MONTPELIER — Green Up Vermont has been closely monitoring coronavirus (COVID-19) communications and guidance from the Vermont Department of Health, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) reports, and daily news from Gov. Phil Scott and the federal government. The situation is fluid and the organization’s greatest priority is the health and well-being of our Green Up family of volunteers and event participants. 
Last week Green Up Vermont announced it had postponed Green Up Day from May 2 to May 30. The distribution of Green Up Day supplies will happen the first week in May. 
Although Green Up is shifting its planning toward May 30, the organization will still look for final guidance from the Vermont Department of Health and Gov. Scott on the appropriate day to hold the big Vermont clean up and the appropriate procedures for conducting the spring-cleaning event. 
“We will be ramping up our communications around coronavirus safety, wearing gloves, protection from ticks and sharp objects, and other things for the next eight weeks. We will be getting information out to the Vermont Principals’ Association so that school personnel can communicate with students virtually about Green Up Day and their participation in this community service. We will also be launching an updated app that will aid in building virtual teams, instant communication, and tracking routes/bags all over Vermont to help grow participation.” states Green Up Executive Director Kate Alberghini. “Communication will be an imperative component to handling this community service safely while keeping everyone connected to giving back by Greening Up.”
Green Up Day, by nature, is an activity of social distancing as citizens of all ages get outside and clean up miles of Vermont roads. Trash drop off locations can be managed with little to no close contact in keeping with CDC guidelines. Standing the test of 50 years, the essence of Green Up Day, however, is far more than that. It is a sense of commitment to where we live and each other, it is about healthy surroundings, and it is about connecting our communities with a goal for common greatness.
Green Up is a well-loved event that will bring some normalcy to our communities and will help contribute to the physical, social and mental health of Vermonters as much as their Green Up activities will help beautify our state. “We look forward to Greening Up safely on May 30,” Alberghini said.
More information can be found on our website at greenupvermont.org.