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Volunteers gathered for ‘I Love West Dayton Clean Up Initiative’ Saturday

DAYTON — Volunteers filled the parking lot of Shiloh Baptist Church today, coming together with the goal to change how the people view the black community.

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“So while we are protesting, while we are pleading that black lives do matter, we cannot expect ourselves to be valued if we don’t value them ourselves,” event organizer Chaz Amos said.

Amos said he came up with the “I Love West Dayton Clean Up Initiative” after seeing the social unrest following the death of George Floyd. He felt it was important to start his push for change in his own neighborhood.

“I moved to Westwood in 2008 and some of the same trash and abandoned homes that I saw when I was younger are still here today.”

Four organizations and more than 200 people took part in today’s clean up, focusing on the West Dayton neighborhoods.

“The bible tells we have not because we ask not, so basically we are here because Chaz asked a question,” volunteer and minister Daria Dillard-Stone said.

Volunteers hope people see the bigger cause behind the effort.

“Not very many people know each others names, but we are coming here to clean up together and that’s really special to me,” said Edward James of the Tabernacle Baptist Church.

“With all the craziness going on in the world right now...with COVID, social unrest after Ahmad Arbery and George Floyd and all that -- to see our community come together...black and white, men and women, young, old and just say we are here to serve for one purpose because we believe in each other and we believe in our community...is powerful,” volunteer Caleb Ingram said.

Amos told News Center 7′s Ronnell Hunt he’s very happy with the turnout and the results in the areas the volunteers cleaned.

He plans on returning to clean every Saturday through October from 10 a.m. to noon.

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