1 00:00:02,600 --> 00:00:04,440 Speaker 1: Previously on Weedian House. 2 00:00:06,000 --> 00:00:07,640 Speaker 2: We know we can voice out an opinion, you know 3 00:00:07,680 --> 00:00:09,800 Speaker 2: we can, We can talk to whoever. We just we 4 00:00:09,960 --> 00:00:11,920 Speaker 2: just weren't aware of how to go about it. And 5 00:00:12,000 --> 00:00:13,399 Speaker 2: we are going to blow the wistl on this. We 6 00:00:13,440 --> 00:00:16,000 Speaker 2: are going to blow it out of proportion because it's 7 00:00:16,079 --> 00:00:19,520 Speaker 2: too much. They created a system that's designed to fail 8 00:00:19,600 --> 00:00:23,239 Speaker 2: on itself. When is enough ever going to be enough? 9 00:00:24,040 --> 00:00:25,760 Speaker 3: There's a war on the poor here in this country. 10 00:00:25,840 --> 00:00:27,760 Speaker 3: There's a huge war on the poor in the Philippines, 11 00:00:27,920 --> 00:00:29,600 Speaker 3: and that's a huge part of why so many of 12 00:00:29,600 --> 00:00:32,280 Speaker 3: our people are here too. Right, all this money going 13 00:00:32,360 --> 00:00:35,040 Speaker 3: to war, all this money going to policing, Like, where's 14 00:00:35,080 --> 00:00:38,040 Speaker 3: the money for the people? Right? Why is it also 15 00:00:38,080 --> 00:00:39,720 Speaker 3: that we see the war and the police actually be 16 00:00:39,760 --> 00:00:41,440 Speaker 3: turned out against our own people. 17 00:00:50,560 --> 00:00:55,080 Speaker 4: Welcome back to Weedian House. I'm your host, Theo Henderson. 18 00:00:56,120 --> 00:00:59,520 Speaker 4: Thanks so much to everyone who listened to our last 19 00:00:59,560 --> 00:01:04,880 Speaker 4: three uppis series Unblow the Whistle. One quick correction. Last 20 00:01:04,880 --> 00:01:09,759 Speaker 4: episode we spoke to Ina, not Anya, and this week 21 00:01:10,319 --> 00:01:13,920 Speaker 4: we've got something a little different, a look at mutual 22 00:01:13,959 --> 00:01:17,160 Speaker 4: aid group in Los Angeles that came to be during 23 00:01:17,200 --> 00:01:23,000 Speaker 4: an important moment in local unhoused history. Today we're talking 24 00:01:23,040 --> 00:01:27,720 Speaker 4: to Echo Park Trash Club. Like every mutual a group 25 00:01:27,760 --> 00:01:31,880 Speaker 4: out here, it has an origin story. Echo Park trash 26 00:01:31,920 --> 00:01:35,520 Speaker 4: Club story is riddled with resistance and backlash. And that 27 00:01:35,600 --> 00:01:38,800 Speaker 4: may seem a little bizarre, but this came during the 28 00:01:38,840 --> 00:01:42,679 Speaker 4: situation while the unhoused community was under a brutal. 29 00:01:42,360 --> 00:01:45,120 Speaker 1: Attack by its own local government. 30 00:01:45,760 --> 00:01:49,880 Speaker 4: There is a lot to cover the first unhoused news. 31 00:01:52,680 --> 00:01:56,040 Speaker 4: Earlier in my episodes, I have spoken on a concept 32 00:01:56,280 --> 00:01:59,720 Speaker 4: many house members of society used to repel and the 33 00:01:59,800 --> 00:02:04,040 Speaker 4: two her the unhoused community. Violence, of course, is the 34 00:02:04,160 --> 00:02:08,840 Speaker 4: leading tool used against the unhoused community. Sweeps are violence. 