Shine City Project is Back!

After a one-year break from our service projects, Shine City Project has returned to make things brighter for our community! Though we held a special service project in August 2020 to help with the cleanup efforts around Harrison House at the Historic Westside, it has truly been one year since we've had to pause our service projects due to COVID-19. After many months of waiting, we finally found the opportunity to once again go out and serve our community!

On February 27, 2021, Shine City Project made our way to Henderson where we volunteered with Project GREEN: Friends of Pittman Wash! Project GREEN: Friends of Pittman Wash is a non-profit environmental group focused on preserving and protecting the wildlife and wildlife habitat of the Pittman Wash. Though the Pittman Wash serves as a flood channel for excess rain and run-off water, the Pittman Wash also contains a desert riparian ecosystem that is rare in the Las Vegas Valley. Various native plants and animals can be found at the Pittman Wash, as well as various trails that are perfect for walking and appreciating all the beauty that exists there!

With everyone's health and safety in mind, our Shine City Project volunteers masked up and began gathering at a nearby amphitheater where we joined two representatives of Project GREEN: Friends of Pittman Wash. Our group was tasked with raking and maintaining the trails while removing any litter that could be found along the way. After receiving guidance and equipping ourselves with tools, we started to walk along the trail, thus beginning our service project. As we worked on our tasks, we learned more information about Pittman Wash while discovering small treasures that lie within including various birds such as quail, ducks, and hummingbirds, a geocache, and a peaceful flowing stream of water! After completing the service project, our volunteers returned to the amphitheater where we enjoyed a nice picnic lunch!

Representing Shine City Project, we had six total volunteers with one volunteer joining our service projects for the first time! Overall, as the first service project in a long time, after spending much time indoors, it was a great experience just being able to be outdoors and be surrounded by nature. Additionally, while we spent a lot of time walking on the trail, it didn't wear us out, as we could be energized by our environment. As the first service project, we are grateful that this could mark the beginning for more service project opportunities to come! We look forward to continuing helping our community!