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The following was written and submitted by Cara Pedri

I am writing because I am concerned the Ray Lovato Recycling Center may soon have to close. I would be very disappointed if this happens. You see, I have a son who works at the Recycling Center. He has had a rough time growing up with a disability and fitting in.

The Recycling Center has not only given him an opportunity to work, but also has instilled in him a purpose. He knows what he’s doing is very important to the environment.

He hasn’t always been able to communicate well, he has a comfort zone that he truly has a hard time leaving. The staff who work at the Ray Lovato Recycling Center have included my son in their work day and he is learning teamwork. Not only that, but he has expanded the circle of people that he trusts and can call his friends.

Then there is the bigger concern of recycling in our community. The amount of articles that can be recycled is growing all the time. It is surprising how much can be recycled. Why would our community want to see our landfill full of items that could be recycled?

Volunteer to help, check out their website and see how many items you may be throwing away that could be recycled. It really doesn’t take much time to put these things aside and then take them down to the center. Funding is a major issue right now.

The City and County has found a way to keep the recycling center open for over 20 years. They must find funding again at this time so that we can all benefit by this facility. It is simply the right thing to do. Please support the Ray Lovato Recycling Center.