When it comes to feeding the hungry and helping those in need, Clark County Community Services continues to shine, driven by both its outstanding effort but also its almost unmatched ingenuity.

The organization that has, according to its motto, been “feeding, clothing and housing families in crisis since 1975” is always looking at ways to do more and to make its dollars go farther.

People’s lives depend on it.

That makes the innovative recycling program — now in its fifth year — critically important.

CCCS launched its metal recycling program in 2013 and now recycles enough materials to allow the organization to purchase an additional tens of thousands of pounds of food each year.

That equates a lot of dinner tables that would, at the very least, be less full or, worst case, be completely empty.

In 2015, CCCS recycled 18,000 pounds of metal and then more than doubled that in 2016 with about 49,000 pounds. Last year, CCCS recycled more than 65,000 pounds of metal. This year, the organization has already recycled nearly 26,000 pounds and has loads ready to go.

We applaud director Debbie Fatkin for her strong leadership of this critical organization and also for her willingness to think outside the box.

Couple that with an amazing group of volunteers and supports, and you have the amazing success story that Clark County Community Services has become.

Do you want to help? Opportunities abound.

Citizens can donate to the metal recycling program directly by dropping recyclable materials off at the office. CCCS volunteers are even willing to pick them up at your home.

Fatkin summed up the driving thought behind this initiative perfectly.

“Whereas some people might see trash, I see food.”

Not everyone would have that level of vision. Countless Clark Countians can be thankful that Fatkin does.