Dozens of volunteers spent their Saturday morning cleaning up trash along the beach in Oceanside.
But the mission behind the event was much bigger than that.
The cleanup was created by the organization Recycle For Veterans.
“The mission of Recycle For Veterans is to remove trash from our planet by empowering veterans to clean our communities," said co-founder Kyle Hansen.
Hansen and his co-founder, fellow Marine Corps veteran Andrew Levin, said the transition from military to civilian life can be tough.
"When you leave the military, it’s almost like leaving your best friends, your brothers, your sisters, whatever the case may be," Levin said. "So, you kind of have a hole that needs to be filled."
Levin said the cleanups are a good way to fill that hole.
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"You get out here, you meet great people, you guys get connected and you have friends that are all united under this common purpose,” Levin said.
Hansen had a tough time finding his purpose, after a training accident suddenly ended his military career.
“I was injured back in 2017 on Camp Pendleton and given a medical discharge because of it,” Hansen said.
He said joining forces with others to clean-up the planet has helped him move forward.
“Starting Recycle for Veterans with Andrew here has really given me that sense of purpose again and I want to create that in our communities,” Hansen said.
