Last Saturday, August 17, the Colton Lions Club, teamed up with Dr.G to clean-up a section of Congress Street which is well-known for a continuous build up of trash, junk, and illegal dumping. This corridor on the south side of the street extends from Pine Street to Fogg Street, and as of yet is undeveloped. Due to the heavy traffic, including large trucks, this busy stretch is a magnet for a multitude of discarded items and seemingly attracts the establishment of encampments.
Six members of the Colton Lions Club met with DrG early in the morning and set out to clean-up the street armed with gloves, bags, hand sanitizer and of course, bottles of water. “We like to participate in this clean-up event to help Dr.G and to contribute to the community,” commented Cynthia Calderilla, President of the Colton Lions Club.
For those who are familiar with the area, know that this area is notorious for illegal dumping. The “big curve,” as many call it, is a remote area that provides cover for those choosing to discard. “illegal dumping does not look good,” responded Ed Morden, one of the long-time members of the Lions Club, who added, “With everyone’s help today, we’ll get this cleaned-up.”
Over the last ten years, Dr.G has been leading a number of clean-up efforts throughout the downtown area, south Colton, and La Loma Hills. From time to time various individuals and community groups have joined in to offer some assistance in picking up trash, and in some cases, cleaning up areas that have experienced dumping of bulk items. That’s when the G-Team and local community groups are called to action to address the problem. In just about every case, the clean-up project of the target area is a great success and makes the area noticeably better. As a result, everyone wins – the area is clean, travelers see a nice corridor, and nearby residents enjoy a welcoming neighborhood.
The Colton Lions Club’s community service goal is a good fit, and with their available manpower, large clean-up projects are possible. According to Calderilla, “Our motto is to serve, and we engage in projects that help the community.” Established in 2019, the Colton Lions Club is often seen at community events and also provide individuals with food, clothes, gift cards, eye glasses, and backpacks.
This community clean-up was just another way in which the Colton Lions Club extends a helping hand for the community. Those that participate also experience a personal sense of local pride and contribution to our community.
For more information about CITY TALK, sermon topics, Bible briefs, various community groups, Colton history, the trash clean-up project, the G-Team, prayer list, history briefs, Veteran Spotlight, Church Spotlight, Business Spotlight, U.S. Flag Watch, fountains, holiday scenes, neighborhood meetings, community projects and events, or the online live-stream programs, contact Dr.G @ 909-213-3730. Questions and comments are always welcome.