Litter Caterpillars

  • Chicago River Cleanup: Join or Organize Your Own Event

    Chicago River Cleanup: Join or Organize Your Own Event

    The first time I hauled trash off the Chicago River bank, a spring hail storm rolled in so hard it felt like somebody was throwing ice cubes at my face. Three of us crouched under a tree, wet through, while every Uber canceled one by one, and we laughed anyway because the river had finally…

  • 7 Chicago Social Groups to Find Your People

    7 Chicago Social Groups to Find Your People

    I remember stepping off the train with two bags, a dead phone battery, and no clue where I'd find my people. Chicago felt huge, loud, and already in motion, like everybody had a lane except me. Then I started doing one thing each week, and the city stopped feeling like a wall and started feeling…

  • How to Run Community Cleanup Events That Actually Work

    How to Run Community Cleanup Events That Actually Work

    The first time I ran a cleanup in Chicago, three of us showed up under a sky that couldn't decide between hail and snow. My gloves got wet, one Uber kept canceling, and I remember laughing because we were freezing while hauling bags of someone else's mess, like we'd stumbled into the strangest team-building exercise…

  • Why Pick Up Litter: The Real Reasons It Matters

    Why Pick Up Litter: The Real Reasons It Matters

    Three of us stood under a tree in a Chicago hailstorm, laughing like fools while Uber kept canceling. My gloves were soaked, the chips bags were stuck to the curb, and somehow I felt better than I had in weeks. The First Time I Picked Up Litter in a Chicago Hailstorm That first night with…

  • 10 Outdoor Volunteer Opportunities to Change Your Life

    10 Outdoor Volunteer Opportunities to Change Your Life

    Old jam in the fridge, a dead houseplant on the windowsill, a pile of unopened mail. I know what it feels like when your own space starts looking like a warning label. Then I found out that hauling trash out of a park, a riverbank, or a vacant lot can feel easier than fixing your…

  • Volunteer Health Benefits: How Trash Picking Boosts Wellness

    Volunteer Health Benefits: How Trash Picking Boosts Wellness

    On a cold Chicago morning, I stood with three volunteers under a tree while hail slapped the sidewalk and every ride share canceled one after another. We laughed anyway, grabbed the last bag of trash, and kept going, because the mess on the block felt easier to carry than the mess some of us had…

  • Les Arends Forest Preserve: The Ultimate Visitor Guide

    Les Arends Forest Preserve: The Ultimate Visitor Guide

    I pulled off Route 31, killed the engine, and heard the Fox River before I saw it. A few steps later, the trees opened, and Les Arends Forest Preserve felt a lot bigger than its 60 acres should've allowed. Why This Small Preserve Deserves Your Attention The first time I came here, I expected a…

  • 7 Volunteer Events This Weekend in Chicago

    7 Volunteer Events This Weekend in Chicago

    Want to Change Your Life? Start by Picking Up Trash. Do you ever feel stuck, like the mess in your apartment follows you around all day? I've been there, and I found out something hard and useful, cleaning other people's messes can teach you how to face your own. If you're searching for volunteer events…

  • Volunteer Job Descriptions: 10 Templates for Nonprofits

    Volunteer Job Descriptions: 10 Templates for Nonprofits

    I started Litter Caterpillars because my own room was a wreck, and my life felt like it was sinking under the same junk. Then three of us went out to pick up trash, got hit by hail, and somehow that made the whole thing click, cleaning other people's mess is easier than cleaning your own,…

  • Service Learning Chicago: A Complete Guide

    Service Learning Chicago: A Complete Guide

    Three of us stood under a tree in a spring hailstorm, laughing while our Uber kept canceling and a strip of trash sat in the gutter like it had nowhere else to go. I remember thinking that cleaning up Chicago can feel weirdly human, messy, cold, a little funny, and a lot more social than…

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