Volunteer Opportunities

• 1. Adopt-a-Highway

  The Adopt-A-Highway program is a great way for friends, families, and community groups to come together and help Carol Stream stay clean!

  How to participate:

  1. Organize volunteers
  2. Adopt a short stretch of roadway through the Village
  3. Pick-up roadside trash 4 times a year (We provide supplies like vests, pickers, bags, etc.)
  4. Place the full garbage bags near the roadside and we will dispose of them
  5. Have fun!

  The Village will install an attractive street sign recognizing your participation. To sign up, contact the Public Works Department at 630-871-6260 or pw@carolstream.org.

• 2. Pond & Stream Sweep Program

  Every year, the Village conducts its “Pond & Stream Sweep” event concurrently with The Conservation Foundation's DuPage River Sweep to pick up litter. The first event occurred in 1999 and since then volunteers have removed over 24 tons of trash from 218 miles of pond shorelines and stream banks!

  If you are interested in participating in this annual event, which will be held on Saturday, May 4, 2024, please complete the online registration form.

  If you would like to volunteer to pick up litter on another date, you may select that date when registering online (Note that a separate reservation will need to be done for each date).

  Basic equipment (ex. pokers, plastic bags, and gloves) will be available for pickup the week of the event. All garbage should be properly secured and placed adjacent to the roadway so that staff can pickup for disposal after the event. If you have any questions, please contact Engineering Services Department at (630) 871-6220 or via email.

• 3. Storm Drain Medallions

  Storm drain medallions with the words "No Dumping! – Drains to River" is a way to educate and warn the public. Volunteers who want to participate in the Pond & Stream Sweep, but do something different than pickup trash, may choose to install these medallions on our storm drains instead. Please contact our Engineering Services Department at (630) 871-6220 or via e-mail for more information.

• 4. Community Emergency Response Team (C.E.R.T.)

  C.E.R.T. training promotes a partnering effort between emergency services and the people that they serve. The goal is for emergency personnel to train members of neighborhoods, community organizations or workplaces in basic response skills. C.E.R.T. members are then integrated into the emergency response capability for their area.

  If a disastrous event overwhelms or delays the community’s professional response, C.E.R.T. members can assist others by applying the basic response and organizational skills that they learned during training. These skills can help save and sustain lives following a disaster until help arrives. C.E.R.T. skills also apply to daily emergencies.

  C.E.R.T. members maintain and refine their skills by participating in exercises and activities. They can attend supplemental training opportunities offered by the Carol Stream Police Department to further their skill base. Finally, C.E.R.T. members can volunteer for projects that improve community emergency preparedness. C.E.R.T. details are available from the Police Department. 

  For questions, contact:
  Officer Carol Cadle
  ccadle@carolstream.org
  (630) 871-6201