Woman Honored For Commitment To Fighting Litter In Galloway

As a youngster, Brittany Schmidt, of West Deptford, enjoyed helping her grandparents and their neighbors clean up litter along streets near their Blue Heron Pines residential development in Galloway Township.

She’s carried that passion into adulthood as a 19-year-old college sophomore. She now conducts her own roadside cleanups — sometimes enlisting help from friends — along Aloe Street, a scenic, well-traveled and often litter-strewn local thoroughfare. She has done this for several years now.

The N.J. Clean Communities Council (NJCCC) has honored Schmidt with its annual Volunteerism Award. She received an outstanding nomination from the Atlantic County Utility Authority (ACUA) Clean Communities Program.

“From her youth to young adulthood, Brittany has made a substantial commitment to improve the environment and quality-of-life in this community. We applaud her years of dedicated volunteer service and her hard work,” NJCCC Executive Director Sandy Huber said.

To underscore the significance of her volunteerism, ACUA director Rebecca Turygan points out that Schmidt is actually a Gloucester County resident and attends Lebanon Valley College in Annville, Pa., but returns regularly to clean up a lengthy stretch of Aloe Street, from Egg Harbor City into Galloway Township.

“She’s a very special young woman,” said her proud grandfather Alan Schmidt, who for years has organized monthly volunteer cleanups along Tilton and Race Track Roads. “Brittany began to accompany us and pitching in at a young age. I suppose we inspired her.”

In addition to the NJCCC award, Alan Schmidt said Brittany is one of 10 students chosen from 40 Pennsylvania colleges to receive a $2,500 merit scholarship for her active volunteerism and community service.

The attached images of Brittany Schmidt were provided