When most people walk past litter on the roadside, they hope someone else will clean it up. However, for Alyssa and Lachlan Bolger, that “someone” was them.
The Maddington siblings recently spent a Saturday morning picking up rubbish along Attfield Street near the local shopping centre, transforming an area that had long been an eyesore.
The idea began as part of a leadership skills course they are completing at TAFE, but it later became an act of pride in their community.
“We had to come up with a project for the TAFE course we are completing,” they said.
“After discussing some ideas with our family, we decided to do something that benefited our community.”
They noticed the area around the bus stop had become increasingly messy and decided it was time to act.
“It’s always been a messy area, and we noticed it was getting worse. We thought it was a good idea to try and clean it up for our TAFE project.”
The pair spent about three hours collecting rubbish with help from their parents, leaving the roadside looking much cleaner. “We were very tired afterwards, but we felt proud in the difference we had made to the road verges.”
Although no one stopped to thank them during the clean-up, Alyssa and Lachlan said they didn’t do it for recognition.
Their motivation came from a desire to give back; something that began years earlier with ‘Alyssa’s Autism Acceptance Project’, a charity they started to raise awareness about autism.
“Our experience with The AAA Project showed us both the positive impact community service can have on others,” they said.
“We enjoy the feeling of helping out in our neighbourhood.”
When asked what advise they would like to share, they said: “Find something on your street or in your area that you could help improve. Sometimes there are things that could benefit from a little care and effort that you might walk past every day. Little actions can make a big difference.”
Encouraged by how good it felt to see the area tidy again, Alyssa and Lachlan are already thinking about another clean-up. “Our family has discussed returning to the area on a regular basis,” they said.
Mayor Terresa Lynes thanked Alyssa and Lachlan for their efforts, describing their project as “wonderful” and saying the city was appreciative of the family’s service.
“Thank you again for the great work you are doing to help keep our community clean,” Mayor Lynes said.
According to Alyssa and Lachlan, caring for your community doesn’t have to start big. Sometimes, it’s as simple as picking up what others leave behind.
