Imagine replacing a weekly meeting by donning boots, vests, gloves and heading into the weeds. That’s exactly what six Cherokee Rotary members did in a major effort to improve and restore their community in September. To kick-off their inaugural Adpot-a-Highway litter sweep, the Cherokee Rotary Club partnered with the Oconaluftee Job Corps Civilian Conservation Center (OJCCCC) in a highly successful clean-up effort. “I can’t believe what people will throw out into the environment” said Oconaluftee student Jenny Barnett as she picked up trash at the corner of US 441 and Stacy Saunooke Rd. “It just seems so irresponsible”. Barnett spent the next two hours with 11 other OJCCCC students working to clean-up the adopted stretch of US 441.  

EBCI Travel & Tourism and Rotary member, Robert Jumper, captured the spirit of the crisp fall morning stating “We should do this every week, every month… it’s just great to see so many people turn out to make our community just a little bit brighter, just a little bit better.” It all, over 20 large bags of litter and trash were collected from the road side with 34 total volunteer hours spent. Special thanks to the following Cherokee Rotary Club members and OJCCCC students who volunteered for this special service project: Dr. Casey Cooper- Cherokee Indian Hospital, Lloyd Arneach- EBCI Information Technology, Cherie Rose- EBCI Information Technology, Hugh Lambert- EBCI Information Technology, Robert Jumper- EBCI Travel & Tourism, Holly Krake- USFS OJCCCC, Students: Chris Brown, Travis Johnson, Quentin Lewis, Jenny Barnett, Brooke Carr, Zavius Godfrey, Latoya Graham, Ya’bria Hill, Eric Grunert, Raciel Polanco, and Ashley Reid.

The Oconaluftee Job Corps Civilian Conservation Center is associated with the National Forests of North Carolina and currently serves 68 students.  The mission of the USDA Forest Service is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the Nation’s forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations.  The Agency manages 193 million acres of public land, provides assistance to State and private landowners, and maintains the largest forestry research organization in the world. For more information about OJCCCC, visit oconaluftee.jobcorps.gov