Beautify Londonderry, a volunteer organization involved with picking up litter and planting flowers to make Londonderry a prettier place to live, will be outside every weekend in May to do what is necessary to beautify the town after a long and dirty winter.
Chairperson Kerri Stanley said Beautify Londonderry kicked off its 11th year May 3 and will run throughout all five weekends in May.
While it started this past weekend, Stanley said Beautify Londonderry doesn’t have volunteers scheduled until the weekend of May 17. “We are still looking for volunteers, especially for the town offices and the schools, to spread mulch, and we only have one group so far that signed up to do the town sites – Granite State Church of Christ,” she said. “They are going to do the town offices and the library but other than that, we have no one that stepped up yet to spread mulch for the schools, and we’re hoping to get people to do that.”
Where the Anti-Littering Advisory Committee’s Roadside Pride III volunteers picked up litter along Londonderry roads for the previous three weekends, Beautify Londonderry spreads mulch and plants flowers at various sites around town.
“It seems like people get confused because with Beautify Londonderry, you sign up ahead of time, we make up the supply bags, we know how many people are in the group and we call the week before and make sure you’re set and have you come and pick up the bags,” Stanley said. “With Anti-Littering it’s different in that you don’t have to sign up ahead, you can show up on that Saturday, be given an assignment and supplies and go and do it.”
Stanley said next year both organizations might merge. “Basically we have the same objective. It’s confusing to people,” Stanley said.
Stanley said Girl Scouts can help out during the day when they meet at the schools.
“It’s a win-win for both, and then the Cub Scouts will usually help us by spreading the mulch at their schools and at Funway Park,” she said. “If we could get a group that wants to spread the mulch, it would be great.”
Stanley said several businesses donate or sell the group mulch at cost and others are monetary sponsors.
“We have dedicated, loyal businesses in town, we just need the volunteers to finish the work,” Stanley said.
Contact Kerri Stanley at beautifylondonderry@comcast.net or 860-9369 to volunteer or for more information.