Outside her east Arlington home, Kim Casadonte watches trash pile up.

Empty bottles, discarded papers and old food containers litter parking lots, medians and grassy areas, causing an eyesore.

On Saturday, Casadonte and her daughter joined about 200 residents and community members of East Arlington to pick up trash and beautify their community.

"We want to walk out our front door and see clean streets," Casadonte said. "We want to clean up this neighborhood."

Organized by East Arlington Renewal, which is dedicated to the beautification and revitalization of East Arlington, the clean-up drew residents, churches, civic organizations, schools, and youth groups. Several businesses, including General Motors, Lowe's, and Legend Asset Management, also volunteered.

Republic Services joined in the campaign to remove trash, brush and other debris from six very large illegal dumpsites. In all, the teamwork resulted in three to four tons of trash being collected and removed in an approximate quarter mile radius extending from the intersection of New York Avenue and East Park Row.

Sue Phillips, president of East Arlington Renewal, got the idea for the clean-up from a woman who lives in the community and picks up litter every day while taking walks for exercise. East Arlington Renewal hopes to make this an annual event and to change people's mindset.

"We want people to see litter and pick it up," Phillips said. "It doesn't matter if you didn't put it there. You can still be the one who picks it up."

Erika Tinney and her daughter, Dusty, picked up litter around a pond near the East Branch Public Library. Tinney, a teacher at nearby Thornton Elementary, said trash regularly piles up near the school, keeping the custodial staff busy.

"We want to show our commitment to this community," Tinney said. "Not only do we work and teach here, but our students live here."

Nearby, Susan Shimabukuro, who lives in east Arlington, knelt in a parking lot to pick up crumpled pieces of paper.

"This shows pride in our community," Shimabukuro said. "When our streets are clean, we feel good about ourselves and our community."

By Sarah Bahari