Virginia deputy picks up litter: 'It takes one person to make a difference'

SUSSEX COUNTY, Va. -- Sussex County Sheriff's Deputy Stewart Hudson has patrolled the area in and around Wakefield, Virginia for less than a year, but he has already made a big impact.

When Pam Jones spotted and photographed Deputy Hudson picking up trash near Branch Street and Route 460 Monday, more people learned about Hudson's dedication to the community.

"It bothers me when I see trash," Deputy Hudson said when asked why he was in the ditch picking up litter while in uniform. "This area is my big concern because this is my area I patrol."

Hudson's willingness to get dirty for the benefit of the community was not a surprise to those who know him.

"He's that type where he just jumps in, you don't have to tell him what to do," Jones, a dispatcher for the nearby Waverly Police Department said. "He loves his community, he would do anything for the community."

Hudson said while on the job he has to lead by example.

"It takes one person to make a difference," he said. "I feel if I pick the trash up, somebody else will see it and they'll pick it up."

And that, he said, would not only help community morale, but also the local economy.

"If I drove past [the trash] and I wasn't part of Sussex county, this would not be a place I would want to stop," he said.

"Hopefully that would encourage other citizens to just join in, not to be asked, not for some kind of reward, but to beautify the town really," Jones said.

Hudson collected six bags of trash in about 30 minutes.

"I'm just going to keep on leading the way," he said.