A slight winter chill was no match for the shining morning sun and collective enthusiasm of community volunteers in the Wilkinson Boulevard and Freedom Drive area this past month.

On Feb. 11, community members gathered at the soon-to-be-opened Marquee Lounge at 3131 Tuckaseegee Road in an event held by the city's Corridors of Opportunity team and Keep Charlotte Beautiful.

Continuing the charge to deliver projects, programs and partnerships that create systemic change in Charlotte, the event was a targeted cleanup of a stretch of road in one of six corridors the city identified as being historically underinvested in. After checking in, participants grabbed a brightly colored vest, a trash bag and a litter pick-up tool, and set out to make a noticeable impact in the Enderly Park neighborhood.

Originally planned to be a loop route where volunteers would clean their way down one side of the street and return on the other, there was enough of a crowd to form two groups that each combed their side of the road.

"We've seen a fantastic emergence and actually record-breaking numbers of volunteers," said Keep Charlotte Beautiful executive director Jonathan Hill. "I think that really speaks to the way people want to get engaged and give back to their community."

Two such people were husband and wife Junius and Jamie Sicard and their young daughter Jurnee, pushed in a stroller as her father picked up litter. Jamie is a born-and-raised Charlottean, growing up just a couple blocks away from where they were volunteering, and the pair has lived in Charlotte together for about 15 years after moving from New York City. As soon as Junius heard about the cleanup event, his first thought was to relay the information to friends and family so they could have the chance to take part.

Motivated by the idea of maintaining a clean community for her daughter and encouraged by the work being done by groups such as those that organized the cleanup, Jamie succinctly outlined her philosophy.

"You take care of your neighborhood; your neighborhood will take care of you."

Representing Corridors of Opportunity were two members of the team, executive manager Monica Holmes and community engagement Manager Aisha Sabur. For Holmes, it was a family affair as even her children donned volunteer vests and accompanied the group along Tuckaseegee Road.

"People seem really excited about all the early engagement work that's going on with corridors and [they] just really care about the community," Sabur said. "It's great to connect with all the different stakeholders who live in the area, to meet people, to come together to talk about all the initiatives that are going on — it's just important to gather community and do important work like this."

The key to continued engagement and a fervent participation in community events appears to be consistent communication with the public.

As Jamie Sicard said, "As long as I know about them, I'll be here."

Visit the Corridors of Opportunity website and the Keep Charlotte Beautiful page for more information about various projects and how to get involved.