In June 2008,Benita Grist was driving in her hometown of Mississauga as a passenger in the car ahead threw a paper cup out of the window.When Grist horned to express her displeasure, the passenger responded by throwing out a bag. Instead of annoyed, she decided to do something about it.She organized a one woman litterawareness campaign.She started small,chatting with her neighbors about litter--and asking them to be more conscious of any tendencies they might have to litter.Soon,she noticed local families, kids and all--picking up litter around their homes."I thought,that's all it took--for me to open my mouth?" she says."So I decided to knock on more doors." And she didn't stop there.She approached people on the street,in malls,even in the waiting room before getting an X ray. Grist often started her appeal with something such as,"I hope you don't think I'm crazy,but..." Yet she was _ by the positive response--so much so that in August 2008, she began to contact officials in various levels of government, companies and other institutions in an effort to reach a wider audience. Through a local Mac's Convenience Store,Grist managed to contact the company that produces content displayed on their in store monitors.That led to a public service announcement about litter that ran in almost 600 Mac's stores in Ontario from November 2008 to June 2009. Grist continues to explore every opportunity she has to get the message out.Her grassroots campaign may be different,but she has begun to open people's eyes about the problem of litter.And thanks to her efforts,in Mississauga,at least,they have begun to do just that. How did Benita Grist start her campaign?
She chatted with her neighbors. She quarreled with a stranger. She went door to door,talking. She talked to patients in hospital.