Pinedale marks 'Day of Caring' with trash pickup

Volunteering has its payoffs and sometimes that payoff is in cash.

Pinedale resident Randy Hayes, 37, volunteered to pick up trash along the roadside of Lobo Canyon and Rainbow Trail roads the morning of Friday, July 9.

While on Rainbow Trail Road, he was picking a Styrofoam cup out of a bush when he noticed something that resembled a dollar bill.

The bill turned out to be a $20 bill.

"I gave it to my girlfriend for gas money," he said.

Hayes was one of about 40 volunteers and summer youth workers who helped pick up trash along about 12 miles of roadway in Pinedale Chapter as part of the Navajo Nation United Way 2010 "Day of Caring."

ChildSight New Mexico, a nonprofit organization that provides free eyeglasses, organized the Pinedale event.

"I think this is a good turnout," said Angie Holtsoi, program manager for ChildSight New Mexico, as she helped pick up trash.

Holtsoi, who is originally from Pinedale, said cleaning roadside litter is a way for her and her group to give back to the community.

It's a departure from ChildSight's more familiar role of providing vision screenings, prescription eyeglasses and ophthalmic referrals to low-income students, according to its fact sheet.

And Friday's activity did include 12 pairs of eyeglasses donated by Bishop Optical in Gallup. They were given to student workers. Bishop Optical also gave eight coupons worth $100 each to adults that helped in the cleanup effort.

Hayes wasn't looking for freebies when he decided to volunteer.

"I just wanted to pick up trash. (The trash) kind of bothered me," he said.

He pointed to a fenced area near the local store and said he had noticed accumulated trash in the fence as he was walking by a few days earlier. He said he went to his family to ask them to help pick up trash, but nobody was interested in helping out.

Then he found about ChildSight's planned pickup day and decided to volunteer.

Holtsoi said the chapter designated which roads were most in need of cleaning and that's how the work crews were dispatched.

The city of Gallup allowed the group to dispose of the trash without cost. The Navajo United Way donated the gloves and trash bags, she added.

Pinedale resident Roy Holtsoi, 48, said he volunteered because he wanted to give back to his community.

He said most of the trash he picked up that morning consisted of beer bottles and beer cans. He also found a tire and was rolling the tire toward the road shortly before he was interviewed.

"I always (pick up trash) around my dad's house," Holtsoi said, adding that he likes to help people in general.

"If someone needs help, I'll be there," he said.

Back to top ^