LOYAL. LOCAL. COMPLETE.
Phil and Kat Stapp are using their time to clean up the city of Paris and create an impact on the city in hopes of a brighter future. Together, they created a group called “Be the Change” in 2018. Be the Change is a “community enrichment group that cleans up trash, helps feed and clothe the less fortunate and does general volunteer work.”
“We would go on several family walks and would take a Walmart sack with us and fill it up. Once it was full, we would toss it in the nearest dumpster. Then one night, I just took an empty kitchen trash back and we filled it in the course of six to seven blocks,” said Phil. “I got on Facebook and complained. I said ‘Hey, anybody interested in helping clean up?’ and a bunch of people said yes. That spawned our first city-wide cleanup and we made a group out of it.”
In addition to cleaning trash around town, the Stapps and their group raise money for local organizations that help at-risk individuals.
“We have partnered with several organizations in town. Kind of like when folks run a marathon and get people to sponsor them for laps, we get people to sponsor us based on 39-gallon trash bags. You know, donate $2 for every bag we fill. If we fill 10 bags, that’s $20,” said Phil. “We have raised a couple thousand dollars for Hopes and Dreams, INC.”
Phil has lived in Paris for 34 years and during that time, he’s witnessed countless individuals who have fallen victim to the prominent drug issues in the city. This has only furthered his desire to help those around him.
“I see generational problems. I see the kids that I went to school with who are hooked on drugs and are living under bridges and whatnot, whose parents were hooked on drugs, who never had a stable life or anything like that, and now they have children who don’t have anyone to take care of them,” he said. “Lately, my partner has been making some care packages for the unhoused, trying to disperse them around town. We have also partnered with HRC, and we raise money for them as well.”
Every Monday evening, Be the Change and anyone willing to join them walk around town with yellow trash bags and pick up litter scattered around. Anyone wishing to participate is welcome. Individuals needing community service hours completed can also join the cause, as Phil is authorized to sign off on the required documents.
“We meet on the square and then we disperse from there. Last week, I went to some of the local parks on Monday. We try to do Mondays at 4:30 p.m. and go until 6:30 p.m.” he said. “It’s hard to try and plan something big, not knowing if you’re going to have the manpower to do it. If we could get 15 people to show up on Mondays, we could have this town spotless every week. You know what I mean? But I work with what I’ve got and it (still) makes a difference.”
Along with their weekly clean up, Be the Change walks and cleans up at the end of the Honeybee Festival parade each year.
“We march at the end of the parade because there’s so much trash that’s thrown, not to mention people on the sides who just leave their cups and everything behind… the candy wrappers and everything, the frisbees, and, you know, there’s so much stuff that’s just thrown to the wayside during the parade. And I think this will be our third, maybe fourth, year of doing that,” Phil said.
He says anyone who’s interested can join, either from the start of the parade, or if they want to “join in when they see us in the parade, or when they get done walking in it.”
Additional information regarding meet-ups with Be the Change and other activities they’re involved in can be found in their Facebook group “Be The Change.”
If you know a local person, group or organization enacting positive change in Edgar County, nominate them for a spot in The Prairie Press’ “Making an Impact” series. Check out the Prairie Press Facebook page for more information.