A few years ago, Marsha Goldstein says, she was just somebody who hated seeing litter.
But, as she neared retirement working at North Attleboro public schools, she decided to do something about it.
Taking cues from a similar organization in Mansfield, Goldstein started Keep North Attleboro Beautiful in 2012, and has been leading town cleanups and efforts to add greenery to public property ever since.
She emphasized that she relies on the organization’s board and hundreds of volunteers to get things done.
Goldstein, 64, is now expanding the group’s reach by partnering with Attleboro Enterprises, an organization that supports people with developmental disabilities.
Together, the two groups are coordinating a “ShoeBox Recycling” program to keep usable footwear out of landfills, and encouraging adults with developmental disabilities to implement the strategy.
In all of Keep North Attleboro Beautiful’s efforts, the ultimate goal is to change people’s habits.
“Some people are just not litter aware,” she said. “When people say, ‘I never realized the litter was there until it was pointed out to me,’ that’s what we want.”