ALLENTOWN, Pa. — It may sound a little nuts, Kathy Frederick said, but whenever she’s out picking up litter and sees a bird, squirrel, rabbit — any living thing, really — she finds herself apologizing to it.
“Last weekend, I pulled out at least 100 plastic bags, twisted up in rocks, tree limbs and soil, from a wooded area in Bethlehem,” Frederick said.
“There is no reason that living beings should have to be exposed to society’s carelessly discarded plastic or other waste in their environments.
“Every time I drag out a tire, beer cans, takeout containers, drink cups or diapers from nature, I know that I’ve just restored a proper home to some living thing.
"And you can’t argue that that time isn’t valuable. And who wants to look at it all anyway? No one.”
Frederick was among fewer than 10 people — and the only Lehigh Valley resident — to be recognized as a “Volunteer of the Year” for 2023 by Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful, a statewide nonprofit that focuses on litter cleanups and community improvements.
While she was nominated for her work in Allentown, Frederick, one of the region’s litter vigilantes, has been cleaning up trash across the Valley since 2021, founding LVCleanUp, and often posts before and after photos on social media.
Frederick said it was an honor to have been nominated by city officials and to be recognized for her work there.
“There are so many volunteers throughout the state quietly cleaning up their neighborhoods, parks, streets and public spaces so that we can all enjoy cleaner, safer and more beautiful surroundings,” she said.
“I’m in very good company, and loved reading about what other awardees are doing in their own communities.”
‘1,000 bags of litter’
Frederick was nominated for the award by Keep Allentown Beautiful, a city-led initiative focused on “to inspire and educate residents to reduce litter and waste, beautify our neighborhoods, and gain an overall passion and love for our local environment.”
"The heavy heat of summer and the frosty chill of winter just can't keep her off the streets of Allentown. While she typically performs solo, on occasion she does have other volunteers that show up to help her."Jessica Armbruster, education manager for the city’s Bureau of Recycling and Solid Waste
“Kathy is a true 'Litter Legend' in the Lehigh Valley area,” said Jessica Armbruster, education manager for the city’s Bureau of Recycling and Solid Waste.
“She does weekly cleanups throughout the entire year, sometimes daily during the holiday break.
“The heavy heat of summer and the frosty chill of winter just can't keep her off the streets of Allentown. While she typically performs solo, on occasion she does have other volunteers that show up to help her.”
In the nomination, officials outlined how Frederick held her own Earth Day cleanup on River Road, an area that often sees illegal dumping. She and other volunteers collected more than 300 bags of trash and about 30 tires.
She also participated in Allentown's first-ever competition-style litter event — her team won, out-picking four other teams.
“In 2023, Kathy removed over 1,000 bags of litter from the city streets of Allentown, and the number only grows from there when you add in her cleanups of Bethlehem, Whitehall and other Lehigh Valley areas,” Armbruster said.
“She is incredibly passionate about keeping PA beautiful, and I can't even imagine what the Lehigh Valley would look like without her unyielding efforts.”
Frederick said Armbruster’s support makes cleanups easier by dispatching a crew to pick up bags or offering supplies such as safety vests, trash bags, grabbers or road signage.
“Not all people who pick up large amounts of trash have this luxury,” Frederick said. “We wouldn’t be so successful without it.”
‘We know trash won’t pick itself up’
Eight people were recognized for this year’s award, which acknowledges volunteers for significant, positive impacts toward the goal of keeping local communities clean and beautiful, including Frederick.
"We are grateful for our volunteers and partners across the state whose dedication, commitment and exceptional contributions helped advance our mission and strengthen community improvement efforts statewide in 2023," Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful President Shannon Reiter said in a news release. "Each one is deserving of recognition."
“This kind of work comes with its challenges, but I think a lot of us are driven by the deep satisfaction of leaving a place better than we found it, to know that what was dirty, unsightly and harmful to nature, has now been removed from the environment by our efforts and everything we collect now has no chance of making it to our waterways."Kathy Frederick, founder of LVCleanUp
In addition to Frederick, winners included Stacy Marinos, a volunteer with Allegheny CleanWays, and Robert Giron, a volunteer at Westmoreland Cleanways and Recycling, and others.
“This kind of work comes with its challenges, but I think a lot of us are driven by the deep satisfaction of leaving a place better than we found it," Frederick said.
"To know that what was dirty, unsightly and harmful to nature, has now been removed from the environment by our efforts and everything we collect now has no chance of making it to our waterways.
“We’re also motivated by the fact that we know trash won’t pick itself up.
“How often do you hear, ‘Someone ought to do something about that?' Well, we are the somebodies. Anyone can be that somebody with the will.”
