You can make $16 an hour cleaning up this north side neighborhood
This winter’s atypical lack of snow unfortunately makes litter on the street more noticeable than usual.
However, if you’re willing to get your hands dirty, you can help clean up this unwanted trash and even earn some cash while doing it.
Milwaukee’s Havenwoods neighborhood is offering $16 an hour to part-time workers, known as Street Keepers, who will help clean up the neighborhood. Located on the city’s north side, Havenwoods is bounded by 60th Street and Silver Spring Drive on the west and south and by the Havenwoods State Forest, Wisconsin’s only urban state forest, to the north and east.
“The Street Keepers crew, they do beautification in the Havenwoods neighborhood ... and their efforts can look like pretty much anything that makes the space look and feel better,” said Havenwoods Neighborhood Partnership director of operations Katlin Hahn. “The number one thing is always going to be litter pickup. You’ll be able to see our Street Keepers out on a lot of our busy streets, such as Silver Spring and 76th.”
The team also assists in illegal dumping collection, which involves picking up mattresses, tires, large furniture items and similar things from the side of the road and taking them to the dump for proper disposal. Sometimes, these items are even found in the middle of the road, Hahn said, which can be dangerous.
The Street Keepers crew has already cleaned up 200 bags of trash this year, and Hahn said their work has “really made a difference” in how the neighborhood looks.
A “great deal” of funding for the Street Keepers program comes from Havenwoods’ Business Improvement District 31. This is the third year of the program, Hahn said, and wages have been at $16 an hour for the past two years.
Street Keepers began as a transitional employment program with a five-month limit, but that has now been removed, and employees are no longer given an end date. Street Keepers work Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
“As a nonprofit that emphasizes workforce development, we do love to see these people hired in a full-time job at our local companies,” Hahn said.
“Pretty much anyone” in BID 31 is aware of the program, she continued, and many local businesses offer interviews and business workshops for those looking to advance their careers. Examples of partner businesses that have offered Street Keepers jobs include Hentzen Coatings, Direct Supply, Hellermann Tyton and Uihlein Soccer Park, Hahn said.
In the meantime, many Street Keepers really enjoy their day-to-day tasks.
“Most of the guys seem to really like being outside, doing hands-on work,” Hahn said. “And for a lot of people that come in our doors, they see a space go from being almost abysmal to something so positive and clean. I think it’s really great for a lot of people’s mental health, and I’ve had staff members talk to me about that, for sure.”
If you would like to receive more information about applying to join the Street Keepers team, contact Katlin Hahn via email at katlin@haven woods.org. Hahn said applicants should be 18 years or older, and priority is given to Havenwoods residents.
Havenwoods also organizes an annual volunteer cleanup event for those who are looking to help but aren’t interested in part-time employment. Due to the amount of interest she’s already seen this year, Hahn said she “has a feeling” the volunteer event will be bigger than normal. Follow Havenwoods Neighborhood Partnership on Facebook for more information and updates.