Joe's usual attire includes a Miami Dolphins cap, jeans and a couple of T-shirts, a concession to the cooler mornings of late as he teams up with other trainees on a roadside litter crew. It's a lot better than having to be indoors. Joe is Joseph Blankenship of Dickson, a Sunshine Industries trainee since October 1997. Like others on the crew, he finds picking up after litterbugs an important assignment. It's also steady work.
Crews visit assigned areas about every two months.
We were here two months ago. Brackett directs one of three litter removal crews operated by the Sunshine program through contracts with the City of Ardmore and the Oklahoma Department of Transportation. Assignments cover main artery streets in Ardmore, parks and areas along Interstate 35. Assignments help Blankenship and others learn skills needed to obtain private sector jobs. He is convinced he and other crew members make a significant community contribution.