Chuck Bondra, who worked for the City Planning Department for 31 years, is now retired and volunteers for the City of Columbia at the Columbia Public Works Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) Collection Facility. HHW provides people with a local facility where they can drop off and have properly disposed their hazardous waste products, such as pharmaceuticals, acids, mothballs, paint strippers, cell phones, kerosene, and brake fluid — basically anything flammable, explosive, corrosive, toxic, or poisonous.
For the past two years, Chuck has been volunteering at HHW assisting with traffic flow, answering questions, and helping train and supervise new volunteers. “I enjoy meeting and helping the people who come to the collection facility,” Chuck says.
After retirement Chuck was looking for volunteer opportunities at the city website and thought volunteering for the HHW looked interesting. He had also used the facility over the years. “Most days I run into people dropping off stuff who I know,” he says, “and the people who run the program are nice to work with.”
Helping others is something Chuck enjoys, both in Florida and Missouri. He fixes bikes for needy people in both states, volunteers at the library and is a caseworker for St. Vincent DePaul Society in Florida.
Household Hazardous Waste Collection Facility is open 8-12pm on the 1st and 3rd Saturdays April through November.
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