Almost two years ago, OnMilwaukee reported on Emma Larson who was committed to weekly clean-ups of Holton Street, a bustling thoroughfare in the Riverwest neighborhood.
This Saturday morning, Larson will conduct her 100th clean up.
Larson picks up about two garbage bags a week of trash in the spring and summer and one bag in fall and winter.
Many Saturdays she is assisted by her husband, Khurram, and sometimes wears her infant son in a carrier. Her parents also frequently help out. This week for the 100th clean-up, Larson will team up with Anna Argeropoulos’s Moving Galaxy and Mike and Becky Vanausdal’s Good Land Church.
Larson shares a picture on Riverwest's Facebook page every week after her clean up – but not to humble brag.
“It is difficult to do anything for 100 weeks in a row, so I share my work to stay accountable,” says Larson.
Larson and her husband moved to Holton Street in February of 2022 and within a few months of living there, she was motivated to do something about the high volume of litter.
Her main inspiration comes from believing that everyone deserves to live in a clean space they take pride in.
“For myself, my son, my husband, my tenants, my neighbors and the other children in the neighborhood, I want them to see having a clean space as normal and know they don’t have to accept living in an area with litter,” says Larson.
She says picking up trash on her block also helps her with her own anxiety over the declining state of the environment.
“I have concerns about the environmental impact of overconsumption and single use plastics. This is one of the ways I know I am doing my part to not contribute to the problem,” says Larson.
Larson is frequently approached by other community members who say they too started to pick up the trash on their block and beyond after seeing her Facebook posts.
“I continue to share to be the difference I want to see,” says Larson.
Larson has advice for anyone interested in casual, regular trash cleanups in their neighborhood.
“The easiest way is to pick up trash in front of your house at a specific time every week, say, Saturday mornings with your morning coffee or tea,” says Larson. “Picking a small task you won’t get overwhelmed with at a definite time that you revisit weekly is the simplest and most reliable way to make a change.”
Molly Snyder started writing and publishing her work at the age 10, when her community newspaper printed her poem, "The Unicorn.” Since then, she's expanded beyond the subject of mythical creatures and written in many different mediums but, nearest and dearest to her heart, thousands of articles for OnMilwaukee.
Molly is a regular contributor to FOX6 News and numerous radio stations as well as the co-host of "Dandelions: A Podcast For Women.” She's received five Milwaukee Press Club Awards, served as the Pfister Narrator and is the Wisconsin State Fair’s Celebrity Cream Puff Eating Champion of 2019.
