Aluminum cans underpin mission work

"Father Pete" is a familiar face around Ripley, coming as he does two Sundays a month from his home in Pontotoc to lead Spanish and English church services.

As much as he's known for his religious service, however, the Glenmary Mission priest -- The Rev. Gerald "Pete" Peterson -- is known as a friend to the environment and a friend to Habitat for Humanity.

Through 40 years it's fair to say that Father Pete has probably collected hundreds of thousands of cans to recycle, with proceeds of those sales going to Habitat chapters in whatever location he was serving. Currently his efforts benefit the Pontotoc County Habitat, but he has three can recycling collection sites around Ripley.

"I started running when I was 40," the 82-year-old semi-retired priest said. "I started picking up cans back then to pay for my running shoes. They sold for 25 cents a pound and I collected maybe 400 pounds a year."

Before retiring from full-time church work and moving to Pontotoc, Father Pete's last posting was in Hamilton, Ala. He took advantage of Glenmary's option to move from full-time to part-time work after age 70.

While he slowed down from running to become a walker at age 65, his metal recycling picked up.

His efforts for the Pontotoc Habitat have regularly exceeded 400 pounds for each month. In 2010, he averaged 545 pounds a month, resulting in Habitat donations of more than $3,500 for the year, and in 2011 monthly can collections averaged 584 pounds.

In the 10 years he has been in Pontotoc, the local chapter has built about 30 homes, he said, but the slow economy and tight family budgets resulted in only one home built in 2011.

Although there haven't been Habitat chapters in every location he has served, Father Pete's commitment to the program began in Clarksville, Ga., where he served as chairman of a Habitat program, helping to build decent, affordable housing for low-income families. Being in the outdoors for his runs and walks also bolstered his commitment to the environment.

"I like to promote the environment by recycling everything, but cans will probably save more energy," he said. Nevertheless, he also takes advantage of the local recycling drop-offs for cardboard, plastics and newspapers.

The Aluminum Association says the benefits of aluminum can recycling are not only to the environment but also to the community and the economy.

Father Pete is aided in his aluminum can collection efforts by people in the churches where he serves -- which includes New Albany, Fulton and Tupelo -- and others throughout the community. However, at his age he said others need to be thinking about taking up where he must eventually leave off.

"I told Barbara (Carter, executive director of Pontotoc Habitat) that I'm not getting any younger, so she needs to start looking for someone else."