▁New ▁York ▁City ▁when ▁it ▁strugg led ▁to ▁meet ▁its ▁budget ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 5 ▁and ▁sold ▁much ▁of ▁the ▁low - in come ▁housing ▁that ▁was ▁the ▁subject ▁of ▁The ▁Do e ▁Fund ' s ▁key ▁work ▁contract . ▁Fac ed ▁with ▁an ▁immediate ▁need ▁to ▁redirect ▁his ▁work force , ▁George ▁Mc Donald ▁decided ▁they ▁should ▁address ▁the ▁growing ▁problem ▁of ▁l itter ▁on ▁New ▁York ' s ▁streets . ▁Using ▁Re ady , ▁Will ing ▁& ▁A ble ' s ▁remaining ▁funds ▁to ▁buy ▁the ▁men ▁rolling ▁tr ash ▁bu ckets , ▁bro oms , ▁and ▁bright ▁blue ▁uniform s ▁with ▁American ▁flags ▁se wn ▁on ▁the ▁sle e ves , ▁he ▁sent ▁them ▁out ▁to ▁clean ▁a ▁five - block ▁area ▁around ▁East ▁ 8 6 th ▁Street . ▁The ▁cre ws ▁quickly ▁became ▁so ▁popular ▁that ▁neighborhood ▁residents ▁began ▁to ▁support ▁them ▁with ▁private ▁don ations , ▁en abling ▁Re ady , ▁Will ing ▁& ▁A ble ▁to ▁expand . ▁As ▁of ▁ 2 0 1 0 , ▁The ▁Do e ▁Fund ' s ▁community ▁improvement ▁projects ▁include ▁over ▁ 1 5 0 ▁street ▁miles ▁in ▁New ▁York ▁City ▁and ▁Philadelphia ▁and ▁the ▁organization ' s ▁annual ▁operating ▁budget ▁is ▁over ▁$ 4 0 ▁million . ▁ ▁To ▁enter ▁the ▁program , ▁participants ▁must ▁p ledge ▁ab st in ence ▁from ▁using ▁dru gs ▁and ▁alco hol , ▁for ego ▁ent it lement s ▁( with ▁the ▁exception ▁of ▁Med ica id ), ▁and ▁agree ▁to