Church of God Volunteers Clean Up Azad Nagar Road and Repaint Lashkar Police Station in Pune

Camp, 27th October 2025: The World Mission Society Church of God (General Chairman Rev. Kim Joo-cheol) organised a large-scale community service drive in Pune, reflecting its commitment to public welfare and environmental care. On October 26, Church members and volunteers carried out a cleanup along Azad Nagar Road in Wanowrie and refurbished the Lashkar Police Station by repainting its walls and cleaning the surrounding area.

Around 9:30 a.m., nearly 40 people—including Church members, university students, families, and local residents—assembled near Ruby Hall Clinic in Wanowrie. Dividing into smaller groups, they cleaned a 1.5-kilometre stretch, collecting around 5.5 tonnes of garbage. Their work helped eliminate foul odours and significantly improved the appearance of the busy road, which is frequently used by residents visiting nearby government offices and medical institutions.

The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) extended support to the volunteers by providing gloves, masks, garbage bags, and waste collection vehicles. Sandeep Kadam, Deputy Commissioner of the PMC’s Solid Waste Management Department, praised the initiative. “Your work is truly commendable; we appreciate your efforts and wish you success in your future endeavours,” he said.
Simultaneously, around 40 university student volunteers from the Church’s ASEZ group took part in refurbishing the Lashkar Police Station. They cleaned, scraped old paint, filled wall cracks, and applied fresh white paint, giving the station a brighter appearance. Volunteers also collected discarded plastic cups, bags, and other waste around the premises.

Police Inspector (Crime) Pradeep Pawar expressed gratitude, saying, “Since morning, all the students have worked very hard. We appreciate their spirit of service and wish them success in their future endeavours.”

Student volunteer Samruddhi (20) shared, “I really enjoyed painting the walls. I look forward to participating in more volunteer activities like this.” Another volunteer, Nishant (18), added, “It was fun and meaningful to paint and clean up the area. I’d like to continue such volunteer work in the future.”

The Church of God has been actively involved in various social and environmental initiatives across India. Its projects include the Forest of Hope campaign—launched in Arunachal Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Sikkim, and Gujarat—to promote afforestation and carbon reduction, and the Erase Plastic Footprint campaign to reduce plastic waste. Through the Hold Hope! campaign, it has provided essential goods and food to underprivileged communities, while its Worldwide Blood Drive has helped maintain blood supply reserves globally.

For its sustained humanitarian efforts, the Church of God has received appreciation from several government bodies, including the Minister of Social Justice and Special Support of Maharashtra, the Minister of Health of Chhattisgarh, and the mayors of Mumbai, Ahmednagar, and Vasai Virar.

Founded in South Korea in 1964, the Church of God celebrates its 61st anniversary this year. Guided by the principle of “Love your neighbour as yourself,” the organisation has undertaken over 44,000 community service activities worldwide, including disaster relief, blood donation drives, and environmental campaigns. Its contributions have earned it more than 5,200 awards globally, including the U.S. Presidential Volunteer Service Award, South Korea’s Presidential Award, the U.K.’s Queen’s Volunteer Service Award, and several national honours from Brazil and Peru.