(L to R) Jennifer Nicely, Michael Prior III, Amani Reyna, Andrea Davis, Channing Davis, Jordan Hyler, and Jaheim Davis.

'Light Beyond Bars' Foundation Hosts Garten Cleanup Day 2026 By Jennifer Bailey Staff Writer   Covington, VA (Apr. 25, 2026)— On Saturday morning, April 25, the Light Beyond Bars Foundation—a nonprofit organization founded by Iron Gate residents Channing and Andrea Davis—hosted "Garten Cleanup Day" in Covington. The purpose was to promote community beautification, create a safer environment for locals and animal life, and give back to the Alleghany Highlands. The cleanup also gave one local the opportunity to perform court-ordered community service, it provided an Alleghany High School (AHS) senior the chance to add hours to their mandatory community service for the school in order to graduate, it brought in two volunteers, and the remaining crew, like the Davis', were all part of the Light Beyond Bars Foundation. The Light Beyond Bars Foundation was created with the purpose of assisting formerly incarcerated individuals with the what they need to transition from inmate to active, thriving member of society. According the their website, they wish to support former incarcerated persons by helping them with "...felon-friendly employment opportunities" while "...offering consistent guidance through a compassionate and supportive team." Today's mission for Light Beyond Bars was all about bringing members of the community together to help with ridding the environment of unwanted litter. When asked about the inspiration to get involved in community cleanup, co-founder and CEO Channing Davis stated, "We work for Garten, for one, and we want to be more involved in the community, and Garten sponsors our organization...And we were sponsored by the Alleghany Chamber of Commerce. They provided us with the sticks, and bag and vests." "And April's Cleanup month," Andrea Davis, Channing's wife, added, "so we chose April."

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