SAM Participates in Earth Day Clean-up 

Reflection by Kirstin Guanciale

I had no idea picking up litter would be such a spiritual journey for me!  Several years ago I was tired of looking at the trash when going to and from work.  I called the Highway Department to ask who was responsible to clean it and was told an organization volunteered to do it.  My neighbor was a member and I asked her when the next cleanup was so I could help.  She said the organization stopped doing it.  I asked if they would relinquish their status so I could “adopt” the section, and viola, I adopted a highway.  Just like any new “parent” I quickly realized this was a lot bigger responsibility than I anticipated.  I needed help. 

I tapped into family and friends when organizing cleanup days, and last year mentioned it to fellow Social Action Committee members.  On April 21 this year I organized an “Earth Day” cleanup with 17 volunteers and 6 from the Social Action Committee.  We packed a whopping 53 bags of trash!  We actually ran out of bags and could have filled more.  The saying “many hands make light work” has never been truer. 

When picking up litter it’s easy to be angry and perplexed at why some choose to do such thoughtless things.  One simple, seemingly innocuous action of tossing one little piece of trash can easily be dismissed as “this isn’t really going to make a difference”.  But when that one little action is done collectively, the littered roadways provide a visual of the outcome.  And what about our less tangible actions?  Callous comments?  Dismissive looks?  Hurtful gossip?  Judgment and condemnation instead of understanding and compassion?  When we litter the world with these things, the outcome may be less visible but no less real. 

Now when I pick up what others so thoughtlessly discard, I challenge myself to “litter” my thoughts with prayers for those who discard the trash that they learn to understand how their actions affect others, and maybe one day have the wisdom to make better decisions. 

Thank you to the Social Action Committee for providing the opportunity to ask for volunteers, and providing the opportunity for others to share their time to “litter” our community with their selfless actions and make our corner of the world a bit closer to the beauty God intended us to enjoy.