Litter Caterpillars

7 Ways to Find Environmental Volunteering Near Me in 2026

I get it. You stare at that search bar—'environmental volunteering near me'—and it’s like looking into a closet you haven't opened in years. A jumble. Everything inside feels heavy with forgotten purpose. Where do you even begin? I remember my own room, my own life, feeling just like that. A chaotic mess where every old…

January 28, 2026
10 Volunteer Management Best Practices That Actually Build Community in 2026

I'll tell you a secret. The hardest mess I ever cleaned wasn't on some grimy Chicago street corner. It was inside my own apartment, inside my own life. My refrigerator was a grotesque museum of expired dreams, my social life just as chaotic. Every piece of trash I couldn’t toss out held a story, a…

January 27, 2026
A Guide to Volunteer Team Building Activities for Community Cleanup

Let me tell you a story. It starts with a messy apartment and a chaotic breakup. My life felt like the back of my fridge, full of old things I couldn't bring myself to throw away. Each piece of trash, each forgotten jam jar, was a weight. It wasn't until I faced a different kind…

January 26, 2026
What is Community Organizing? what is community organizing

Let's be real. Community organizing is the art of gathering folks together to untangle the messes that affect all of you. It’s about building a muscular kind of power, as a unit, to forge lasting change—not just slapping a flimsy bandage on a wound and calling it healed. More Than Just Helping Out Have you…

January 25, 2026
Discover young professional networking events: 8 Chicago picks for connections

I remember it. The stale air. The forced smiles. That lukewarm glass of wine in my hand, a flimsy shield against the awkwardness. You’re supposed to be "networking," but it feels like you're performing a role in a play you never auditioned for. It’s a transaction. A hollow exchange of titles and elevator pitches. I’ve…

January 24, 2026
7 Incredible Charities in Chicago You Can Get Behind in 2026

I'll tell you a story. For years, my apartment was a perfect mirror of my life: cluttered, chaotic, a fortress built of memories I couldn't part with. Every jam jar, every half-eaten bag of almonds, felt like a 500-pound anchor chaining me to the past. It was a physical manifestation of feeling stuck, a mess…

January 23, 2026
Our Top 12 Game-Changing Grants for Gardens in 2026

It started with a single plastic bag. Just one, snagged on a fence. That’s how I got my group, the Litter Caterpillars, going. A few friends and I, armed with trash grabbers, just fed up. We were cleaning our little corner of Chicago. But as we filled more bags than I can count, something shifted.…

January 22, 2026
My Guide to 7 Amazing Chicago Community Gardens & Resources for 2026

I remember standing on a cracked sidewalk, surrounded by the rumble of the ‘L’ and the distant wail of sirens. A freak hailstorm had me huddled under a lonely tree with two strangers, all of us determined to clear trash from a forgotten lot. That awkward, muddy moment unlocked a different Chicago for me—one where…

January 21, 2026
Your Guide to Chicago Hazardous Waste Disposal

Figuring out Chicago hazardous waste disposal is about way more than just making room under the sink. It's about taking care of our neighborhoods, our city. I'm here to turn that dreaded cleaning task into something you can actually feel good about, showing you exactly how to get rid of that stuff safely. You've got…

January 20, 2026
Your 2026 Guide to the Top 12 Recycling Centers Chicago Volunteers Trust

My life felt like a cluttered garage. You know the one. Full of things I couldn't part with. An old bike tire wasn't just rubber; it was that one perfect summer afternoon. Every piece of junk had a story, a weight that pulled me down, even if it was just a few ounces. It’s funny…

January 19, 2026