WORCESTER, Mass. - As Worcester deals with the winter cleanup of snow and ice, some city leaders are already thinking ahead to the spring.

Worcester has $25,000 in grant money set aside in the 2022 budget for a neighborhood cleanup program.

City Manager Ed Augustus said they plan to roll out applications for the money in the spring when the weather gets nicer, and to line up with earth day cleanups throughout the city.

Augustus said the grant money can be used to buy supplies or food for clean-ups and will help bring communities together.

"They could go for not-for-profits, or a community neighborhood group, really just to pay for food or a party after a cleanup,” Augustus said. “Have coffee and juice before folks go out on a cleanup, to buy supplies to help do neighborhood cleanups. It's really a way just to kind of help bring the communities together to help keep their neighborhood clean."

Augustus said he expects the $25,000 grant to go far since most groups will likely only ask for $100 to $150.