By VDC staff
A beautification crew made up largely of people experiencing homelessness cleared weeds and picked up trash downtown Monday as part of a broader community effort to improve conditions in St. Johnsbury, the Caledonian-Record reports today.
The cleanup was organized by Sheila Weston, owner of 443 Consignment on Railroad Street, following an Aug. 26 meeting where residents and business owners identified graffiti, weeds, lighting and loitering among downtown concerns. Weston provided volunteers with breakfast sandwiches, gloves, garbage bags and tools as they worked around the municipal parking lot and Pearl Street.
Among the volunteers was Tyler May, 31, who said he has been homeless for about six months and is struggling with fentanyl addiction. May said he recently entered a methadone program and hopes to overcome his addiction, find full-time work and secure stable housing.
Kingdom Recovery Center recovery coach Randall Devoid praised the project, saying community service can help people in recovery build self-esteem and a sense of connection.
Select Board Chair Frank Empsall also stopped by and said the cleanup was an encouraging first step following last week’s community meeting.
“There were some great ideas there, and they’re all baby steps, and you’ve got to start somewhere,” Empsall said.