Ahead of next month’s National Night Out, the city of Suffolk is encouraging community groups and individuals to take advantage of a campaign aimed at kick-starting volunteer clean-ups.

To celebrate turning 60 this year, Keep Virginia Beautiful is encouraging citizens to get active volunteering in their own communities, city staffer Robin Moore said.

Its Give 60 campaign encourages individuals, families, business and organizations to give 60 minutes of their time working to make their community a better place to live, or to donate $60 to KVB.

“It gives families and community organizations the opportunity to give back to the community,” said Moore, technical asset manager in the Department of Public Works.

As an added incentive, the city is making its resources available to help volunteers, she said.

For instance, a litter patrol would be provided with trash bags, gloves and other necessary items for the task.

Meanwhile, KVB is sharing donations toward projects with the community groups undertaking them, providing the groups a means of raising money toward their given activities, Moore said.

Group leaders can visit www.kvb60.org/register to sign up and register projects. Groups then spread the word via email, social media, letter writing and other means, encouraging folks to donate or volunteer their time.

Suffolk organizations will benefit by receiving half of the money raised through the donation page, paid out monthly or at the project’s completion.

Yet another incentive is a photo contest. Winning pictures taken at events or projects, entered in the Get Caught in a Beautiful Act contest, will be recognized during at the Oct. 5 KVB gala.

Details on the competition and other aspects of the campaign are available at www.kvb60.org.

Moore is encouraging those with project ideas to contact her department, to discuss the suitability of projects and ways the city can help. Call 514-7604, or email cboyd@suffolkva.us.

“Projects could be picking up litter in the neighborhood, especially those that have ditches,” Moore said. “Not only would it help beautify, it would help to maintain positive drainage.”

Cigarette butts are one specific litter target, she said, as they eventually reach the Chesapeake Bay and cause more damage than other types of litter.

Spokeswoman Diana Klink said that as well as providing tools, the city can also arrange pick-up of collected trash.

“Especially with National Night Out coming up, this is a great way for groups participating to get involved and spruce up their neighborhoods before the event,” she said.