I’m Preston Ross, founder of The Great Raleigh Cleanup. It started when I posted a litter pickup on MeetUp — just a handful of us at first, cleaning a small patch of Raleigh. Week by week, it grew into a citywide effort. But the goal was never just trash removal; litter is a means to an end. The real mission is connection — creating community pride, belonging, and shared responsibility. Our cleanups bring together neighbors who might never have met otherwise, and that sense of unity has expanded into a workforce development program. We provide jobs for people who are housing insecure or formerly incarcerated — offering not just work, but opportunity and purpose. What inspires me most is seeing people realize their impact: a cleaner block, a stronger bond, a renewed sense of ownership. Every cleanup proves that when people come together, they can transform more than just their environment — they can transform each other.