PHOENIX — As temperatures make hiking a little easier these days, one church is helping the environment by tackling the trash problem on South Mountain.
From glass and plastic to leftover and long-forgottens, anything and everything can end up there beneath the mountains.
"We have found like suitcases, tires, some of the brothers and sisters found a water heater,” said Annette Galarza, a church volunteer.
Volunteers with the World Mission Society Church of God in Glendale are saying this is what they love to do.
"We try and do it mostly in the wintertime when it's not so hot, right?” said Mark Burkholder, one of the leaders at World Mission Society Church of God.
This is the last park cleanup of the year, and here at South Mountain, there is plenty of trash to pick up. Park rangers say there can be dozens of garbage bags filled after a cleanup effort.
It is a problem these 100 or so volunteers are taking to the trash, even if it will not get any better.
"We get it, we clean it up, it's going to get dirty again, but that's OK. It's to show people that we must continue on the work, not just for me and for you but for everyone else to enjoy,” said Galarza.
"It may be a little sacrifice because everybody wants to have that one day off or something like this, but we feel so happy afterward,” said Kristy Burkholder, another leader at World Mission Society Church of God.
After all, what better way to get closer to each other than to pick up one another’s burdens?
