Some litter has been sitting on Portland's streets for years. I'm going out and picking it up.
The goal: clean 200 streets across Portland, one at a time, removing litter that's been forgotten and ignored for years. This is Neighborhood Value Plus's mission in its most direct form, me, out walking real streets, documenting everything as I go.
Why I'm doing this
My name is Wendell Wallace. I lived in Creston-Kenilworth for nine years, walking streets like SE 28th Ave, SE 26th Ave, and SE Gladstone St regularly. Along the way I started noticing something specific: it wasn't just fresh litter. Some of what I was finding had clearly been sitting there for years. Faded packaging. Rusted cans. Old receipts you could still read a date on.
That's the actual mission. Not general cleanup, finding and clearing out litter that's been forgotten long enough to prove a street's been overlooked.
This project is part of that same work. I'm the founder of Neighborhood Value Plus, a Portland neighborhood platform built around exactly this idea, that the streets people live on deserve real attention, and that residents shouldn't have to just accept a street being overlooked for years. The Forgotten Litter Project is that mission in its most direct form: me, out on real streets, doing the work myself.
What I'm actually doing
Every outing, I clean, and I film it. The goal is 200 streets across Portland, no fixed deadline, just an honest, ongoing effort. A few smaller side quests run alongside the main mission:
Oldest Item Found
Whenever something clearly old turns up, I stop and show it. This is the whole point of the project.
Most Found Today
Whatever type of item shows up most on a given day becomes that day's answer. Recent winner: chicken noodle soup cans.
Cigarette Butt Count
A simple, honest running tally. No fixed target, just tracked over time.
Streets covered so far
A running, honest log toward the 200-street goal, updated after every outing. Some days cover one street, some days cover several. Nothing here is projected ahead of time, only what's actually been done.
Bounded by SE Powell Blvd and SE Halsey St. Avenues marked "Confirming" are within the covered grid; each will be individually verified against real footage and logs before being marked complete. Progress toward the 200-street goal.
Want your street added to the route? No donation needed.
Subscribe, follow, or repost, that alone genuinely helps this reach more people and more streets. There's no form here, the fastest way to get your street in the queue is to make some noise about it where I'll actually see it.
Support the mission
This work is done directly by me, on my own time, with real gear and real gas. If you want to help cover that, or just want to say thanks, here's how.
Gear & brand partnerships
This mission runs through real supplies, worn, used, and worn out on camera, every outing, and that need keeps growing as the work expands. If your brand wants visibility in front of an engaged, local audience, this is a direct, honest way to do it, product actually used and shown, not just a logo dropped in. Below are the categories most needed right now, but honestly, this list isn't the limit, if you make something that could help this mission, reach out.
Wearables
Footwear
Worn every outing, in real conditions.
Work Gloves
Used constantly for the actual pickup work.
Pants & Socks
Real wear and tear, every single outing.
Supplies & Consumables
Trash Bags
Goes through these constantly, always needed.
Bins & Containers
For sorting and hauling on bigger cleanup days.
Trash Grabber / Picker Tool
The single most-used tool in every video.
Recording & Documentation
Hands-Free Recording (e.g. smart glasses)
Would let every outing be filmed hands-free, real upgrade for the whole series.
As the Mission Expands
Weed Removal Tools
For tackling overgrown curbs and sidewalks, a growing part of the work.
Pressure Washer
For sidewalks and surfaces cleanup alone can't fix.
Anything Else
If it could genuinely help this mission, this list isn't a limit.
Open to product sponsorships, gear provided in exchange for on-camera use, or paid brand mentions. Reach out directly to discuss.
Business Pledge
This is different from resident Street Sponsorship. Business Pledge is a Neighborhood Value Plus program built specifically for local businesses, a recurring commitment to a real, physical outcome on a specific street, not a sponsorship package or an ad buy. It comes with public recognition that grows the longer a business stays committed, not the more it pays.
- Ongoing litter cleanup on your chosen street
- Every visit documented, before/after photos
- Public credit tied to your business's name
- Everything in Clean Street Partner, plus:
- Overnight safety check of your building (2-3am)
- Morning photo confirmation you're secure
Recognition is earned by tenure, not dollar amount. Every pledging business gets a physical sign, escalating automatically each year, Bronze through Diamond over five years, delivered within two weeks of pledging. A business that pledges today and stays five years reaches Diamond status, permanent, and it can't be bought or backdated by a business that joins later.
Discuss a Business PledgeOnly one active paid sponsor per street at a time. Reach out directly to check availability for your street and get started.
Thank You
This mission hasn't happened alone. These are the people and organizations who've helped along the way, in ways big and small, and if I've forgotten anyone here, that's on me, not on what you did. Thank you.
Gone, but never forgotten. This mission carries a piece of you with it.
Thank you.