Residents do their part to clean up Central Phoenix

PHOENIX - Dozens of volunteers hit the street early Saturday morning in a massive clean-up of a Central Phoenix neighborhood hit hard by blight and crime.

The Coronado East Neighborhood Clean-up as it is called, partners residents, police, and Junior ROTC members from area high schools to clean-up trash and graffiti.

"For my entire family for a couple generations this has been home," said Christina Henrie "I love seeing so many people help us make it a great place to be."

The neighborhood located near 18th Street and Monte Vista has been designated by the city as a "Fight Back Neighborhood" which allots grant money for neighborhood improvement. Saturday's clean-up was a volunteer effort that compliments the work being done.

Aimee Knight-Fogel, a community out reach officer said that the clean-up does more than just instill pride, it actually deters crime.

"With burglaries you have people in the alleys and if there is nothing to hide behind it can be a deterrent," she said.  

This is the second year for the clean-up. Fogel and Henrie both said they have seen less trash and problems since the launching the effort last  year.