35 00:02:09,240 --> 00:02:14,079 Speaker 4: Forty one eighteen is violence as well. However, a seemingly 36 00:02:14,720 --> 00:02:22,320 Speaker 4: innocuous tool with equal violent repercussions is hostile architecture. Large boulders, 37 00:02:23,120 --> 00:02:28,960 Speaker 4: huge alien aggressive looking plants, spikes, and huge wood farmer 38 00:02:29,040 --> 00:02:32,560 Speaker 4: boxes are some of the ever evolving types of tools 39 00:02:33,200 --> 00:02:37,320 Speaker 4: used to displace the inn housed in their communities. Thus, 40 00:02:37,720 --> 00:02:41,640 Speaker 4: Hollywood businesses have stepped up the campaign of displacing the 41 00:02:41,720 --> 00:02:46,520 Speaker 4: un housed by using large planter boxes on sidewalks. House 42 00:02:46,560 --> 00:02:49,400 Speaker 4: business owners have long used tactics to make the unhoused 43 00:02:49,400 --> 00:02:52,360 Speaker 4: community un welcome near their businesses and in the community. 44 00:02:53,160 --> 00:02:57,200 Speaker 4: The city, meanwhile, has largely turned a blind eye as 45 00:02:57,240 --> 00:03:00,480 Speaker 4: house business owners have taken the matter into their own hands, 46 00:03:00,680 --> 00:03:05,200 Speaker 4: giving TACIT approval. The only time the city comes alive 47 00:03:05,720 --> 00:03:08,520 Speaker 4: is the enforcement of forty one eighteen or the creation 48 00:03:08,680 --> 00:03:12,040 Speaker 4: of new policies and tactics used to erase the unhoused. 49 00:03:13,240 --> 00:03:16,080 Speaker 4: This is a developing story and we will keep you 50 00:03:16,120 --> 00:03:22,440 Speaker 4: a prize of the current situation. In alternative medical circles, 51 00:03:23,200 --> 00:03:28,200 Speaker 4: Indigenous tribes are using opioord funds for a sweat lodge detoxification. 52 00:03:29,160 --> 00:03:32,480 Speaker 4: The Megma Nation are calling it a vital to inhaling. 53 00:03:33,360 --> 00:03:35,760 Speaker 4: They are using the funds from settlements with companies that 54 00:03:35,920 --> 00:03:41,040 Speaker 4: made or sold prescription handkillers, which has had a devastating 55 00:03:41,080 --> 00:03:47,000 Speaker 4: effect on their community. Moving on, the state of California 56 00:03:47,080 --> 00:03:50,920 Speaker 4: has awarded fifty one point five million dollars in grant. 57 00:03:50,680 --> 00:03:53,000 Speaker 1: Money to sweep. 58 00:03:52,760 --> 00:03:58,800 Speaker 4: Encampments and freeways. The program is called Halfway Home. It 59 00:03:58,880 --> 00:04:02,280 Speaker 4: claims it will move six hundred people into interim housing 60 00:04:02,760 --> 00:04:05,760 Speaker 4: along with the six hundred people who are currently in 61 00:04:05,800 --> 00:04:16,040 Speaker 4: the program. The communities affected will be West Athens, Willowbrook, Downey, Norwalk, Southgate, Lynn, Wood, 62 00:04:16,480 --> 00:04:20,840 Speaker 4: Santa Fe Springs, South LA and some metro stations. 63 00:04:22,040 --> 00:04:26,400 Speaker 1: And that's unhouse news. 64 00:04:27,200 --> 00:04:30,320 Speaker 4: This week, we're in the field talking to the Echo 65 00:04:30,320 --> 00:04:37,160 Speaker 4: Park trash Club for listeners who aren't in the LA area. 66 00:04:37,320 --> 00:04:42,000 Speaker 4: Echo Park became ground zero for military occupation tactics orchestrated 67 00:04:42,200 --> 00:04:46,359 Speaker 4: against unhoused communities by the LAPD, then council member Mitchell 68 00:04:46,400 --> 00:04:51,360 Speaker 4: Farrell and then Mayor Eric Garcetti in early twenty twenty one. 69 00:04:52,760 --> 00:04:55,520 Speaker 4: At the time, their goal was to remove over fifty 70 00:04:55,600 --> 00:04:59,320 Speaker 4: unhoused communities in Echo Park who were sheltering in place 71 00:04:59,680 --> 00:05:04,520 Speaker 4: due to to COVID nineteen precautions. On March twenty fourth, 72 00:05:04,600 --> 00:05:09,600 Speaker 4: twenty twenty one, over four hundred cops descended on the 73 00:05:09,600 --> 00:05:14,359 Speaker 4: sheltering unhoused community in Eco Park and their allies and 74 00:05:14,400 --> 00:05:19,279 Speaker 4: subsequently fenced, cattled, and arrested the community. I was there 75 00:05:19,320 --> 00:05:24,320 Speaker 4: recording that night and it was horrific. Since then, O'faraoh 76 00:05:24,360 --> 00:05:28,520 Speaker 4: and Garcedi are gone, but the antipathy towards the unhoused remains. 