On Sunday, November 21, 2021, at 10:30 a.m., more than 60 WeLoveU volunteers and 20 employees of Power Home Remodeling joined forces to clean up Bridgeport, Connecticut’s eastside neighborhood.

Carried out under WeLoveU’s Clean WORLD Movement initiative — the effort was one of six cleanups that day, alongside New York, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Maryland. The partnership was inspired by a mutual passion for raising awareness of the climate gap crisis and the unequal effects climate change has had on low-income communities.

On the corner of Barnum Avenue and Brooks Streets, volunteers arrived, greeting each other, saying, “We love you!” With pickers, bags, and brooms in hand, everyone helped pick up trash from sidewalks and sewage drains, remove plastics, and sweep up broken bottle remains. Caring for the neighborhood as their own, the teams worked hard to revitalize the area until the end. As a result, volunteers successfully filled 50 bags of trash, totaling more than 500 pounds. 

The unity between the two groups moved the Power Home Remodeling employees, who partnered with WeLoveU for the first time.  

“One thing that touched me was the real sense of community; usually, these events aren’t like that, but this one was very different,” explained KC, a regional director at Power Home Remodeling. “Everyone had fun, and nothing felt forced. I hope to do more with you (WeLoveU).”

Climate change is an issue spanning over 30 years. As those changes progress, the effects on lower-income communities become more extreme, suffering from poorer air quality, severe heat waves, and less opportunity to evacuate during natural disasters. With cleanups continuing in Florida and Georgia, the WeLoveU Foundation hopes to raise more awareness of these climate issues through volunteerism and serve as the bridge to close the climate gap.