QCC employees rolled up their sleeves for the College's first Community Service Day, a collaborative volunteer initiative designed to strengthen community connections through hands-on service.
Participants from departments across the College donned gloves and grabbed trash bags to clean up four Worcester parks: Burncoat, Elm, Institute, and University. Together, the volunteers collected and removed more than 150 pounds of litter, helping beautify public space throughout the city.
The four teams competed to see who could bag the highest amount of trash. The Burncoat team ended up in the number one spot, with their haul weighing over 80 pounds. They even found an entire soccer goal that someone tried to abandon in the area. Not on their watch!
The idea for the event originated during a campus meet-and-greet hosted by the Office of Access, Opportunity, and Institutional Compliance. During the gathering, Healthcare Simulation Support Technician Paul Ledoux shared his experience in mutual aid organizing through his nonprofit, Worcester Litter Incorporated. He suggested a community cleanup project to Program Administrator Mendrick Banzuela, who put the plan into action for Community Service Day.
"The idea is to build camaraderie amongst the QCC community and allow us to connect even deeper into the area Quinsig serves," said Ledoux.
Worcester Litter Incorporated is a volunteer-driven environmental initiative focused on improving public spaces through grassroots litter removal, environmental education, and creative community engagement. Although the nonprofit recently became an official organization, Ledoux has been cleaning Worcester's streets for years.
What began as a personal effort, picking up litter while walking his dog, quickly grew into a community movement. As friends and community members asked to join him, Ledoux began organizing group cleanup events and sharing their impact on social media, attracting even more volunteers.
Today, Worcester Litter Incorporated brings together residents, business leaders, municipal partners, and visitors to take direct action in caring for their environment. Through neighborhood cleanup efforts, the organization helps reduce pollution, strengthen community connections, and foster a culture of shared responsibility for Worcester's streets, parks, and waterways.
Thank you to everyone who participated and helped make Worcester a cleaner, brighter place. Additional service opportunities are already in the works, including the United Way Day of Caring on September 11. Keep an eye on Inside QCC for future volunteer opportunities.
For more information, contact Mendrick Banzuela at mbanzuela@qcc.mass.edu.