RNeighbors, Rochester Neighborhood Resource Center

05/26/2026

You Rochester-ites are amazing! April 25 - May 3 was the Spring 2026 Litter Bit Better event, and just look at what you accomplished:
3,235 Volunteers: Hundreds of families, schools, businesses, and neighborhood groups pitched in.
3,450 lbs. of Total Litter Collected: A massive dent in plastic pollution and waste!
223 Adopted Sites: Volunteers blanketed the city, cleaning up parks, trails, ditches, and neighborhoods.
12 Tires & 600 lbs. of Metal: Keeping these heavy items out of our local environment and waterways.
This spring wasn't just any regular cleanup, it marked the 20th Anniversary of keeping Rochester clean and beautiful! For two decades, neighbors, local businesses, schools, places of faith, clubs, and families have stepped up every spring as the snow melts to scour ditches, parks, waterways, and boulevards to clear out winter's leftover trash.
THANK YOU to everyone who registered, grabbed a trash bag, and spent their week making Rochester a better place to live. Special thanks to the incredible partners who make this massive coordination possible year after year: the City of Rochester, MN Government, Olmsted County Environmental Resources, Harters (for the roll-offs!), Durst Outdoor Services (for curbside pickup!), and Waste Management (WM).
Check out the full event recap at rneighbors.org/events/litterbitspring2026.

05/13/2026

Shucks! We missed honoring 507 Day! Glad we have some locals who weren’t too corny about celebrating our historic landmark.

05/11/2026

We've got piles of pics of sooooo many people out making the Earth a bit greener this spring! First up are groups from SPARK, Rochester MN Pride, Target, Rochester Athletic Club, and Homestead Addition Neighborhood Association, MN participating in .

05/11/2026

Grab your buckets and feed your gardens with some free compost!

05/10/2026

What a Saturday morning for Rochester’s urban forest! Green leafy thanks to the volunteers who came out to plant 160+ trees. This planting marked a milestone for the program: 8,000th volunteer who have planted the 9,000th tree since 2004! Thanks also to our program partners and event sponsor Waste Management. 🌳

05/09/2026

The Conservation Corp is ready to get planting! Come out and give us a hand at the neighborhood around Sunset Terrace Elementary.

05/08/2026

Tomorrow is the BIG Spring 2026 Community Tree Planting! We need as many hands as possible to help get over 100 trees in the ground of the Sunset Terrace neighborhood. No experience needed. Leafy thanks to our program partners Rochester Park & Recreation, Davey Lawn & Tree, Sargent's Gardens Inc., Conservation Corps Minnesota - Southern District, and our sponsor for the 2026 season Waste Management.

04/30/2026

Can you believe it's been 20 years of Litter Bit Better across Rochester? That's a whole lotta trash picked up AND a whole lotta volunteers who helped. Check out this celebratory video and see if you can pick out anyone you know!

20 Years of A Litter Bit Better in Rochester: Celebrating Community Impact

04/28/2026

Ever wonder what happens to all those filled trash bags after a Litter Bit Better cleanup? Meet two of the behind-the-scenes crew who makes sure those bags don’t sit on the curb for long. From loading bags to hauling them to dumpsters, this important step helps wrap up each cleanup and keep our community looking its best. And sometimes, the crew includes the next generation of helpers, too. 💚 City of Rochester, MN Government Olmsted County Environmental Resources Durst Outdoor Services

04/24/2026

Did you know that 42% of Minnesotans volunteer? Minnesota has one of the highest volunteer rates in the nation! At RNeighbors, we love our volunteers! Without them, there would be many trees unplanted, more trash in our streets, and less neighborhood engagement. This April, during National Volunteer Month, we celebrate and recognize the amazing work our volunteers do across the city!

April is National Volunteer Month. We know that Minnesota is home to many residents who give back to their communities in lots of different ways. Here are some quick facts about Minnesota’s volunteers.