- Neighbors cleaned a longtime dumpsite after waiting for action from the city.
- Omaha Parks & Rec’s VIP program supported the effort with supplies and safety guidance.
- Community members plan to keep organizing cleanups across parks, lots, and neighborhood spaces.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Neighbors near 28th and Bristol are taking cleanup into their own hands — hauling out furniture, gathering piles of clothes and books, and restoring a longtime dumpsite that’s become a daily frustration for the community. And this time, they’re not doing it alone: the City of Omaha is helping support their efforts.
Michael Phelps, who was born and raised in North Omaha, says the conditions here have been hard to ignore.
“It’s heartbreaking to see this… all this stuff you see around here,” he said.
Phelps says he, his family, and neighbors repeatedly reached out to city officials asking for help clearing the debris. But after waiting without movement, they decided to take action themselves.
“We decided as a community to step up because we can’t ask someone to do something we don’t wanna do," Phelps said.
This is the second site Phelps has cleaned in just two weeks. He also cleared a spot near 17th and Charles — right next to an encampment neighbors have been concerned about, and one I reported on earlier this week. Phelps says the work won’t stop with just a couple of locations.
“We’re going to start rallying guys, women… who wants to come out to the community… and just go to parks, or vacant lots, or little cubby-sacs like this and start cleaning,” he said.
Now, his efforts are getting a boost.
Omaha Parks and Recreation’s Volunteer in Parks (VIP) program stepped in — giving Phelps approval to safely remove trash and providing extra supplies like gloves, rakes, and trash bags to support the cleanup.
“We need to come together as a collective… we can’t just complain, if none of us are going to do our part…” he added.
As neighbors continue pushing for cleaner, safer spaces, this partnership between residents and the city is offering a model for what community-driven cleanup work can look like when support meets initiative. Near 28th and Bristol, I’m Melissa Wright, your North Omaha Neighborhood Reporter.
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