After noticing garbage piling up in city parks, along curbs and on sidewalks, Hollister resident Ken Perez is leading a street cleanup on Saturday, Aug. 1, beginning at 10 a.m.

“There is so much garbage by the side of roads, little by little we are letting our community slip out of our hands,” said Perez, who owns Hollister Collision Center. “If I start this we might give people some pride in their community.” 

The cleanup effort is in need of 20-25 volunteers, and Perez will provide latex and work gloves. He said the county has supplied him with pickup sticks and garbage bags, and he has trucks available to haul and dump the trash picked up. He will also provide safety vests, hand sanitizer and water.

Face coverings and physical distancing are required for this event. 

Perez is planning on getting the parks cleaned first, and depending on the number of participants they will continue through the streets. He wants the cleanup to become a monthly event and hopes the community will continue to stay involved. 

Volunteers will meet at Hollister Collision at 320 Hillcrest Road at 10 a.m. on the day of the cleanup. For more information, contact Perez at (831) 297-3257. 

Celina Stotler, staff analyst at San Benito County Integrated Waste, said is was great to see this kind of event and added “We love seeing our community come together to plan local cleanups and we encourage organizers to utilize our staff technical assistance and free equipment by contacting us at (831) 636-4110 or emailing [email protected].”