PLYMOUTH — If you drove through the town, you might not even notice Duvon Smith and what he’s doing.
But if you stopped to talk to him, you would learn that the 24-year-old New Jersey native is making his mark on his new hometown.
Smith moved to Plymouth in December and since that time — nearly every day — he has walked around the town, street by street, with a plastic bag, picking up litter off the sidewalks and streets. Smith said he “works” six, seven, sometimes eight hours a day picking up litter.
“I love to clean,” Smith said Tuesday on Eno Street. “And I like to keep my community clean.”
Smith said he picks up everything he sees — bottles, cans, paper, even cigarette butts. He puts it all in a plastic bag and when the bags are full, he places them in borough dumpsters.
Smith moved to Plymouth from North Plainfield, New Jersey, where, he said, he picked up litter off the streets there for seven years — and without any notoriety. He said he does it just because it should be done.
“I do it just because it needs to be done,” Smith said. “It’s the right thing to do.”
About three months ago, borough officials noticed that garbage bags were being taken from trash receptacles placed along Main Street by the community group Plymouth Alive. The bags would be found a few days later, filled with garbage and litter, sitting along the curb line.
Officials learned that this was the work of Smith, said Gary Kochinski, borough council president.
“He has picked up a lot of litter,” Kochinski said of Smith. “And he continues to do it. He has probably saved the borough about $3,000 in labor costs.”
Kochinski said Smith is setting a great example for everybody living in the town.
“I think he sets a pretty good example for everybody everywhere,” Kochinski said. “He has made a huge difference in our town, no doubt about it.”
And for his hard work, Smith might be rewarded, Kochinski said. At the May 9 meeting of council, Kochinski plans to ask that Smith be hired to a part-time summer job at $8.50 per hour.
“It’s the least we can do for him,” Kochinski said. “We’ll start there and see how he works out. We want to see how he handles a weed whacker and other duties.”
Kochinski said Smith has been seen all over town, going street by street picking up litter discarded by people who obviously don’t have the same pride in their community.
Smith said he has cleaned up Main Street, and many others — Academy, Turner, Wadham, Girard, Center, Gaylord, Walnut, Willow, Church, Cherry, Eno, Elm, Vine, Jeanette and more, even alleys.
“I’ve cleaned up some of them two or three times,” he said.
Kochinski said Smith has used his own money to purchase garbage bags because he couldn’t find any more of the Plymouth Alive bags.
“I guess he filled all of those,” Kochinski said.
Smith said he is enrolled in the Valley Youth House program, which helps subsidize his rent. More information on the program can be found at www.valleyyouthhouse.org.
A person answering the phone at the Luzerne County office of Valley Youth House said the organization has several programs and one is for homeless youth and foster care children to help them with transitional housing. The person said Valley Youth House has been in Luzerne County for seven years and in Lehigh Valley for more than 25 years.
Smith, who will turn 25 in September, said he has a small apartment on East Main Street and he heads out every day to do what he can to beautify his new hometown. He said he sometimes walks to Wilkes-Barre and picks up litter on streets there.
Smith said he had a car, but “it got banged up,” so now he walks everywhere he needs to go.
“I guess you can say I have respect for where I live, ” Smith said. “And I enjoy keeping the town clean.”
Kochinski said he took Smith to the borough building on Tuesday to meet the staff. He said he told Smith that if he needs bags, gloves, or anything, to come to the borough building.
“I told them to give him whatever he needs,” Kochinski said.
Smith said he has three sisters and one brother and most of his family members live in other states, but he keeps in touch the best he can.
“My family always tells me I’m doing a good job,” he said.
Smith said he hopes he gets hired to the part-time job. He said he could use the money, and he wants to work.
“I was a little surprised to hear about that,” he said. “But I’ll be glad to help out.”
But those who know Smith and who have seen his work already knew that.
