Concerned that the trash could cause an accident or harm wildlife, Christine pulled into the Central Convenience Center and approached a staff member. That staff member, Phillip Grayson, didn’t hesitate to take action. “I see service to the citizens of Goochland as part of my job and sometimes those opportunities manifest themselves in different ways.” said Phillip. He quickly retrieved safety vests, trash pickers, and bags. Before he and Christine could head off to pick up the trash, a man in a red truck called out the window, “Howdy neighbor, I picked up your trash, but I could not get the box.”
That man was off-duty Goochland Sheriff’s Deputy Terry Russell who, with the help of his seven-year-old daughter, stopped on Fairgrounds and collected the garbage. “It was the right thing to do. I watched up ahead as a couple of cars drove around the bag and lose trash. I made sure no traffic was coming, turned on the emergency flashers, and then we got out and picked up what we could.” said Russell.
Even though the majority of trash had been collected, Christine wanted to ensure everything had been retrieved. “Phillip was completely supportive, nonjudgmental, kind and had a protocol to keep us safe.” she said. When asked about his employee’s actions, Dwayne Jones, Convenience Center Manager, remarked “What happened was no surprise to me. Phil and staff have always gone above and beyond to help anyone in need at the Convenience Center. Phil is a good man and a pleasure to work with. He is a vital part of the operations at the convenience center.”
“We are privileged to live in a very beautiful place, and we should all do whatever we can to keep it that way.” said Phillip. Anyone looking to participate in clean-up efforts throughout Goochland are encouraged to contact Virginia Department of Transportation’s (VDOT) Adopt a Highway program (Adoptahighway@VDOT.Virginia.gov) or the James River Advisory Council (JRAC) at https://jrac-va.org/. The next scheduled event is JRAC’s James River Clean Up on September 10th at Tucker Park. The Convenience Center also holds events throughout the year, such as their Tire Amnesty & Document Shredding, scheduled for Fall 2022, and Cargo-Net Give Away, scheduled for Spring 2023. For more information about these programs, please contact the Goochland County Convenience Center at (804) 556-5374.
