ROCKLAND—On a scale of cleanest to dirtiest states, Maine ranks nearly at the top for being the most pristine, according to Best Life, topping out at 48 out of 50.

Mainers know that just by looking around, but it takes work to keep the streets clean. In Rockland, a small group who calls themselves the Wednesday Walkers has offered to pick up trash in Rockland this week as part of an effort around World Kindness Day. 

“World Kindness Day falls on November 13 and we’ve been doing activities connected to kindness since 2013, starting with an AIO Food Drive,” said Patty King, the library’s Deputy Library Director. “Kindness and libraries are a perfect fit. Libraries connect people to the community and to each other. And kindness does the same thing: it connects you to yourself, other people, and organizations.”

Led by King, the Wednesday Walkers have said they get multiple benefits out of this weekly practice: exercise, socializing, and the satisfaction that their small actions lead to the greater good.

Typically, the group meets at the Rockland Public Library every Wednesday at 10:30 a.m., as part of a movement that started when the library was the recipient of a fitness grant in the spring of 2018. This past Wednesday, a small group walked around Rockland’s neighborhoods to pick up cans, trash, cigarette butts, and other debris found in the gutters.

Fae MacDonald showed up with her metal grabber. “Sometimes we walk around certain neighborhoods, or go down to the water—and we do a lot of talking,” she said with a laugh.

The library is offering activities and prompts with an entire week dedicated to activities and ideas that promote kindness, leading up to World Kindness Day on Sunday (the library will be closed that day.)

To find out more about Wednesday Walkers and the library activities visit: Rockland Public Library.

Visit the website for World Kindness Day.

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com