NJ Volunteers Clean Hackensack's American Legion Drive

NJ Volunteers Clean Hackensack’s American Legion Drive

Working Together

On August 13, 2017, 45 WeLoveU volunteers met in the middle of the summer heat for community service. The volunteers who are from North Jersey met on American Legion Drive in Hackensack. It’s a very popular road used by many to avoid traffic in the busy downtown area. In addition, it’s also the home of the Hackensack Board of Education.

All sorts of trash and litter accumulated because of the high volume of drivers and walkers. To help reduce the litter and maintain the appearance of the road, WeLoveU volunteers came together.

WeLoveU volunteers clean American Legion Drive in Hackensack, NJ.

During the mid-morning hours, volunteers began working and were easy to spot with their signature blue shirts on. They walked up and down the street to pick up all the trash and debris they could find. To make sure they didn’t miss anything, they also combed through the trees on the sides of the road.

Their infectious smiles and energy, despite the heat, is exemplary of Zahng Gil-jah—Chairwoman and Founder of WeLoveU, who puts her whole heart into serving the community.

R Stands for Region

This cleanup marks the first volunteer service of the WeLoveU chapter in Bergen County, New Jersey. It stems from WeLoveU’s Clean WORLD Movement. The acronym “WORLD” stands for Water, Oxygen, Region, Life and Descendants.

This volunteer effort supports the region by focusing on cleaning up streets, parks and public facilities. It was inspired by the launch of WeLoveU’s campaign dating back to July 9, 2017, when the organization hosted their premier event—the Then, Now & Forever production.

Community Support

WeLoveU invited members from the Board of Education since it is on the same street as the cleanup. Out of all them, Vice President Lara Rodriguez attended the effort from start to finish. This marked her first experience with the WeLoveU Foundation. By the end of the event, she spoke well of the volunteers and organization because of their hard work.

“The WeLoveU volunteers were engaging, thoughtful, and didn’t hesitate to go into uncharted territory as they were cleaning up,” she said.

Vice President Lara Rodriguez continued saying WeLoveU volunteers “definitely lived up to their motto,” which is to embrace the world with the love of a mother.

She said, “I think when the students and our schools hear and see what your group does, it wouldn’t be surprising to see some more blue shirts joining you. Your organization is a springboard for a lot of things I hope we can accomplish in the school year and beyond.”