Obstacle can’t keep villa resident from daily mission
Ever wondered about the man who regularly walks south campus and nearby retail areas, picking up trash?
Chances are you’ve seen him. Villa resident Jim Christensen spends hours on the task each day; in fact, he typically logs ten miles, if you count his participation in two daily Zoom exercise classes offered by the WHC wellness department.
“There’s plenty of trash to pick up,” he asserts. “The other day, I walked from Walmart just to the north side of campus when it was windy and picked up a Hy-Vee sack full of plastic grocery bags. It was chock-full.”
What makes this mission more remarkable – and challenging – is that Jim is legally blind.
He can see lighter plastics and white bags easily or even cellophane if the light bounces off it. He’s rigged his own system to help him pick up litter: His long-handled grabber is affixed to his waist for easy access. An upcycled shower tote sits at his hip, holding open a plastic bag as he fills it with trash; extra bags are kept handy in an old, modified water bottle.
He also wears a wide-brimmed hat, carries water and walks only an hour on hot days instead of his normal two to three.
Jim rarely walks the same route twice in a row. On a rainy Sunday morning, he might pick up trash on both sides of Walmart, circle McDonalds and head toward the strip mall. “I might also return a few cans to Walmart and then I can get a treat of a diet Pepsi,” he laughs.
If he walks in the morning toward the north, he might get on the bike trail along South Main, looping around the wildlife area or heading toward Kwik Star off of Greenhill.
Jim started his daily habit when living in Elk Run Heights before he and his wife, Joyce, moved into a villa three years ago. “I wanted to move to a place that’s walkable,” Jim explains. “Here, the hardware stores are close by, people are friendly and I meet people on the trails.”
He’s caught the attention of Walmart’s mowing and maintenance team, who often thank Jim for his work to beautify the area.
Add your own thanks to Jim the next time you see him out and about!
Jim is geared up and ready for hours of walking and picking up trash, which beautifies the campus and surrounding area.
