Assemblyman Hafen Honors Clean Up Pahrump Volunteers with Proclamation

Assemblyman Greg Hafen II formally recognized Clean Up Pahrump with a proclamation and a $500 donation, highlighting the volunteer group's role in keeping Pahrump’s roadsides and BLM lands free of litter. The presentation took place Thursday, Jan. 15 at Our Place Coffee, where Hafen was joined by Clean Up Pahrump founder Faith Muello, volunteer leader David Cressey, and Pahrump Valley Chamber of Commerce CEO Jenney Sartin.

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

Founded in 2017 by Faith Muello after she noticed trash while out on the trails with her horse Beamer, Clean Up Pahrump grew from a grassroots effort into an organized chapter of the Desert Pigs. Muello arranged the Desert Pigs partnership in 2022 when she relocated across the country to ensure the group’s continuity; she later returned to Pahrump and resumed a leadership role.

The proclamation text praised Muello’s initiative, saying in part, “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. 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.”

Clean Up Pahrump volunteers reported collecting 70,240 lbs. of trash in 2025, which Muello described as a record-breaking year. “At just over 35 tons, we surpassed our record by far!” Muello said, also noting Hafen’s donation and pledge of further support. “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 added that volunteers show up in all weather, “whether it’s 30 degrees or 100 degrees - they all come out with smiles and do amazing things in this community.”

Volunteer leadership is visible in individual contributions. David Cressey, who logged the most volunteer hours in 2025, framed the effort as a family lesson in stewardship. “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.

Beyond civic pride, regular cleanup work produces measurable public benefits. Weekly one-hour volunteer shifts aggregate into sustained labor that reduces the workload for county crews, limits trash build-up on Bureau of Land Management tracts around Pahrump, and can lower costs tied to hauling, disposal, and environmental remediation. The Desert Pigs affiliation gives Clean Up Pahrump access to shared tools and logistical support, allowing the group to scale efforts across Southern Nevada.

Residents who want to join the cleanup effort or see schedules can find information at CleanUpPahrump.org and on the Clean Up Pahrump Facebook page. The assemblyman’s proclamation and the demonstrated 35-ton haul last year underline a practical point for Pahrump: modest weekly commitments by neighbors add up to significant economic and environmental returns for the valley. Continued volunteer recruitment and pledges from elected officials suggest the program will remain a key local asset as Nye County seeks cost-effective ways to protect public lands and maintain curb appeal for residents and visitors.