By By Kerry Whipple Bean
publisher
It was, organizer Carl McInnish said, a project only God could bring together.
More than 60 people — mostly local church youth — from both Brewton and East Brewton gathered Saturday morning to help clean up the debris left by last month’s flood in East Brewton.
All morning, they stuffed trash bags with paper and pieces of signs; rolled away abandoned tires; and stacked wood and other debris.
Seven church groups and organizations took part in the cleanup effort, said McInnish, the youth pastor at First Presbyterian Church in East Brewton.
McInnish has been working this year with Youth Alive, a student-led, nondenominational group at W.S. Neal High School.
Passing by the debris on his way to the school, he got the idea for the cleanup.
Youth Alive sponsor Gloria Jerkins said Saturday’s group included students from both W.S. Neal and T.R. Miller, as well as several area churches.
East Brewton City Councilman Byron Palmer said he was glad to see so many young people take part in the cleanup.
East Brewton Public Works Director Steve Dunaway said the cleanup was a “tremendous effort.”