Published in the Courier Post 9/17/2026
Litter is annoying — stepping out of your car in a parking lot and having your feet surrounded by trash could make anyone roll their eyes.
Tommy Raczkowski, 28, decided to do something about it.
If you live in Mount Holly, you may have seen Raczkowski on the roads and parking lots, or seen his content in the local Facebook group. Originally from Hainesport and a former student of Rancocas Valley High School, Raczkowski has spent the last month cleaning up his community.
“So, one day I just got out of my car. There was a whole bunch of trash at my feet, and there almost always is. I never really do or say anything about it, but I had a trash bag in my car, so I just scooped it up,” he said.
He went on to clean up the entire block that day.
As of Day 35, Raczkowski said he’s picked up more than 13,000 pieces of trash around Mount Holly. And he didn’t start keeping track of it all until Day 15.
He said the most common pieces of trash in the area are cigarette butts and water bottle caps.
He received donations from members of the community immediately, with a woman offering him a spare pair of gloves she had in the trunk the first time he picked up trash. The manager at the local Lowe’s started sponsoring him on day seven, donating equipment.
To celebrate the first day of school in the Mount Holly area, Raczkowski collaborated with an anonymous organization, New Jersey Arts and six volunteers to have a “trash and treasure” walk for schoolchildren.
He left 65 toys for students where he found trash along the walkways to the major elementary, middle and high schools in the area. New Jersey Arts members helped him by laminating positive quotes on the toys, offering words of confidence as students started their first days back.
“Some people commented within the few days, saying that their daughter found it and saying that they love what I’m doing … I went back the next day, I picked all those up, and only found two toys that weren’t grabbed out of the 65,” he said.
Raczkowski’s Facebook videos documenting his efforts have earned him a local following, and he recently announced his next call for volunteers to help clean up the local Woolman Lake.
“And it [Woolman Lake] seems to get filled very quickly. I’ve been to that spot the most just because it’s on my route and then I see it, and it’s cluttered,” he said.
He added that two families so far have reached out to help, and that Facebook users have responded kindly to his efforts.
Raczkowski’s next community cleanup is planned for Tuesday, Sept. 22, from 2-5 p.m. at Woolman Lake in Mount Holly.