Bernadette Wean walks the trails of Sand Island often. So when she sees garbage left behind, she doesn’t complain—she picks it up, especially if it means helping her Street Neighbors stay in place and out of harm’s way.

“If people don’t step in and help, I’m afraid the city will just try to move our Street Neighbors out, and then where do they go?” Wean said. “Just farther down the river—into smaller townships that aren’t equipped to handle it. It’s easy to judge and criticize—but are you going to do anything to help?”

Wean was among the volunteers who visited Bethlehem’s Sand Island on June 2 for volunteer clean-up efforts as part of a partnership between Bethlehem Emergency Sheltering (BES) and Victory House of Lehigh Valley to help our Street Neighbors keep the neighborhood tidy.

Shari Calabrese, who also volunteered to help clean up Sand Island on June 2, said it’s important to clean these areas because sometimes people falsely assume Street Neighbors made the mess, even when it was other visitors altogether.

“When people come here to enjoy themselves and see trash everywhere, it gives a bad image to our Street Neighbors, even when it has nothing to do with them,” Calabrese said. “It’s a false stigma even when they’re doing nothing except just trying to get by.”

Volunteers are needed for another clean-up session scheduled for Monday, July 21, from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Visit here to register. The location of the clean-up will be announced to volunteers two days before the day of service.

This marks the second consecutive summer that BES and Victory House have partnered to help clean up wooded areas in Bethlehem, particularly spaces with homeless encampments, recreational areas, and places with high public foot traffic.

Bob Rapp, Executive Director of BES, and Maria Shior, Director of Volunteers at BES, joined the volunteers on June 2. They began at the Sand Island tennis courts and followed the trail to the Minsi Trail Bridge, cleaning up refuse, broken bottles, rain-soaked clothes, and other trash as they walked.

“Giving just a small amount of your time to work for the good of others can make a real, lasting impact on our community,” Rapp said. “These efforts may seem simple—picking up trash, lending a hand—but they send a powerful message that everyone deserves dignity and care.”

Rapp noted that Street Neighbors staying in places like Sand Island usually try to keep their areas clean and stay out of sight. Although homeless encampments can be found in the wooded areas, they are well off the trail and usually out of sight from the public.

Calabrese has volunteered with BES for several years, assisting with cooking and cleaning duties. She is retired and enjoys volunteering, seeing it as a way to give back to the community.

“Most of the time, we don’t solve problems unless they’re visible to us,” she said. “And this is a high-traffic area where the public comes for recreation—so the issues are right in front of people.”

Wean uses the Sand Island paths regularly, so she feels a personal responsibility to keep it clean. This marks her second time assisting with these clean-up efforts. A member of Christ Church UCC, she has been actively volunteering with BES for two years.

“I use the path, and when I see garbage, I pick it up,” Wean said. “I just want to help this community. It’s about community involvement and empathy, rather than blame.”