Stephe
Jalla d,
a
57-yea -old
ha dyma
f om
Ma ch,
Camb idgeshi e,
bega
clea i g
ove g ow
ga de s
fo
f ee
i
Ju e
2026
afte
comi g
ac oss
a
Facebook
post
about
a
u tidy
ga de .
What
sta ted
as
a
o e-off
act
of
ki d ess
quickly
tu ed
i to
a
egula
volu tee
effo t
afte
his
post
showi g
the
t a sfo matio
att acted
thousa ds
of
eactio s
a d
a
flood
of
equests
fo
help.
Jalla d
ow
spe ds
pa t
of
his
f ee
time
helpi g
people
who
may
st uggle
to
mai tai
thei
ga de s
because
of
age,
ill ess,
disability,
me tal
health
difficulties
o
fi a cial
p oblems.
He
i itially
pla ed
to
clea
o e
ga de
a
week,
but
dema d
soo
pushed
that
figu e
close
to
th ee.
He
says
his
aim
is
simple:
to
give
people
a
clea e ,
safe
a d
happie
outdoo
space
without
expecti g
a ythi g
i
etu .
How
did
Stephe
Jalla d’s
f ee
ga de -clea i g
effo t
begi ?
The
i itiative
sta ted
i
Ju e
2026
whe
Jalla d
was
sc olli g
th ough
a
local
Facebook
commu ity
g oup
a d
saw
a
a o ymous
post
c iticisi g
a
ove g ow
ga de .
He
obtai ed
the
add ess
a d
decided
to
visit
the
p ope ty
himself,
taki g
his
tools
a d
law
mowe
with
him.
He
clea ed
the
g ass
without
cha gi g
the
eside t.
Jalla d
late
lea ed
that
the
ma
lived
with
his
so ,
had
health
p oblems
a d
could
ot
affo d
the
equipme t
eeded
to
keep
the
ga de
u de
co t ol.
The
job
took
about
two
hou s,
a d
Jalla d
etu ed
the
followi g
week
to
wo k
o
the
back
ga de .
The
eside t
epo tedly
made
him
a
cu y
while
he
wo ked.
Jalla d
the
sha ed
befo e-a d-afte
photog aphs
o li e,
a d
the
espo se
e cou aged
him
to
co ti ue
helpi g
othe s.The
Facebook
post
showi g
the
t a sfo matio
quickly
att acted
sig ifica t
atte tio .
Jalla d
said
it
eceived
a ou d
40,000
likes,
5,000
comme ts
a d
600
sha es.
He
also
eceived
about
1,000
di ect
messages
f om
people
aski g
him
to
help
with
ga de s
belo gi g
to
themselves,
elatives,
f ie ds
o
eighbou s.
The
scale
of
the
espo se
cha ged
what
had
i itially
bee
a
si gle
act
of
ki d ess
i to
a
egula
volu tee
p oject.
Jalla d
had
o igi ally
i te ded
to
complete
about
o e
f ee
ga de
clea a ce
each
week,
but
by
August
he
was
ca yi g
out
close
to
th ee
a
week.
Ma y
of
the
equests
came
f om
people
who
we e
st uggli g
to
mai tai
thei
ga de s
because
of
ci cumsta ces
beyo d
thei
co t ol.
