Neighborhood Cleanups Unite East Durham Residents
By John McCann, The Herald-Sun, Durham, N.C.
Jun. 2–DURHAM — A man pulled up by the corner of Driver and Main streets and asked if Aidil Collins and her people were selling fish dinners or something.
The stereotypical tent with tables underneath probably threw him off.
No fish. Collins had organized a neighborhood cleanup to get this East Durham area ready for spring flowers and all. The hope was people tucked away in their homes would emerge from hibernation upon witnessing others picking up around the neighborhood.
Among the would-be people magnets were David Weaver and Kyle Bibb from Triangle Residential Options for Substance Abusers. Bagels and bottled water under the tent were nice touches to reward them for their work. But it sure wasn’t snacks that got those men out of bed that morning.
“Giving back to the community,” Bibb explained.
“And we enjoy it, too,” Weaver said.
The two said they just were a couple of guys trying to make good on what they over the years had sucked from the community on account of abusing drugs.
Armed with trash bags and those handy picker-upper thingamajigs, Collins’ crew went about tidying up the place. She’s a leader in East Durham, yet reluctant to exalt herself as a community organizer.
“I’m a neighbor first,” Collins said.
Some Duke University students showed up to help. They were from an ethics of public policy class, and the students were aware of the notion that they’re viewed as outsiders who couldn’t care less about what goes on beyond their campus. Maybe the East Durham cleanup would move at least a brick from that barrier, they figured.
“We just kind of, as a group, wanted to counteract that,” David Lazar said.
Tell John McCann what’s good “In Your Neighborhood” at jmccann@heraldsun.com or 419-6601.
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