Litter Collection Baskets Are Honor Society Project

Posted July 26th 2021

Beach visitors will see a new addition to a few of the entrances this summer, with the installation of litter collection baskets at 30th Street in Avalon and Stone Harbor Point. The basket stations were the idea of members from the National Junior Honor Society of Avalon Stone Harbor Schools.

With full support of both boroughs and funds raised by the NJHS, the baskets were installed in mid-July by the Avalon and Stone Harbor Departments of Public Works. Beachgoers are encouraged during their day at the beach to borrow a basket and take a walk to collect litter and return the basket to the station, disposing of trash and recyclables in the appropriate containers. The stations are installed on streets with trash and recycling that are monitored in the offseason as well, and will be maintained by the NJHS and schools.

“The NJHS was excited to launch this project, and adapt it for both towns,” said Mari Coskey, a member of the Avalon Borough Council and staff adviser for the Avalon Stone Harbor Schools NJHS. “This project ticked all the boxes we were hoping for – community involvement, beach preservation, and opportunity for service.”

Eighth-graders of the Avalon Elementary School are invited to apply to become members of the NJHS by meeting scholastic requirements and submitting an application highlighting commitment to service, leadership, citizenship, and character development. The most qualified candidates are selected by a committee and new members are installed each year. The 2020-21 members of the NJHS included Luke Francis, Fiona Gale, Abigail Henrich, Hannah Murtaugh, Sophia Nemeth, Avaclaire Scales, and Neysha Vazquez.

The NJHS works on a number of projects every year. These have included snack sales, toy drives and more, resulting in donations to local organizations. However due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the society had to think outside the box (and inside the basket) for something more focused on outdoor community involvement.

Go to avalonstoneharborschools.org for more information.

Photo caption: Susan DiGiaimo and Christine Miske with a litter collection basket station, the brainchild of the National Junior Honor Society of Avalon Stone Harbor Schools.