The couple volunteer several mornings a week, picking up discarded trash — fast food wrappers, coffee cups, “nip” bottles, cigarette butts — and trimming brush, starting at a portion of the Eastern Trail and heading south.
“We’ve pretty much adopted a two-mile stretch from Silver Springs (Campground) to Beach Street,” said Jim.
The two took a break from their volunteer work on Tuesday morning to talk to a reporter, after first making sure all trash was removed from the immediate area.
“We’re compulsive. This is not a job to us,” said Sue.
Jim, 73, and Sue, 68, are both retired from WestPoint Home — he was a purchasing manager, she worked in the payroll department.
The couple raised their children in Saco and lived in the city full time for many years. After retirement, they sold their home and now live at the Silver Springs Campground in the summer and spend winters in Florida.
“We like to see our city nice and clean. We hope it rubs off,” said Sue.
“We love this community,” said Jim.
The couple said it’s important to them to give back, and picking up the trash along this stretch fits their lifestyle. They can work independently, on their own schedule, and they can do it seasonally.
“You don’t have to be bored in your retirement,” said Sue. “There’s always something to do.”
Jim said he and his wife have filled more than 100 bags with trash since May.
And while its disheartening to see the trash that accumulates on the side of the busy street, the couple said many people are appreciative of their work, including a local landscaper who thanked them for picking up trash so that it doesn’t get caught up in the vegetation and shredded when he trims the greenery.
They hope their work inspires others to think twice about throwing trash out the car window or to contact their local parks and recreation department to see if there are any volunteer opportunities in their community.
— Staff Writer Liz Gotthelf can be contacted at 282-1535, ext. 325 or egotthelf@journaltribune.com.
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