Coastal Communities Needed To Lead Cleanups This September (Photo) - 08/17/26

SOLVE calls on Oregon Coast residents and community groups to host cleanup projects during annual Beach & Riverside Cleanup, September 18–27

Portland, Ore., August 17, 2026 – Coastal communities have already shown what’s possible when they come together to protect Oregon’s coast. Following 18 coastal cleanups on July 5 that brought together 667 volunteers and removed 7,393 pounds of litter, SOLVE is calling on more coastal residents, businesses and community groups to help keep that momentum going this September.

From September 18-27, SOLVE’s annual Beach & Riverside Cleanup will bring volunteers together across Oregon and Southwest Washington to remove litter, marine debris and invasive species while caring for beaches, rivers and waterways. The cleanup includes International Coastal Cleanup Day on September 19, a global effort that brings communities together to protect coastlines from litter and marine debris.

More coastal cleanup leaders are needed to host projects this September. Event leaders don’t need to have previous experience or organize everything on their own. SOLVE provides support to make hosting a cleanup easy, including cleanup supplies, permitting guidance, volunteer registration and project resources.

How to Get Involved

Those interested in hosting a coastal cleanup during Beach & Riverside Cleanup can learn more and sign up at solveoregon.org/beach-riverside.

SOLVE is also encouraging coastal residents who aren’t able to lead a project to participate in an existing cleanup or help spread the word.

About SOLVE 

SOLVE brings communities together to take care of our environment and enhance our waterways. Since 1969, the organization has grown from a small, grassroots initiative to a national model of volunteer action. Today, SOLVE mobilizes and trains thousands of volunteers of all ages across Oregon, and SW Washington, to clean and restore our neighborhoods and natural areas, while empowering a community of environmental stewards for our state. Visit solve.org for more information or follow SOLVEPNW on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn. 

SOLVE Brings LOVE PDX To Inspire Action For A Cleaner, Greener, More Beautiful Portland, Oregon (Photo) - 08/13/26

With support from Keep America Beautiful and Niagara Cares, the campaign encourages people to show love for their community through cleanups, recycling, and beautification

Portland, Ore., August 13, 2026 — During the citywide Pick It Up, Portland! yesterday, SOLVE launched LOVE PDX, a local initiative to inspire community action to protect and beautify the local parks, streets, waterways, neighborhoods, and public spaces that make Portland special. 110 volunteers joined litter cleanups at five different locations (Downtown, Central Eastside, Holladay Park, Cathedral Park and Sellwood Riverfront Park) and collectively picked up nearly 1,000 pounds of litter. Pick It Up, Portland!, which celebrated SOLVE’s 10^th anniversary of the citywide cleanup held in summer, kicks off locally led efforts to:

• Reduce litter and illegal dumping
• Promote recycling
• Engage local residents in volunteer efforts that advance these goals.

“Pick It Up, Portland! was the perfect occasion to launch Love PDX℠, a campaign that encourages Portlanders to care for the places they love through community and environmental action. The campaign as well as this annual event inspires people to take pride in their communities through recycling education, community cleanups, and shared stewardship of local spaces,” said Kris Carico, CEO SOLVE.

Love PDX was developed in partnership with Keep America Beautiful, Niagara Cares, the philanthropic division of Niagara Bottling, and SOLVE and will run through April 2027.

Research conducted for Keep America Beautiful by The Harris Poll found that Americans overwhelmingly want their communities to feel welcoming, clean, and cared for.

“When people care about a place, they want to keep it healthy and beautiful,” said David Wheeler, Keep America Beautiful’s Vice President for National Partnerships.“ LOVE PDX gives people a meaningful way to turn that care into action.”

With support from Niagara Cares and Keep America Beautiful, the LOVE campaign was initially piloted with LOVE ATX in Austin, Texas in 2024 and has now expanded to additional cities including: Dallas, New Orleans, Phoenix, Portland and, in California, Sacramento, San Pedro, and Venice Beach.   

Learn more about LOVE PDX at solve.org/lovepdx

About LOVE PDX Partners

SOLVE brings communities together to take care of our environment and enhance our waterways. Since 1969, the organization has grown from a small, grassroots initiative to a national model of volunteer action. Today, SOLVE mobilizes and trains thousands of volunteers of all ages across Oregon, and SW Washington, to clean and restore our neighborhoods and natural areas, while empowering a community of environmental stewards for our state.

Niagara Cares is the heart of what we do and who we are at Niagara Bottling. For more than 60 years, we have been making a difference for our Team Members, consumers and communities through philanthropic giving, volunteering, water donations and disaster relief. As a family-owned business, we are committed to creating meaningful change for our communities through a spirit of giving back both big and small. For more information, visit niagarawater.com/niagara-cares.

Keep America Beautiful, founded in 1953, is a national nonprofit that inspires and educates people to take action every day to improve and beautify their community environment. Through its powerful network of community-based affiliates, millions of volunteers, and strategic partners, Keep America Beautiful brings people together to transform public spaces into beautiful places. For more information, visit kab.org. Learn more about the national effort to bring LOVE to cities across America at https://www.lovethiscommunity.org/.

Media Alert: Pick It Up, Portland! August 12 (Photo) - 08/11/26

What: Pick It Up, Portland!, presented by Subaru of Portland

When: Wednesday, August 12, from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm

Where: 107 SE Grand Ave, Portland, OR 97214 | Map Link

Event Description: Join SOLVE and community volunteers for the 10th annual Pick It Up, Portland! on Thursday, August 6, presented by Subaru of Portland. As part of this citywide cleanup, volunteers will gather at Subaru’s Southeast location before heading into the surrounding neighborhood to remove litter and help create cleaner, healthier, and more welcoming public spaces. Cleanup supplies will be provided, and participants will enjoy complimentary snacks and drinks, along with a raffle featuring prizes from local artisans.

