By Madeleine Voth
Since its launch in 2020, Portland nonprofit AdoptOneBlock has been steadily building an army of volunteers determined to keep the city cleaner than they found it. Today, more than 10,400 “Block Ambassadors” have committed to caring for over 12,000 blocks across the Portland metro area, creating what founder and Block Ambassador Frank Moscow calls a “get it clean and keep it clean” movement.
Moscow started AdoptOneBlock after moving from Portland’s suburbs back into the city just before the COVID-19 pandemic. “I was candidly appalled by what I saw,” he said. “This was not the city that I grew up in, this was not the city that I loved.” With this realization, Moscow knew he could make a change with the simple idea that people could take care of the blocks right outside their own front doors.
This mission resonated with volunteers like Sarah Heckles, who now leads Block Brigades along SE Holgate Ave. and SE Foster Rd. “I was raised to not litter and to pick up trash even if it’s not mine, so I want to support an org with similar values and goals,” Heckles said. “I’m very proud of where I live and strive to keep it looking nice.”
“We are great at rallying people for a one-day cleanup, but the problem is what happens the week after, and the week after that?” Moscow said. Portland lacks a Department of Sanitation, making it harder to keep streets clean compared to other major cities.
For Heckles, the work has been unexpectedly rewarding. “Picking up trash is a surprisingly relaxing exercise, it’s meditative on the mind and the results are immediately satisfying. It checks many boxes,” she said. “The connection to other like-minded people has been a bonus, which is why I volunteered to be a Block Brigade leader for Foster and Holgate.”
AdoptOneBlock supplies volunteers with free cleanup kits equipped with grabbers, gloves and trash bags, delivered to their doors. They clean on their own schedules, creating a model that works across income levels and political divides. “We have Block Ambassadors who are unhoused, and we have Block Ambassadors in penthouse suites of ritzy condos,” Moscow said. “A clean block and a clean community are not about social economics or political party. It’s the one thing that we can all agree on.”
The group’s latest initiative, the Block Brigade Program, grew out of demand from ambassadors who wanted to do more. Instead of cleaning only their own blocks, volunteers join forces to tackle longer stretches of major streets on a regular basis. The idea is simple: When Portland’s most visible thoroughfares are consistently maintained, residents and visitors alike gain a stronger sense that the city is cared for.
“With the City of Portland and PBOT facing major budget cuts, the money just isn’t there to keep our streets as clean as people want,” Moscow said. “The question is, how do you get more clean for fewer dollars?” The Block Brigade is one answer.
Evan Griffith, Community Engagement Manager, spoke on this as well, explaining the way in which AdoptOneBlock works with PBOT to clean up the city together: “I have a couple contacts at PBOT, and I just say, ‘hey, we have a cleanup going on Saturday or Sunday, from 10 to noon, they’re cleaning this stretch’…And so I let them know that that’s where we’re gonna leave the trash can, and we have a crew from PBOT come pick up those trash bags. And so far, it’s been running super smooth…it’s been great.”
For Heckles, the most valuable outcome has been seeing how small actions ripple outward. “New friendships from Block Brigade meetups, plus cleaner and safer communities for Portland, that’s the real gift,” she said. “Every single time we pick up trash in our communities we model positive behavior. I want to encourage more of this, because it feels good to do and to witness.”
Still, challenges remain. Coordination with city agencies has at times been frustrating, as overlapping jurisdictions complicate who is responsible for street maintenance. While PBOT has been supportive, other entities have been slower to embrace volunteer involvement. “Some don’t want to clean it up themselves but also don’t want anyone else to do it either,” Moscow said.
Despite this, AdoptOneBlock has gained recognition as one of Portland’s most effective grassroots responses to the city’s mounting livability challenges, with volunteers gaining by the day. For now, the focus remains on expanding the program’s efforts. “There is an opportunity for us to dramatically expand this program in the future, hopefully with PBOT support,” Moscow said.
The Block Brigade program is looking for volunteers to clean public areas in SE Portland every one to two months. Visit adoptoneblock.org to join the team.
AdoptOneBlock’s Block Brigade program members. Photo by Sarah Heckles, team leader for two Block Brigades.
