KEYSTONE, W.Va. – On May 8, 2021, Reconnecting McDowell and the Brothers and Sisters of the Patch—a nonprofit group comprised of current and former residents of communities in the eastern part of McDowell County—hosted a cleanup in the Cinder Bottom neighborhood of Keystone.

Numerous people stopped by to help as their schedules allowed. The core group of approximately 14 people (see photo) filled up 86 large garbage bags with trash, as well as larger items such as rusted bicycles and old furniture.

The project was supported by the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) through their Make it Shine program. DEP supplied gloves and garbage bags for the volunteers and will haul the collected trash away and cover landfill fees.