Why: This year marks the 10th anniversary of Pick It Up, Portland!, a SOLVE tradition that brings Portlanders together to celebrate community and care for the places they love. Over the past decade, thousands of volunteers have helped transform neighborhoods through this citywide cleanup event. During the August 6 cleanups, SOLVE will also launch Love PDX℠, a new campaign inspiring year-round community pride and action through recycling education, community cleanups, and caring for shared public spaces. The launch will be amplified through a transit advertising campaign on the back of TriMet buses across Portland.

Media Crews: Please arrive by 9:45 am at the Subaru of Portland parking lot to capture approximately 40 volunteers of all ages checking in, collecting cleanup supplies, receiving a safety briefing, and heading out in groups to clean the surrounding neighborhood. Volunteers will be active throughout the Central Eastside from 10 am to noon, providing strong visuals for community news coverage, including volunteers collecting litter, interacting with one another, and helping improve the neighborhood.

This event will have plenty of visuals of volunteers picking up litter, making for great community packages, VOs, and VOSOTS.

Available interviewees: 

• Kris Carico, Chief Executive Officer, SOLVE
• Zac Caverhill, General Manager, Subaru of Portland
   

Pick It Up! is SOLVE's regional cleanup initiative that brings residents, businesses, and community organizations together to care for shared public spaces, city by city. What began in Portland 10 years ago, has grown into a regional movement, with events now taking place in Vancouver, Milwaukie, Salem, Bend, and Medford.

Pick It Up, Portland! is presented by Subaru of Portland, and supported by AAA Oregon/Idaho, City of Portland, Fred Meyer, Kaiser Permanente, Metro, Pacific Power, Plaid Pantry, and KOIN 6.

Visit the Pick It Up, Portland! page on the SOLVE website or the event registration page for more information.

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About SOLVE:

SOLVE brings communities together to take care of our environment and enhance our waterways. Since 1969, the organization has grown from a small, grassroots initiative to a national model of volunteer action. Today, SOLVE mobilizes and trains thousands of volunteers of all ages across Oregon, and SW Washington, to clean and restore our neighborhoods and natural areas, while empowering a community of environmental stewards for our state. You can follow SOLVEPNW on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn or at www.solve.org. 

SOLVE Invites Portlanders To Celebrate Summer At The 10th Annual Pick It Up, Portland! (Photo) - 07/27/26

• Citywide cleanup at five locations across Portland
• Launching Love PDX℠ to inspire year-round community pride

Portland, Ore., July 27, 2026 – As Portlanders make the most of summer, SOLVE is inviting the community to celebrate the season by helping keep the city clean during the 10th annual Pick It Up, Portland! on Thursday, August 6, from 10 am to noon.

Volunteers will come together at five cleanup locations across the city to remove litter from parks, riverfronts, business districts, and neighborhood streets, creating cleaner, healthier, and more welcoming public spaces for everyone to enjoy. Whether joining as an individual, with family and friends, or as part of a workplace team, participants will make a visible difference while spending a summer morning giving back to Portland.

"Ten years ago, Pick It Up, Portland! started with a simple idea: bring neighbors together to care for the city we all share," said Kris Carico, CEO of SOLVE. "Today, that spirit is stronger than ever. Every volunteer helps create cleaner neighborhoods, healthier communities, and a Portland we can all take pride in."

Volunteers can choose from five cleanup events across Portland and register here:

• Southeast Portland / Central Eastside, presented by Subaru of Portland
• Cathedral Park, North Portland
• Holladay Park, Northeast Portland presented by Pacific Power
• Downtown Portland, presented by AAA
• Sellwood Riverfront Park, Southeast Portland

Cleanup supplies including litter grabbers, gloves, safety vests, and bags will be provided. Volunteers can also enjoy complimentary snacks and drinks throughout the morning, and each cleanup location will host a raffle featuring a prize basket filled with goodies from local artisans.

During Pick It Up, Portland!, SOLVE will also launch Love PDX℠, a campaign that encourages Portlanders to care for the places they love through community and environmental action. Love PDX℠ is part of Keep America Beautiful's Love Your Happy Place℠ national campaign, inspiring people to take pride in their communities through recycling education, community cleanups, and shared stewardship of local spaces. The campaign is supported through a community grant funded by Niagara Cares.

Pick It Up! is SOLVE's regional cleanup initiative that brings residents, businesses, and community organizations together to care for shared public spaces, city by city. What began in Portland has grown into a regional movement, with events now taking place in Vancouver, Milwaukie, Salem, Bend, and Medford.

Pick It Up, Portland! is made possible through the generous support of Subaru of Portland, alongside AAA, the City of Portland, Fred Meyer, Kaiser Permanente, Metro, Pacific Power, Plaid Pantry, and KOIN 6.

Visit the Pick It Up, Portland! event site and register for the event locations.

About SOLVE 

SOLVE brings communities together to take care of our environment and enhance our waterways. Since 1969, the organization has grown from a small, grassroots initiative to a national model of volunteer action. Today, SOLVE mobilizes and trains thousands of volunteers of all ages across Oregon, and SW Washington, to clean and restore our neighborhoods and natural areas, while empowering a community of environmental stewards for our state. Visit solve.org for more information or follow SOLVEPNW on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn.