What do you do?

We participate in a highway cleanup program sponsored by Allegheny County.  We collect trash along a 3 mile stretch of county road near our Ecclesial hall.  For our participation we are featured on a sign at the beginning of the allotted pavement.

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How much work is involved?

We contact the county and let them know our dates for trash collection. We meet at the Ecclesial hall to pick up supplies and  organize into teams. We also keep a registration of who participates and sign releases of liability. After we are finished we call the county and they come along and pick up the piles of trash bags.

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How long have you been doing this?

Our ecclesia has been doing this for 8 years! The program mandates that you collect trash twice a year but we choose to do it four times a year.

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What’s the cost involved?

There is no cost to us. All the supplies – safety vests, gloves, garbage bags- are provided by the county. We are planning on purchasing sandwich sign boards with our name on it to set up along the road on our cleanup day for added visibility.

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Have you had a good response?

Yes, it is a win-win program. The roadside is cleared of trash and we get our name out in the area where we meet. Aside from contributing to our community, people in town often recognize the Christadelphian name, having seen the sign. We always carry cards with our contact information to pass on those who stop to thank us. We enjoy the camaraderie of working together and have pizza lunch together.

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Are there any issues which have arisen?

Some sections along the roadway are easier than others to access. We mix our teams so our more elderly members can work along the sidewalk sections. Young ones need to be made aware of hazards of nearby traffic.

We did have a brother who got pricked by a needle he picked up. It was tense while we waited for his medical treatment results. We now  have purchased a few “grabbers” as a safety measure. As well, they make the task easier on the back.