On Saturday March 21 volunteers from the neighborhood joined the City of Portland Graffiti Abatement Program to cleanup graffiti in Eliot Neighborhood.   Coffee and donuts were waiting for volunteers as they showed up at the meeting place on the corner of Williams and San Rafael.  After getting instructions volunteers dispersed throughout the neighborhood with their provided supplies to cleanup.

Neighborhood volunteers focused on “in the right-of-way” property such as utility poles, dumpsters, control boxes and newspaper boxes.  Joining them were crews contracted from the city who worked on painting over or power washing large tags on buildings, brick walls, and fences.

The cleanup came just a few weeks after the Graffiti Abatement Program announced a successful identification and arrest of vandals over the last year.  The cooperative effort with Portland Police Bureau resulted in 189 arrests .  These arrests along with activities like the neighborhood cleanups show the Graffiti Abatement Program is making a difference.

Though some graffiti remained, by the end of the day there was a noticeable reduction in the neighborhood.   “Thank you!” to all the volunteers who participated including Volunteers of America who showed up with about 10 eager workers.