NBC12 News, Weather Sports, Traffic, and Programming Guide for Richmond, VA | Church cleaning up high school courtyard

Church cleaning up high school courtyard

By Melissa Correa - bio | email
Posted by Terry Alexander - email

CHESTERFIELD, VA (WWBT) - Wednesday night members of the Colonial Heights Baptist Church will be pulling up weeds in an effort to spruce up Matoaca High School's courtyard.

"It needs to be an inviting environment and it's clearly not right now," said Julee Walker.

Julee Walker is a member of Colonial Heights Baptist Church, a Matoaca High graduate and now a part of the courtyard clean-up crew.

"Our church does summer programs all summer long; helping people and just being ordinary people out in the community and that's what we're here to do," said Walker.

"And to have parents step in is a great opportunity to show the cooperation between the community, even the faith community, and the schools," said Principal Steve Cunningham.

30 men, women even children will be put to work.

"We want to get all the weeds taken down; pulled; sprayed. We're going to bring truck loads of mulch in. James River Equipment is actually donating a John Deere Gator," Walker said.

The plan that took a week and a half to create has Principal Steve Cunningham on pins and needles.

"Am I going to be spying on them? I'm going to be here, but I'm going to be here only to unlock doors or do whatever I can to help them," said Cunningham.

The church group and the principal envision a major upgrade for the area that's used by students during lunch.

"I think they'll walk in and go ‘Wow! This is a cool place to hang out now.'," said Walker said.

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