Autistic Teen Devotes Leisure Hours to Urban Cleanup Initiatives
A young man in Northeastern England has taken up an extraordinary hobby—one that has garnered him admiration from his community. Elliot Gordon, an 18-year-old on the autism spectrum, dedicates his spare time to collecting litter in Stockton and surrounding regions. In addition to becoming somewhat of a local hero, residents have come together to express their gratitude for his efforts.
The journey started four years back, when Gordon’s parents gifted him a dog to encourage him to venture outside. Unfortunately, the pug they chose wasn’t particularly fond of walks. While waiting for the dog to budge, Gordon spotted a can lying on the ground and chose to pick it up. “It just sort of escalated from there,” his father, Craig Gordon, told the BBC. “Even if there’s a tiny bit, like a speck of trash, it must be picked up and placed in the bag. He simply couldn’t walk away and leave it be.”
Gordon, who is non-verbal and has OCD, consistently wears his smartwatch to monitor his daily steps. “One day he mentioned ‘oh, 45,000.’ That’s an average day’s litter collection for him,” shares the teen’s father. He collects trash every day, regardless of the weather. On weekdays, he’s out tidying the streets before and after school; on weekends, his parents report that they cannot keep him inside. “Even on Christmas Day, he was out collecting litter,” his parents remarked.
One of the individuals who has recognized Gordon’s contributions is Zoe Farley, a neighbor who wasn’t personally acquainted with the family. “I’m sure many of us have observed Elliot in our community being thoroughly selfless and enhancing our neighborhoods to make them cleaner and better,” Farley told Teesside Live. “I thought I’d reach out to see if we could organize a collection to extend a heartfelt thank you to Elliot and offer him a small treat from all of us.”
Farley opted to launch a fundraising campaign aimed at gathering some spending money for Gordon, never anticipating that she would receive thousands of British pounds. “When I showed him the total, he was ecstatic; he had a huge smile on his face. So many people have contributed, and we are truly amazed by everyone’s kindness,” the teen’s mother said when only £1,600 had been collected. As of now, donations have reached £5,090.
With Gordon preparing to start college in September, he plans to use the funds to acquire a new laptop—and any additional tools he may require as he aims to transform this hobby into a career in waste management. You can support him by contributing to his GoFundMe page.