Sunbury recovery church gives back with community cleanup

May 25—SUNBURY — Around 30 members of Christ Wesleyan Sunbury spent their Saturday mornings cleaning up their community.

Pastor Billy Robel, who led the group, said his church decided they wanted to give back and made a call to the city to see where they could be most helpful.

"It's wasn't about where we wanted to go," Robel said. "We made a call to the mayor and said 'where would you like us to go?'"

"Recovery Church Sunbury is a place built by the recovering community for the recovering community," according to its website. "We focus is on drug and alcohol addiction. We are looking to bridge the gap for those either already in recovery or entering recovery to connect with the local church and to help them establish their faith."

Robel was given a few suggestions of areas within the city where trash was a problem. On Saturday, three groups from the church were sent out across the city to clean areas including along the river wall, near the former Dollar General and Memorial Drive, Robel said.

Benjamin Herrold, Certified Recovery Specialist with Christ Wesleyan Church, said giving back feels good.

"We want to prove to the community we're not just another church. We believe giving back and helping others makes us stand out from the rest," Herrold said. "And it feels good to do it."

Several of the recovery church members involved in Saturday's cleanup are residents of The Lighthouse in Sunbury. One of them, Kevin Eric Eltringham, said givng back to Sunbury, specifically, means a lot.

"We're giving back to the city that saved our lives," he said.

The Sunbury recovery church would like to get involved in more community projects like Saturday's city cleanup, according to Robel

"We want to give back to the city we love," he said. "Our hope is to do multiple projects a year to help out."