Back in the day, cleaning the block was a daily activity. Many a neighbor would be out with their broom sweeping the sidewalk, washing the steps and making sure all was neat and tidy. With less of us home attending the housework, our street keeping is lacking. Luckily you can turn to the modern solution of Glitter!
Glitter is a litter cleaning service for your block. They have created a pay-what-you-can model that funds a weekly service by your very own Glitter cleaner and here’s how it works!
Neighbors Coming Together
Glitter is a neighbor-funded program. Each individual home on the block pledges what they feels comfortable paying monthly, be it $5, $20 or any other amount. You set your pledge on the easy to use portal and Glitter takes care of the rest. When the block raises at least $50, they start cleaning once a month. More pledges = more frequent cleaning.
A typical block costs $50 to clean (if you are a tiny block or extra long they will work out pricing with you). So if your block’s pledges amount to $50 a month you will get one cleaning. If you raise $100, you’ll receive every other week cleanings! It’s $200 for a weekly cleaning- that’s 10 neighbors pledging $20 a month.
The Humans of Glitter
Your block is assigned your very own cleaner. You’ll get to learn a little bit about them when you sign up, they come each visit and get to know your block personally. They’ll pick up the trash, clean up leaf debris, and clear the sewer drains. They also bag up the gross stuff like discarded needles, bagged pet waste etc. Glitter also has a special partnership with 311 so if there is that lone mattress, tires, deceased animals or unwanted items on the block they can call the line directly and get fast results!
A huge reason we love them is they also believe in fair wages and are committed to paying a living wage. They work hard to “respect and value their workers, their contributions and setting an example for other employers”. You can meet the whole team here!
The Particulars
You pick your preferred cleaning day! We all know that trash day is the worst when it comes to littering our blocks. By default, cleaning is scheduled just before trash day so that the litter is bagged and set on the curb for collection. However, if your block consistently suffers from stray items after trash day, you can choose to schedule your Glitter cleaner to swing by on or the day after. They ask for a volunteer on the block who’s willing to take in the bagged up debris and will leave neatly next to the stoop to be stored for the following trash pickup.
If you’d like to see Glitter’s efforts in action check out the map on their homepage. See if your neighborhood already has blocks nearby participating in the program. Check out before and after pics for that satisfying ahhhhhh.
How To Get Started
Thinking Glitter may be for your block? Simply sign up and make your pledge. You can even choose to have a Glitter ambassador join you to door knock and recruit neighbors on your block. This way they see your friendly face and there’s an expert by your side answering questions and explaining the program. You can also order signs for your block - compete with your own custom QR code so neighbors can scan and sign up on the spot!
There are so many ways Philly neighbors come together and we love that Glitter is making a clean block a way for the community to unite!
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