77 00:05:29,600 --> 00:05:31,279 Speaker 4: Here's some of my coverage from that night. 78 00:05:33,760 --> 00:05:35,960 Speaker 1: Cvidially this is the o an innocent from Median House. 79 00:05:36,400 --> 00:05:38,640 Speaker 5: What the sounds that you hear from is the helicopter 80 00:05:39,040 --> 00:05:43,000 Speaker 5: and the protesters are protesting these situations that police officers 81 00:05:43,000 --> 00:05:46,560 Speaker 5: have come in the darker knight to remove the unhoused community. 82 00:05:47,240 --> 00:05:49,080 Speaker 5: They have three police arrest buses. 83 00:05:49,120 --> 00:05:51,400 Speaker 6: They have two trucks as well as they have over 84 00:05:51,480 --> 00:05:53,960 Speaker 6: sixty officers converging. 85 00:05:53,640 --> 00:05:58,720 Speaker 5: All different battage points the cattle, the protesters as well 86 00:05:58,720 --> 00:06:01,080 Speaker 5: as arrest them in a different states from the era, 87 00:06:01,400 --> 00:06:03,479 Speaker 5: probably Dodgers or another area where. 88 00:06:03,279 --> 00:06:05,000 Speaker 1: They would hold them and detain them. 89 00:06:05,240 --> 00:06:08,080 Speaker 6: Also, they have a yellow line preventing people from coming 90 00:06:08,120 --> 00:06:11,960 Speaker 6: in to protest the situation. As you can see over here, 91 00:06:12,000 --> 00:06:16,120 Speaker 6: the park is slowly descending on darkness. Their orders were 92 00:06:16,160 --> 00:06:18,520 Speaker 6: from what I've gathered is they waited to T thirty 93 00:06:18,720 --> 00:06:21,359 Speaker 6: to do the justifiable running in and removing people for. 94 00:06:21,440 --> 00:06:27,800 Speaker 7: The park. 95 00:06:26,279 --> 00:06:31,039 Speaker 4: From this horrific event. The Echo Park Trash Club was born. 96 00:06:33,040 --> 00:06:36,240 Speaker 4: Aaron Fine created a club that was unlike how many 97 00:06:36,240 --> 00:06:40,520 Speaker 4: clubs are created. They're not solely a beautification project. They 98 00:06:40,560 --> 00:06:43,960 Speaker 4: were created with intention intention of creating a sense of 99 00:06:43,960 --> 00:06:47,560 Speaker 4: community with the young house in Echo Park given their 100 00:06:47,600 --> 00:06:51,279 Speaker 4: hostility the un housed community received in Eco Park. Under 101 00:06:51,320 --> 00:06:55,280 Speaker 4: the leadership of ven council member Mitchell Farrell, Aaron set 102 00:06:55,279 --> 00:06:59,240 Speaker 4: out to foster a connection a community and in repairment 103 00:06:59,320 --> 00:07:05,400 Speaker 4: to the fraction relationship done by o' pharaoh's actions. When 104 00:07:05,440 --> 00:07:07,680 Speaker 4: we come back, we'll talk to the founder of the 105 00:07:07,720 --> 00:07:17,560 Speaker 4: Echo Park Trash Club. Welcome back to Weedian Howse I'm 106 00:07:17,600 --> 00:07:21,640 Speaker 4: THEO Henderson. We're in the field talking to the Echo 107 00:07:21,640 --> 00:07:22,560 Speaker 4: Park Trash Club. 108 00:07:23,000 --> 00:07:26,280 Speaker 1: Here's Aaron's story. 