Danbury's UNIT Creating Community Service Program

In a new community service program this week, the UNIT put together four volunteers from the City Homeless Shelter and one student who needed community service hours from the court to pick up trash downtown.

Altogether the group collected and disposed of three mattresses, a carpet, the large shell of a television and a dozen bags of trash.

"That was just Maple Avenue," said Rich Antous, Danbury's downtown UNIT liaison. "We're hoping to do it every week."

Antous said the UNIT is working with the State's Attorney's office, with the Danbury Police Department and with the city Homeless Shelter to find people who need community service hours or who are willing to volunteer their time. The shelter volunteers wanted to thank the city for its looking after them at the shelter. Some people may have been given tickets for littering, Antous said, and this program gives them a chance to clean up the mess they made.

"Some people are looking for a way to improve their lives. They're educated, motivated people who fell on hard times," Antous said. "They're willing to work to get out of it."