During a crisp morning, the sun shone bright on Legacy Garden, a park at West North Avenue and North 15th Street. About 10 volunteers gathered there on March 12 to clean up and beautify the neighborhood.

Eracilo Varela picks up trash during a North Avenue Community Ambassadors neighborhood cleanup.

Founded in the spring of 2024, the North Avenue Community Ambassadors host bi-weekly neighborhood cleanups throughout the Lindsay Heights neighborhood.

Lindsay Heights, a historic neighborhood in the 53206 ZIP code on the North Side, was once a stop on the Underground Railroad.

Other places of note located in the neighborhood include Alice’s Garden, Fondy Farmers Market and the nonprofit Walnut Way Conservation Corp.

North Avenue Community Ambassadors clean up a park at Legacy Garden.

Residents are encouraged to join in and help clean up at different locations in Lindsay Heights, including the Legacy Garden. In return for their time and commitment to beautifying the neighborhood, they receive a T-shirt and $20 gift card as a thank you from North Avenue Community Ambassadors.

Maria Beltran holds a liquor bottle cap and a plastic cigar tip. These plastic objects often lead to sewer drainage clogs.

A volunteer puts trash inside a bucket during a neighborhood cleanup.

Ricardo Varela rakes leaves while cleaning up Legacy Garden.

While the cleanups are important in helping keep the neighborhood tidy, Community Ambassadors still need help from the city to do more, according to their organizers. One of their hopes is two trash cans for the park.

Kahlil McKinstry, community ambassador, picks up trash.

Maria Beltran, community ambassador, picks up trash.

Jesus Beltran-Reza, a community ambassador, picks up trash.

Tools used to pick up trash and other debris sit in the grass at Legacy Garden.

“Change comes about when you’re a part of it,” said Gregory Williams, one of the sponsors of North Avenue Community Ambassadors.

Hassiem Babatu, a community ambassador, picks up trash in Legacy Garden. The North Avenue Community Ambassadors adopted the park, according to Babatu.

Jonathan Aguilar is a visual journalist at Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service who is supported through a partnership between CatchLight Local and Report for America.

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North Avenue Community Ambassadors lead neighborhood cleanup at Legacy Garden

by Jonathan Aguilar / Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service / CatchLight Local, Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
March 15, 2026

<h1>North Avenue Community Ambassadors lead neighborhood cleanup at Legacy Garden</h1>
<p class="byline">by Jonathan Aguilar / Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service / CatchLight Local, Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service <br />March 15, 2026</p>

<p>During a crisp morning, the sun shone bright on Legacy Garden, a park at West North Avenue and North 15th Street. About 10 volunteers gathered there on March 12 to clean up and beautify the neighborhood.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image alignwide size-full"><img src="https://i0.wp.com/milwaukeenns.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/G86A7808-scaled.jpg?fit=2560%2C1708&amp;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-149517" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Eracilo Varela picks up trash during a North Avenue Community Ambassadors neighborhood cleanup.</figcaption></figure>
<p>Founded in the spring of 2024, the North Avenue Community Ambassadors host bi-weekly neighborhood cleanups throughout the Lindsay Heights neighborhood.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Lindsay Heights, a historic neighborhood in the 53206 ZIP code on the North Side, was once a stop on the Underground Railroad.</p>
<p>Other places of note located in the neighborhood include Alice’s Garden, Fondy Farmers Market and the nonprofit Walnut Way Conservation Corp.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://milwaukeenns.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/G84A0308-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-149510" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">North Avenue Community Ambassadors clean up a park at Legacy Garden.</figcaption></figure>
<p>Residents are encouraged to join in and help clean up at different locations in Lindsay Heights, including the Legacy Garden. In return for their time and commitment to beautifying the neighborhood, they receive a T-shirt and $20 gift card as a thank you from North Avenue Community Ambassadors.</p>
<div class="wp-block-columns alignwide">
<div class="wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-bottom" style="flex-basis:66.66%">
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://milwaukeenns.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/G84A0255-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-149520" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Maria Beltran holds a liquor bottle cap and a plastic cigar tip. These plastic objects often lead to sewer drainage clogs.</figcaption></figure>
</p></div>
<div class="wp-block-column" style="flex-basis:33.33%">
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://milwaukeenns.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/G84A0415-683x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-149521" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">A volunteer puts trash inside a bucket during a neighborhood cleanup.</figcaption></figure>
</p></div>
</p></div>
<figure class="wp-block-image alignfull size-full"><img src="https://i0.wp.com/milwaukeenns.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/G84A0363-scaled.jpg?fit=2560%2C2048&amp;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-149515" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Ricardo Varela rakes leaves while cleaning up Legacy Garden.</figcaption></figure>
<p>While the cleanups are important in helping keep the neighborhood tidy, Community Ambassadors still need help from the city to do more, according to their organizers. One of their hopes is two trash cans for the park.</p>
<div class="wp-block-columns alignfull">
<div class="wp-block-column">
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://milwaukeenns.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/G84A0389-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-149519" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Kahlil McKinstry, community ambassador, picks up trash.</figcaption></figure>
</p></div>
<div class="wp-block-column">
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://milwaukeenns.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/G86A7884-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-149512" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Maria Beltran, community ambassador, picks up trash.</figcaption></figure>
</p></div>
<div class="wp-block-column">
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://milwaukeenns.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/G84A0272-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-149514" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Jesus Beltran-Reza, a community ambassador, picks up trash.</figcaption></figure>
</p></div>
</p></div>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://milwaukeenns.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/G84A0377-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-149518" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Tools used to pick up trash and other debris sit in the grass at Legacy Garden.</figcaption></figure>
<p>“Change comes about when you're a part of it,” said Gregory Williams, one of the sponsors of North Avenue Community Ambassadors.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image alignwide size-full"><img src="https://i0.wp.com/milwaukeenns.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/G86A7864-scaled.jpg?fit=2560%2C1707&amp;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-149513" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Hassiem Babatu, a community ambassador, picks up trash in Legacy Garden. The North Avenue Community Ambassadors adopted the park, according to Babatu.</figcaption></figure>
<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />
<p><em>Jonathan Aguilar is a visual journalist at Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service who is supported through a partnership between </em><a href="https://www.catchlight.io/local"><em>CatchLight Local </em></a><em>and </em><a href="https://www.reportforamerica.org/"><em>Report for America</em></a><em>.</em></p></p>
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North Avenue Community Ambassadors lead neighborhood cleanup at Legacy Garden

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