PAULDING, OH — The Paulding Area Chamber of Commerce and Paulding High School are teaming up once again for Community Cleanup Day on Wednesday, April 30, 2026. The event brings student volunteers together with local Paulding businesses and organizations for a day of hands-on community improvement. In the event of rain, the backup date is May 1st.

Community Cleanup Day is a partnership between the Chamber and Paulding High School that has become an annual tradition. Local businesses and organizations sign up with a project — painting, landscaping, sweeping, pulling weeds, or whatever needs doing — and are paired with student volunteers who spend the day working alongside their staff and business representatives. The students gain real-world experience and give back to the community, the businesses get help with projects they’ve been putting off, and the whole community looks a little better by the end of the day.

This year, 20 sites have signed up to participate:

Students will be painting snow plows at the Paulding County Engineer’s Office, cleaning up gardens with OSU Extension and the Master Gardeners, freshening up Herb Monroe Park, helping the Fair Board, tackling landscaping at Divine Mercy Parish, deep cleaning at LifeWise Paulding, organizing at Limitless, and working at the VFW Post. Also on the list are the Paulding Recovery Clubhouse, First Financial Bank, Fuel Good Energy, St. Paul Lutheran Church, Keepsake Beads by EAW, the Village of Oakwood, Paulding Youth Ball Association, the Black Swamp Nature Center, First Presbyterian Church, and the Chamber itself.

Each site provides bottled water for volunteers, and most will be providing lunch for their student crews.

While the deadline to sign up as a participating site has closed for this year, businesses and organizations interested in future Community Cleanup Days are encouraged to contact the Chamber to be added to the list for next time.

“Community Cleanup Day is one of the things we’re most proud of at the Chamber,” said Jill Strahley, Executive Director of the Paulding Area Chamber of Commerce. “It’s a chance for students to get involved, for businesses to get a hand with projects they need, and for all of us to invest in making Paulding County a place we’re proud of. If you see students out working around town on April 30th, give them a wave — they’re doing good work.”

For questions about Community Cleanup Day, contact Jill Strahley at the Paulding Area Chamber of Commerce at 419-399-5215 or pauldingchamber@gmail.com, or Shawn Brewer at Paulding High School at 419-399-4656 ext. 1145.

About the Paulding Area Chamber of Commerce

The Paulding Area Chamber of Commerce exists to exemplify leadership by positively reinforcing and representing our members and businesses in the communities we proudly serve. The Chamber connects businesses to the community and to each other through events, programs, and advocacy. Learn more at www.pauldingchamber.com or follow the Paulding Area Chamber of Commerce on Facebook and Instagram.