DURHAM, N.C. -- Daniel Toben refuses to throw away his passion because the country is in a pandemic.

Toben, 32, has been picking up trash around the Triangle for more than a decade. 

"For me personally, I still wanted to make a contribution to the community during the Coronavirus," he says.

The volunteer now wears a face mask and keeps his social distance. He still wears gloves to pick up any and every piece of litter, not at all worried about catching COVID-19. He works two jobs in addition to his volunteer work. 

But the pandemic is leaving its mark, even in the garbage people are throwing out.

"It's been a really sad time to see so much of the face shields and gloves that people are throwing out."

Toben feels he still has to fulfill his calling. He hopes others will find theirs even during the pandemic. 

"My hope is that during this time when many of us are slowing down and some of us are not working that we will use this time, that slower pace, to reflect on our lives and how we want to restart once things kind of go back to normal," he adds.