VALDOSTA — Southeastern Federal Credit Union is not just dedicated to its customers, it is dedicated to the community. Since 2009, it has participated in Keep Lowndes/Valdosta Beautiful by picking up trash along a mile stretch starting at the intersection of North Valdosta Road and Country Club Road going west to the first bridge.

“It’s something Lori devised,” said Mickey Garland, vice president of marketing and business development at Southeastern FCU.

Lori Cauley is the marketing manager at Southeastern FCU and used to be on the KLVB board.

During the past three years, Southeastern FCU has had a team working the road. Ranging from 14 to 20 people, they rotate every other month.

“Currently, we have 14 that do it,” said Cauley.

A small team of seven goes out every month, even in the heat of summer, to remove trash.

They begin at 2:30 p.m. and are finished usually around 4:30 p.m. Seven to eight months of the year, they walk two miles because they walk up North Valdosta Road then back again.

However, in the summer months, they have a van that drops them off so they only have to walk one mile.

“They come in and enjoy it,” said Garland. “I was impressed by that.”

Even more impressive: This was organized without disrupting business or service to Southeastern’s customers.

“Lori has arranged it where we do it without interrupting service,” said Garland.

While adopting a highway is a huge responsibility, it’s fairly easy for any business to do the same, Cauly said.

“You don’t have to have this many people to do it,” said Cauley. “There have been times where just me and Mickey went out by ourselves.”

Also, KLVB does not require that a business go out every month. It only requires its adopters go out once every quarter.

“I just felt like if we’re going to do this, we’re really going to commit,” said Cauley. “That’s our stretch.”

North Valdosta Road is considered a dirty stretch.

“It’s very trashy,” said Cauley.

Every year, Aaron Strickland, KLVB executive director, charts a litter index.

“They will compile a very extensive list,” said Cauley.

To adopt a stretch, all you have to do is call KLVB and sign a one-year commitment.

“They supply the trash bags and you go from there,” said Cauley. “Just make sure you’ve got what it takes to back up the commitment.”

Both Garland and Cauley hope that other local businesses will follow in their civic-minded footsteps.

“If you’re a business and you’re a part of this community and you have a lot of trash outside your office ... do the part,” said Cauley. “It’s doable and we’re proof.”

Southeastern FCU even received the Adopt-A-Road/Street Participant of the Year award this year.

“We also received it for the 2009-2010 year,” said Cauley.

The award makes Cauley and the staff feel like what they’re doing is making a difference.

“I also feel very proud that we have the institution that will allow our employees to do this,” said Cauley.

For Garland, Southeastern FCU is such a high-profile business, and because of this, it strives to serve as a role model for other businesses in the community.

“With such a high-level profile comes responsibility to the community,” said Garland.

Garland was not only impressed with Cauley’s leadership in this project, but he also loved how so many employees got on board and followed her vision.

“They have stayed interested in this consistently,” said Garland.

Southeastern FCU shows its appreciation by letting the employees go home early on clean-up days.

“They don’t have to come back to work,” said Garland. “They go home an hour-and-a-half early.”

So if you’re ever driving up North Valdosta Road and you see orange hats and Southeastern FCU T-shirts, give a honk of support because those employees picking up trash in the heat of the summer certainly deserve it.

“It’s just something that makes our city beautiful,” said Cauley.