The E.L.K. Initiative
The E.L.K. Initiative is dedicated to taking action to make our community cleaner and stronger. We invite you to join us in creating a measurable difference. Our name, ELK, stands for Eliminate Litter in Kannapolis. The city of Kannapolis is uniquely positioned as the only city that spans both Cabarrus and Rowan counties, and ELK proudly serves both communities. We focus on litter collection, proper disposal, and community education aimed at prevention and long-term improvement. Our goal is to expand our efforts to include broader community enhancement projects that promote cleanliness, pride, and sustainability. You can get involved by participating in our spring and fall clean-up events, where volunteers come together to pick up litter in areas of need. Together, we can take the initiative - one cleanup at a time - to make Kannapolis and its surrounding counties a cleaner, better place to live.

2025 Fall/Winter Schedule
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October 18th (9am-11am) - Concord Lake STEAM Academy @ 1911 Concord Lake Rd, Kannapolis NC 28083.
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November 15th (10am-12pm) - Charity Baptist Church @ 2420 Brantley Rd, Kannapolis NC 28083.​​​​
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December 13th (10am-12pm) - West 8th St. Kannapolis. Volunteers can meet and park in the North Kannapolis Elementary School teacher's parking lot. The school's address is 800 North S Walnut St, Kannapolis NC 28081, but the teacher's parking lot is on West 8th St. From North Main Street, make a left onto West 8th Street, and the parking lot is the first right.
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Please note: All volunteers must sign a waiver. Volunteers under 18 years old must be accompanied by a parent/guardian who must sign waiver for the minor. If you are not able to sign a waiver beforehand, we have blank waivers at every event.

Come Prepared
When you volunteer with ELK you are volunteering two hours of your time. ELK, through partnerships with the City of Kannapolis and NCDOT, will provide you with a safety vest, a pair of gloves, bags, and litter pick up tool for the event. We will also supply light refreshments (sponsored by Walmart) after each clean up. You can prepare by coming hydrated, wearing appropriate clothes, and sunscreen and/or protective hat. Please keep in mind you will be walking in the grass, so old tennis shoes with high socks or boots are recommended. Some volunteers use insect repellent spray. Please dress in comfortable clothes that you do not mind getting dirty.
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Fellow K-town citizens
Here at E.L.K. Initiative, we are driven by a single goal; to do our part to care for this area we call home. We strive to keep property values high and taxes low, leave a legacy for future generations, and maintain an environment that refreshes the soul. You can pick up litter on your own near you, or you can join us.
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If you would like to combat litter on your own you can start with a small investment into a safety vest, gloves, and a litter pick up tool. It is best to have a partner or small group. Choose your area of clean up wisely. Be mindful of traffic and weather conditions.
Do not overdo it. Safety first.
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You can email us at Elkinfo@elk21.com for more info.
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Our Projects
The Focus of Our Efforts

West 8th St
We adopted West 8th street through the Kannapolis adopt-a-street program and clean it quarterly.

Education & Outreach
We plan volunteer group litter pick up events in the months of March through June and September through December. Our first priority is to maintain our adopted street, but we also visit and clean problem streets. In addition, we work to educate regarding the city of Kannapolis' adopt-a-street program and the NCDOT's adopt-a-highway program and litter sweep campaigns. Our hope is to have every street and highway in Kannapolis adopted, so that we can shift gears to focus on prevention.
Interested in joining our cause?
P.A.L.
Partner Against Litter
Your business, church, or school can host an event by announcing the volunteer opportunity to members, employees, clients and students. ELK volunteers will partner in picking up litter near your business, church, or school with your group, arrange for supplies to be provided, and schedule collected litter to be removed. Volunteers can meet in your parking lot to receive supplies for the day.
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Your neighborhood or street can also be a P.A.L. With your neighbor's involvement ELK will partner as described above. Please keep in mind that a central meeting place is needed to receive supplies and for volunteers to park.

Activities
Bringing Change
Fundraising Opportunities
We work with the City of Kannapolis and the NC DOT to provide safety vests, litter pickup tools, bags, and gloves for each event. The Kannapolis Walmart sponsors refreshments for after each event.
Some of the other needs include storage, volunteer t-shirts, cleaning products, gas for vehicles, and scholarship (for student volunteers) fundraising.
ELK is now a 501(c)(3) therefore all donations are tax deductible. Checks can me made out to E.L.K. Initiative Inc.
Volunteer Opportunities
We have monthly group events in the fall and spring. Each event is two hours and supplies are provided. We would love to help empower our volunteers and community to go beyond the group events. We encourage our volunteers to invest in their own supplies so that they can continue to pick up litter in areas of need throughout the month. Volunteers can also help by finding businesses, churches, schools, or communities to host events or become a P.A.L.
Mentoring
Litter is a big problem that needs a big response. Fortunately, there are programs already in place. You can familiarize yourself with the opportunities available through the Adopt-a-Street program and the litter sweeps through the NCDOT. Then you can educate your neighbors and initiate litter clean up where you live, work, worship, and play.

The E.L.K. Initiative began on Saturday, Feb 13, 2021. Twelve volunteers celebrated their love of the land through cold and rain.
"Initiative is doing the right thing without being told."
Victor Hugo

Ways We Help
The Focus of Our Efforts

Kannapolis Adopt-a-Street Program
The City of Kannapolis
If you are interested in adopting-a-street please contact the city of Kannapolis at 704-920-4444.

NCDOT Litter Sweep
Nicole Austin
The NCDOT has both a spring and fall litter sweep. Nicole is the state's point of contact. If you are interested in participating in a litter sweep, please contact Nicole at 704-983-4360 or nlaustin@ncdot.gov

Schedule Events
Non-physical volunteer opportunity
ELK is always looking for schools, churches, businesses, or communities to host events. If you would like to get involved but are not interested in actual litter pick-up, you can help ELK find hosts for our events.
E.L.K. is a 501(c)(3)
All donations are tax deductible. The Kannapolis Walmart has partnered with ELK to provide refreshments for volunteers after each event.
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We are also looking for sponsors for new t-shirts, litter clean up tools, a storage unit, and collapsible wagon.
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We are also seeking grant approval so that we can offer scholarship opportunities to our student volunteers.
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If you or your business would like to contribute, please email elkinfo@elk21.com
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All donations help us impact our community and the youth.

