AKRON, Ohio — Debbie Miller has dedicated hours a day to keeping Akron beautiful; she started collecting trash off streets and sidewalks on her block after an incident with her dog, Henry.
"I was walking my dog just a block from my house, and there was a broken wine bottle; he reached down to sniff it and cut his nose. He started bleeding all over the sidewalk, and I called the city of Akron and told them there was broken glass all over. They said, 'We know, but we don't know what to do about it.' I said, I know what you do about it; you go out and pick it up," Miller said.
She began picking up trash on the side of highways and busy streets in Akron. In April 2023, Miller picked up 50,000 pieces of trash.
News 5 spoke with Miller when she set her goal.
READ MORE: Firestone Park woman on mission to remove 100,000 pieces of litter, keep Akron streets clean
Two months later, she was at her goal of 100,000.
News 5 caught up with Miller after she reached her milestone.
READ MORE: Akron's woman reaches goal of picking up 100,000 pieces of litter around city
As of today, Miller has picked 523,000 pieces of trash, glass, nails and screws. Her goal is to collect 1 million pieces by the end of summer. Miller says she must pick up at least 3,000 pieces daily to reach her goal.
"I'm keeping a lot of dogs, children, and grownups safe. People ride their bikes on the street, and there's broken glass and nails. So, it's just it's important that we all do our part," said Miller.
Miller says she is looking for extra support from the city and the community; she is asking the city of Akron to start a program where people can adopt a street to clean.
"Not many people can do what I've done. But anybody can clean their block or their street. I wish they would come help me; it would make a big difference," said Miller.
Miller says she offers free gloves, trash grabbers, buckets and T-shirts for those willing to help her.
"I'm having T-shirts printed with a logo on the back that says we can do this together. But so far, not a lot of people have stepped up," she said.
Even though Miller has difficulty finding helpers, her efforts to clean up Akron have not gone unnoticed. She received a proclamation from the Akron mayor naming April 3rd Debbie Miller Day and an overwhelming amount of support from Keep America Beautiful.
President and CEO of Keep America Beautiful Jenny Lawson says their data shows that if every American picks up 152 pieces of litter a year, they can clean up all of America.
"Debbie's work represents 3,290 people's worth of work, and we could not be prouder; she's a remarkable woman who has dedicated herself to this cause. We look forward to continuing to support her efforts and watch her go for those 1 million pieces," Lawson said.
Debbie says that sometimes she gets discouraged, but after seeing how beautiful the area looks once cleaned, she's motivated to keep going.
"I get emotional because it's hard, it's a journey, but I can't stop," said Miller.
