At LaFleur, we care about our community, so we allocate team volunteer time every month. This fall, we spent time tidying the planet with West Michigan Environmental Action Council (WMEAC), and we also helped the Humane Society of West Michigan prepare for their “Empty the Shelters” event.
Preserving the Grand River With WMEAC at the Mayor’s Grand River Cleanup
The Grand River is a vital part of our community. But when pollution washes from the road to the water, it hurts the wildlife, the river’s natural beauty, and even our drinking water. According to WMEAC, it takes only 15–30 minutes for trash found in streets and storm drains to work its way into the river. So, WMEAC works with the mayor’s office to hold the annual Mayor’s Grand River Cleanup event. During this event, people from the community gather to preserve one of our greatest natural resources and collect trash before it reaches the water.
On the day of the Mayor’s Grand River Cleanup, a small band of LaFleurians joined around a thousand other volunteers from across West Michigan. After grabbing coffee and donuts and listening to a rousing speech from Mayor Bliss, we took buses to the river. The LaFleur team ended up stationed on Market Avenue, south of Wealthy Street.
Over the course of an hour, we gathered all manner of refuse. We found everything from beads and Styrofoam to broken bottles and twisted metal along the road and on the riverbank. It was incredible to see not only how much trash had been tossed into the environment but also how close that trash had come to our water supply. It felt good to do our part in keeping the Grand River grand, and the event gave us a sobering reminder that taking care of our planet is a year-round job.
The final tally for how much garbage we all collected isn’t in, but last year’s volunteers collected 22,000 pounds. After the event, volunteers enjoyed pizza with complimentary refreshments from Founders Brewing Company and Cascade Blonde.
RELATED: LaFleur Goes Green Volunteering With Schuler Farms and Friends of Grand Rapids Parks
Preparing to Empty the Shelters at the Humane Society of West Michigan
The cat’s out of the bag: we love the Humane Society of West Michigan! The LaFleur team has spent lots of time supporting the Humane Society in 2019. Over the past year, we visited their facility four times to help with everything from painting and landscaping to playing with kittens.
This month, we helped the Humane Society get ready for their “Empty the Shelters” adoption event. We mopped floors, made a dent in their never-ending pile of laundry, and of course, played with a litter of adorable basset hound puppies. (Someone’s got to do it!) Afterward, the Humane Society was ready to connect more dogs, cats, and rabbits with loving families.
RELATED: LaFleur Volunteers With the Humane Society’s Adopt-a-Room Program
LaFleur Is Committed to Giving Back to the West Michigan Community
At LaFleur, we want to do right by those around us, both as neighbors and digital marketers. That’s why we’re excited to get out of the office and away from our computers each month — it’s good for us and good for the world.
If you want to learn more about our volunteerism, think we could help out with your cause, or need to pick our brains about what we do best — brilliant digital marketing — don’t hesitate to get in touch. Call us today at (888) 222-1512 or fill out our simple online contact form. We look forward to hearing from you!
References
Burr, A. (2019, August 13). 16th annual Mayors’ Grand River Cleanup to remove trash along 30 miles of riverbank. MLive. Retrieved from https://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/2019/08/16th-annual-mayors-grand-river-cleanup-to-remove-trash-along-30-miles-of-riverbank.html
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