot of things into perspective. It gave me a lot of time to think about what I’m passionate about, and what I can do to turn that passion into action. I thought of the reasons why I moved to Colorado, and the biggest ones were for the mountains and nature. However, I did not move here to be surrounded by mountains of trash.
So, since the day I visited the creekside, I have dedicated over 80 hours of my time and managed to pick up a total of 17 bags worth of trash, 5 office chairs that were illegally dumped, 1 sofa, 14 used needles, and almost half a dumpster worth of cardboard boxes.
It has been exhausting, my back is screaming at me, my hands are cut up and my blisters have blisters. But being able to see the ground, and the green grass that is trying so hard to grow for spring, and plant life finally thriving that was once on its last hope; has made all of the hard work worth it. Even the family of ducks that I mentioned earlier hang out with me every time I’m out there, and I swear they do it to thank me.
I really debated on creating this Go Fund Me because I’ve always been very independent and I don’t like to ask for help. Everyone has their crosses to bear, and that’s mine. However, I’m realizing that this project is bigger than me, and I could use all the help I can get.
I purchased a trash can on wheels and a rake from Home Depot, and all my other supplies from the Dollar Store. That being said, my trash grabber has broken, and the work gloves are past the point of no return. My work luckily supplies me with sterile gloves, otherwise the other supplies come out of my own pocket.
I am in desperate need of large, heavy duty trash, recycle, and compost bags. I also would love to purchase a quality trash grabber and pick, and dream about getting a tilt truck in order to limit my walks to the dumpster.
I was going to use my tax return to purchase most of these, but it was suggested to create this Go Fund Me first, to see if anyone would be so kind as to help.
Whatever you can donate is so much appreciated. If you’re unable to donate, that’s completely fine! If you’re able to share and spread the word, please do so.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read this! And please do your part to keep this world clean, as it needs your help more than I do!
About a month ago on a crisp, sunny January afternoon, I decided to walk over to the creek located by my place of work. The sound of ducks playing and rushing water enticed me as snow/ice was melting, and I was hoping to see a serene view of wildlife in nature. However, when I got to the edge of the road and stared down at the creek, I was horrified.
The entire bank was covered in litter, to the point to where you could hardly even see the ground. The ducks that I had heard were wading in the murkiest water I have ever seen, and they were being bombarded by trash that was flowing down the creek. It made it even more sad that the ducks seemed unaffected by this. They dodged the trash like they had been training for it. The sad part is, they probably had been.
I tell myself all the time since then that I should have never walked over to the creek side, but then remind myself that ignorance is not bliss.
Last year I had a very big health scare and it put a lot of things into perspective. It gave me a lot of time to think about what I’m passionate about, and what I can do to turn that passion into action. I thought of the reasons why I moved to Colorado, and the biggest ones were for the mountains and nature. However, I did not move here to be surrounded by mountains of trash.
So, since the day I visited the creekside, I have dedicated over 80 hours of my time and managed to pick up a total of 17 bags worth of trash, 5 office chairs that were illegally dumped, 1 sofa, 14 used needles, and almost half a dumpster worth of cardboard boxes.
It has been exhausting, my back is screaming at me, my hands are cut up and my blisters have blisters. But being able to see the ground, and the green grass that is trying so hard to grow for spring, and plant life finally thriving that was once on its last hope; has made all of the hard work worth it. Even the family of ducks that I mentioned earlier hang out with me every time I’m out there, and I swear they do it to thank me.
I really debated on creating this Go Fund Me because I’ve always been very independent and I don’t like to ask for help. Everyone has their crosses to bear, and that’s mine. However, I’m realizing that this project is bigger than me, and I could use all the help I can get.
I purchased a trash can on wheels and a rake from Home Depot, and all my other supplies from the Dollar Store. That being said, my trash grabber has broken, and the work gloves are past the point of no return. My work luckily supplies me with sterile gloves, otherwise the other supplies come out of my own pocket.
I am in desperate need of large, heavy duty trash, recycle, and compost bags. I also would love to purchase a quality trash grabber and pick, and dream about getting a tilt truck in order to limit my walks to the dumpster.
I was going to use my tax return to purchase most of these, but it was suggested to create this Go Fund Me first, to see if anyone would be so kind as to help.
Whatever you can donate is so much appreciated. If you’re unable to donate, that’s completely fine! If you’re able to share and spread the word, please do so.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read this! And please do your part to keep this world clean, as it needs your help more than I do!
Organizer
Jacob Drivas
Organizer
Colorado Springs, CO