HARTFORD, Conn — Residents in the capital city came together to participate in a community clean up day.
Community members gathered along Albany Avenue Friday morning, wanting to do something about the trash and blight in the North End.
Volunteers and Hartford police joined together in their anti-litter campaign.
Hartford leaders said that blight brings down property value and deters people from reinvesting into the community.
"A lot of people travel outside of Hartford or Connecticut because they say it’s dirty, or Connecticut has danger. So why not do everything we can in our part and make people want to stay here?" said Adjovi Simpini, volunteer.
Community members and police showed that it takes a village to keep the city clean and safe.
What may seem like a small gesture for some, neighbors said makes all the difference.
"We decided that we were tired of the trash and overflowing trash cans, the blight, and everything like that and that we were going to do something about it." said Vicki Gallon-Clark, Executive Director of Blue Hills Civic Association.
Andriana Milner, another volunteer, said she takes pride in her city.
She volunteered to change people’s perception of Hartford and to uplift it.
"If it takes us coming out in the streets to do that... we are more than is this. We are better than this."