An Individual Woman Adopts A Highway Section at 70 Years Old!

That is me.

“Jill Mather and Friends” Adopt A Highway sign coming eastward down the Tampa Blvd. on ramp and going westward right after the Balboa Blvd. off ramp. I had not formed my organization “Volunteers Cleaning Communities” at the time I applied for the permit, so that is a suggestion that they have for putting your name on a sign. Highways are mostly adopted by companies for advertising and then they hire contractors to actually clean the highway. I am an individual with volunteers that do that – so not common at all, according to CalTrans who runs the program.

An Adopter is obligated for a 5-year period (though this is a lifetime obsession of mine, so I will renew) and have perform highway cleaning twice a month. There are only certain parts of the highway that are allowed to be adopted due to safety concerns (like walls, no easement, etc.) and each exit of the freeway is a section – so I actually have 2 sections – 3 ½ miles on both sides of the highway. Oh yes, you can only adopt one side if you want – I went “all in!”

You will see myself and other amazing volunteers in yellow Adopt A Highway vests, helmets, gloves and using grabbers climbing the hills, walking the easement and picking through the bushes on the 118 Freeway trying to get it clean and keep it clean of litter. It is actually great exercise, we meet like-minded neighbors of various communities, really fun and we know we make a difference in the long run which is very rewarding.

So where did this passion or obsession come from?

When I semi-retired last year, I knew that I wanted to “create a culture where everyone takes responsibility for their own trash” which is a proven solution to controlling litter in various foreign countries such as Japan, where their streets and highways are pristine. It is simple: everyone carries a bag in their pocket, backpack or purse so that they can collect their individual trash and bring it home for disposal. It is actually seen as embarrassing to be seen throwing anything in the street, even a cigarette butt, and so you will never see this in those countries except from tourists who do not understand this non-littering culture.

My position in business was as a Director of Training in numerous restaurant and entertainment companies, one of which I was a partner for the last 16 years. You learn in the restaurant business to always look at the down at the floor and it you see any litter, just pick it up. It eventually becomes a habit. And as a Training Director, not only did I role-model this, day in and day out but I taught it over and over again to thousands of service workers over the 30+ years that I trained people. So… now, like anything else, when you do something over and over again, it becomes habitual and in this case, a passion.

My mother raised me to plan that after you have had your career and made your monies, it is time to give back in some way or another. She is 96 years old and until Covid arrived her, she ran a group of volunteers in a food bank in Orange County every Wednesday – stocking shelves, looking over expiration dates on labels, helping people shop for food, etc. She is amazing and a wonderful role-model that you can do so much at any age… so I am 70 years old and starting out my “giving back” career with un-trashing communities!

Volunteers Cleaning Communities was recently issued our non-profit status, so now we can begin organizing and further developing our ultimate programs:

1. A monthly Earth Environmental Day event in various communities of the San Fernando Valley.
2. In-school “scavenger litter program”
3. “Take a walk, take a bag; take some trash off the street” program for adults.

These events would be designed for the participation of neighbors to further education them on environmental programs and include booths for environmental clubs to discuss how you can be involved, have live music entertainment, a food truck, a “litter scavenger hunt” where you are given a bag to fill (looking for specifics for the kids) and when you bring it back with litter you will get one free lunch from the food truck, activities for all, etc. This would coincide with Earth Day, April 22 – so would be the 22nd of each month.

Another program I will introduce when Covid pandemic is controlled and schools reconvene is:

We educate the kids on recycling, how littering will ultimately affect the ocean through the sewer system, toxins in certain materials, etc. Then they will be divided into teams to work the litter scavenger hunt list in their local neighborhood with teacher leadership; bring their litter bag back; and we will share what they found and whether they can recycle for monies (either personally or as a school project), what will make it to the ocean and poison the waters, what is good for a landfill and what is now, etc. If they collect all the things on the list, the team members will receive a gift card of their choice as a reward. This program is designed to increase awareness for kids that picking up litter can be rewarding, fun and best for the environment.

Then there is the everyday program for everyone:

Walks can be fairly boring especially if it is just for exercise, walking a dog, or a means to get somewhere essential. I found that taking a bag along and looking for / picking up litter as I walk not only gives me something to look for, but also gives it a purpose that is meaningful, rewarding and makes a difference in the community. Working through Neighborhood Councils, I aim to create a culture that whenever you go out, you carry a bag and take just a little trash off the streets each and every time.

Think of what the neighborhoods, streets and highways would look like if we all took responsibility for our own trash – and a little responsibility for others that have not developed the habit yet!

So join us to make a cleaner community – for just one event – for just an hour – anything is helpful. If you cannot join us, we have a gofundme account for donations towards the programs that I have outlined above. Anything is appreciated:

GOFUNDME: https://gofund.me/5d724d8a

Jill Mather, Organizer, Volunteers Cleaning Communities

website: https://volunteerscleaningcomm...

facebook: Volunteers for a Cleaner Chatsworth

email: jillmather@earthlink.net