Operation Neighborhood: Community members gather to clean up Johns Island neighborhood

JOHNS ISLAND, S.C. (WCBD) – For two hours on a Saturday every quarter, you can find dozens of volunteers in a Charleston neighborhood, working hard to beautify the area for the Operation Neighborhood initiative.

“This one happening on Johns Island in my backyard was exciting to be a part of,” said one resident, Stephanie Hodges.

They pick up trash, trim bushes, and even place work orders during the initiative.

The volunteers focused on the Dunmovin neighborhood on the island.

“We actually thought there wasn’t going to be much litter because we’ve been out here a few times and we didn’t see that much, but people came back with a lot of bags,” said Rebecca Hopkins, Neighborhood Services for the City of Charleston.

Hodges says there were some volunteers from other cities in the Lowcountry and it brought her a sense of pride to show them her neighborhood.

Hodges said, “It was nice to bring them to Johns Island and say look at all of the great things we have going on and look at our neighborhood and our sense of community.”

Love for their neighborhood is something city leaders say they hope the clean-ups will help continue to build.

“Just from chatting with residents it does seem like this neighborhood, people feel a lot of pride in it,” Hopkins said.

City leaders say they don’t know where the next neighborhood clean-up will be, but it’ll be held in the first quarter of the new year.