One man in Issaquah is trying to clean up his neighborhood and city and he is trying to enlist help from his community.

His mission: getting people on-board with picking up trash one day a month.

Jonathan Smith had a vision for this plan during the pandemic, when he would take his dog for walks and would pick up trash on the streets and in the park near his home. He noticed that the amount of litter and garbage around his neighborhood began to grow worse and worse.

“Eventually it became a bigger problem than what I could solve myself,” he said. “I felt like I needed to do something.”

Near the end of 2021, he came up with a plan to host an “Issaquah Litter Clean-up Event” on the first Saturday of every month. Since he hosted the first event in November, he has been trying to contact the city and civic organization to help get more people aware of the event and to get more people involved with helping clean up the town.

With the city hesitant to sponsor the event and limited involvement from organizations like Issaquah Rotary and The Kiwanis Club of Issaquah, Smith said participation in the first two events has been light.

“I wouldn’t say I have been super successful yet,” said Smith. “But I am committed.”

The next Issaquah Litter Clean-up Event will be on Jan. 8. Smith said he is planning on bringing doughnuts and coffee for participants who can meet him at the Post Office Parking Lot on NW Gilman Blvd at 9 AM. Participants should bring a garbage bag and a pair of gloves.

From that location participants can branch out and choose to clean up any part of town they would like.