Volunteers Bring Hope with Annual Colony Square Cleanup
Posted for Three Oaks Center
Community Builder
By Mallory Lengel
Contributing writer
If you were in the area of the Lexington Park Library last Saturday it was impossible to miss the many yellow-clad volunteers participating in the Encourage Hope Day Community Cleanup.
For many, completing that last real yard cleanup before the winter is merely an annoyance, but for community members who have fallen on hard times it is next to impossible. Three Oaks Center, a local non-profit organization providing residential and supportive services to the homeless, organizes a yearly cleanup of Colony Square.
Volunteers of all ages worked hard all day pressure-washing, raking, weed whacking and picking up trash, but the day was not all about work. At the back of the development children played football, volunteers rested and ate picnic food and bonded.
Although some of the jobs required adults or older volunteers there was work for everyone to do. Small children spent the day picking weeds between games of football and high school students completed any task they were able.
“I come out with my mom a lot. I think it’s a great way to help,” said Chloe Waters, whose mother works for Three Oaks.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fIkqRUVdtyQ]
Several volunteers live in the community but lack the resources needed to undertake such a daunting task. These volunteers, said Larry Lancaster, Three Oaks’ executive director, work harder than anyone to get their neighborhood cleaned up.
Many members of the Great Mills High School football team came out in their new uniforms to help clean and support their local community as well.
“I’ve been living here since 4th grade and I help with the cleanup every time they’ve done it,” said Davon, a GMHS freshman.
Three Oaks’ mission is to continue to help people meet their basic needs for shelter and stabilization. They not only provide financial assistance, but also provide special assistance to women, children and the mentally ill as well as veterans’ services.
