SOUTH HADLEY, MA (WGGB/WSHM) -- After her shift as a custodial supervisor at Mount Holyoke College, Michelle Hamelin clocks in for a second job: cleaning up South Hadley.

Hamelin began picking up litter in March and now walks the town’s streets multiple times a week. South Hadley’s Department of Public Works provided her with an additional 90-gallon trash bin to store the extra waste she collects.

“There’s two things that I really love and one is the environment and the other is cleaning. I’m a professional cleaner, so I figured, how can I blend those two? and so cleaning up the environment sort of just popped into my head,” Hamelin explained.

Her goal is to cover every street in South Hadley. So far, she has cleaned 213 individual roads, with about 80 remaining. “I just wanted to do it all and it seemed feasible. It is feasible. As you can see, I’m closing in. I have about 80 roads left,” Hamelin added.

Hamelin has documented her journey on Facebook, posting regular updates and tracking her progress on a map. Completed streets are marked in blue. She noted the public posts are intentional. “I hope that the posts about the cleaning that I do are public and that’s on purpose. I want to be an inspiration. I hope people can see litter and choose to pick it up,” she added.

Hamelin said that even after every street is marked on her map, the work will not be finished and that how residents care for their community reflects its pride.

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