EVANS CITY — Newspapers spilling from the recycle container at St. Peter's Lutheran Church are not the fault of the church.

That's the word from the church's pastor, the Rev. David Saylor, who said Monday that Abitibi Paper Retriever failed to pick up the load of papers on Friday.

Saylor said church officials collect newspapers in a large receptacle in the lower parking lot to be recycled for cash. Church members and others donate the papers.

He said the money is then forwarded to Camp Lutherlyn in Franklin Township, where it is used for a scholarship program that sends inner-city children to the camp.

Saylor said the church last year sent about $550 to Camp Lutherlyn.

“So whoever is complaining about the papers is hurting kids who don't have the money to go to camp,” Saylor said.

He said donors who bring bundles of papers to the church sit them on the ground when the receptacle is full, which creates a messy situation in the neighborhood on windy days.

Multiple calls and e-mails from church personnel to Abitibi Paper Retrievers, which is based in Houston but has an operations facility in Pittsburgh, have not resulted in a much-needed pickup, Saylor said.

Church officials on Monday emailed photos to Abitibi to prove the receptacle is not blocked by snow, which was the reasoning given to the church for the failure to make a pick up.

An operator at Abitibi's Pittsburgh facility would not comment on the plethora of papers at St. Peter's and gave a number for an employee at corporate headquarters in Houston.

That individual did not immediately return calls from the Butler Eagle.

Evans City police Chief Joe McCombs said police are aware of the situation, and have been in touch with Abitibi numerous times.

He said the company claims to have problems with retaining drivers.

“We're on it,” McCombs said. “Something's going to be done.”

He said the officer overseeing the case was to continue working on it today.

For the time being, Saylor wants the public to know the pileup is not the fault of the church.

“The complaint is with the recycling company.”