A new group formed from the Hispanic community in Chilton County is working to become more involved in various events throughout the county.

More than 30 members of the group, “Caminemos Juntos por un Futuro Mejor” which is translated as “Walking Together for a Better Future” met on Sept. 21 to clean up trash alongside U.S. Highway 22.

Two of the group organizers, Rebeca Maciel and Natividad Gonzalez said they came up with the idea for the roadside cleanup to allow members of the Hispanic community to do work that would benefit the county.

“We felt like we were lacking in involvement in the county and many of us have lived in Chilton County for a long time,” Gonzalez said through a translator.

Gonzalez, originally from Mexico has lived in Chilton County for 10 years and Maciel, also from Mexico, has lived in Chilton County for 17 years.

Although most of the group members speak little English, they have several members of the group who are bilingual and can serve as translators for those unable to communicate.

“We want others to come and participate with us as we work on projects throughout the county,” Gonzalez said. “Our goal is to become more involved and we want others in the community to work alongside us.”

Due to the rainfall at the event on Saturday, Gonzalez and Maciel said they would like to reschedule a second event to continue working to remove roadside litter.

The group has not decided if they will continue working on Highway 22 or begin cleanup work on a portion of Highway 31 but should be planning a clean up within the next three weeks.

Maciel said anyone wishing to participate with the second roadside cleanup should wear a brightly colored shirt to be easily seen by motorists and bring a pair of gloves.

For more information about the next roadside cleanup, call Yazmin Contreras at (205) 706-7007 or Felisia Padilla at (205) 280-7517.