Nevada Assemblyman Greg Hafen II honors Clean Up Pahrump.

One hour of volunteer work a week may not seem like much but at Clean Up Pahrump®, this is all it takes to make a real difference in the community. With many hands combining together each week, the workload is lightened and the valley’s roadsides and open desert reap the benefit as these volunteers strive to remove the garbage that often mars the beauty of the area.

Their efforts have not gone unnoticed, or unappreciated, either. In recognition of what this nonprofit does for the community, Nevada Assemblyman Greg Hafen II recently presented Clean Up Pahrump® with a proclamation honoring the positive impact this group has had since its inception more than eight years ago.

“Clean Up Pahrump® continues to set the standard for community service in Pahrump,” Hafen remarked to the Pahrump Valley Times. “I’m proud to support their mission and grateful for the volunteers who show up every week to clean up our town.”

The presentation took place Thursday, Jan. 15 at Our Place Coffee, where Hafen was joined by Clean Up Pahrump® members Faith Muello and Davis Cressey, along with Pahrump Valley Chamber of Commerce CEO Jenney Sartin.

“Recognizing the growing problem of litter across the Bureau of Land Management lands and along the roadsides of Pahrump Nevada, Faith Muello did not simply witness this obstacle but instead planted the seeds of change through the creation of Clean Up Pahrump® to tackle the issue head-on,” the proclamation reads in part. “Founded in 2017, Clean Up Pahrump® has blossomed into a beacon of transformation, turning apathy into action and discarded waste into renewed beauty and restoring pride within the Southern Nye County area.”

Muello established Clean Up Pahrump® after noticing, while out on the trails with her horse Beamer, that the desert was not nearly as clean as a natural environment should be. In 2022, when Muello relocated across the country, she made certain that the group could continue on without her, arranging for a partnership with another nonprofit that shares the mission of beautifying the environment through clean-up efforts. That’s when Clean Up Pahrump® became an official chapter of the Desert Pigs.

Muello eventually found herself missing Pahrump and has since returned, once again taking up a leadership role. She said she was overjoyed at the recognition Clean Up Pahrump® was getting but also emphasized that it takes the entire team to accomplish what they do.

“I am so incredibly grateful and honored that Greg Hafen took the time to give us that proclamation. And not only that, he presented us with a donation check for $500 and promised more to come!” Muello raved afterward. “I’m thankful for all of the Clean Up Pahrump® folks who come out, whether it’s 30 degrees or 100 degrees - they all come out with smiles and do amazing things in this community.

“Last year, 2025, was a really rough year for me personally,” Muello continued. “Some real highs and some real lows and the Clean Up Pahrump® team kept me going through it all, so I feel that the proclamation belongs to everyone on our Clean Up Pahrump® team, as well as to my big brother Phil Wooley up in northern Nevada, who oversees Desert Pigs. Even with me back in front now, I think our partnership with Desert Pigs makes us stronger, allows us to share resources and I think across the state, we will all continue to do amazing things!”

David Cressey, notable as the Clean Up Pahrump® volunteer who offered the most hours of effort in 2025, offered a few thoughts on the organization’s mission as well.

“My father, David Cressey Sr., is a famous ceramic artist. He taught me about art and beautiful things. Nature was one of those things. Wherever we went, we always took out more trash than we brought in. Nature is beautiful, but trash isn’t. Thanks Dad!” Cressey said.

In just the year 2025 alone, Clean Up Pahrump® volunteers collectively managed to gather 70,240 lbs. of trash, with Muello noting, “At just over 35 tons, we surpassed our record by far!”

Those interested in joining the effort can find more information and clean-up schedules at CleanUpPahrump.org or on the Clean Up Pahrump® Facebook page.

Contact reporter Robin Hebrock at rhebrock@pvtimes.com