109 00:07:26,960 --> 00:07:30,720 Speaker 8: Hey everybody, so thank you for coming out today. It's 110 00:07:30,800 --> 00:07:34,080 Speaker 8: wonderful to see that you are here and that people 111 00:07:34,120 --> 00:07:37,120 Speaker 8: came today in the rain, which just speaks to the 112 00:07:37,160 --> 00:07:39,920 Speaker 8: way that at least some of our wonderful community members 113 00:07:39,960 --> 00:07:41,560 Speaker 8: continue to want to show up. 114 00:07:41,880 --> 00:07:44,320 Speaker 1: Why did you create Echo Park Trash Club. 115 00:07:44,680 --> 00:07:47,080 Speaker 8: That's a good question, you know. It was in twenty twenty. 116 00:07:48,320 --> 00:07:51,840 Speaker 8: I think, like so many people were feeling you know, 117 00:07:51,920 --> 00:07:58,440 Speaker 8: isolated and scared, and I also saw that the trash. 118 00:07:58,160 --> 00:08:05,280 Speaker 9: Build up in my community becoming really noticeable in a 119 00:08:05,280 --> 00:08:06,280 Speaker 9: way that I had. 120 00:08:06,120 --> 00:08:10,960 Speaker 8: Not seen honestly and even honestly before the pandemic. You know, 121 00:08:11,040 --> 00:08:15,119 Speaker 8: I understood that there's something going on where trash really 122 00:08:15,160 --> 00:08:19,040 Speaker 8: builds up in LA just in general, you know. So 123 00:08:19,600 --> 00:08:22,880 Speaker 8: at that point I noticed, Okay, this problem seems to 124 00:08:22,880 --> 00:08:25,760 Speaker 8: be getting out of control. I don't know enough about 125 00:08:25,760 --> 00:08:28,360 Speaker 8: the infrastructure with city to know why, but I know 126 00:08:28,520 --> 00:08:31,120 Speaker 8: that at least I felt like, you know, maybe there's 127 00:08:31,160 --> 00:08:34,560 Speaker 8: a way that I can help. And I have, like 128 00:08:34,640 --> 00:08:38,480 Speaker 8: many people, you know, just done different volunteer initiatives. 129 00:08:37,920 --> 00:08:41,160 Speaker 9: Over the course of my life. I've got some a few. 130 00:08:41,080 --> 00:08:44,160 Speaker 8: Organizational skills that I have, you know, built over the years. 131 00:08:44,160 --> 00:08:47,080 Speaker 8: And I thought, Okay, I think maybe I can pull 132 00:08:47,160 --> 00:08:51,079 Speaker 8: together my neighbors and maybe we can help. So I 133 00:08:51,200 --> 00:08:55,400 Speaker 8: started by posting in next door, which I know you're 134 00:08:55,440 --> 00:09:01,880 Speaker 8: familiar with you It's not it doesn't always attract the 135 00:09:01,960 --> 00:09:04,439 Speaker 8: types of folks that are aligned with us in terms 136 00:09:04,440 --> 00:09:09,280 Speaker 8: of our social justice orientation. But I started it there 137 00:09:09,320 --> 00:09:13,240 Speaker 8: because I wanted to start a group that would work 138 00:09:13,360 --> 00:09:16,880 Speaker 8: on a neighborhood with the people living in that neighborhood. 139 00:09:16,880 --> 00:09:18,360 Speaker 9: I thought that, like that. 140 00:09:18,360 --> 00:09:21,880 Speaker 8: Might actually get people to come out. So I put 141 00:09:21,920 --> 00:09:24,200 Speaker 8: a post up and there was a huge amount of 142 00:09:24,200 --> 00:09:27,839 Speaker 8: interest initially, and I just picked a set of cross 143 00:09:27,880 --> 00:09:31,640 Speaker 8: streets where there was a concentration of trash and thirty 144 00:09:31,720 --> 00:09:33,760 Speaker 8: I think maybe twenty five to thirty people showed up 145 00:09:33,800 --> 00:09:37,440 Speaker 8: that day, and I thought to myself, Okay, like there 146 00:09:37,480 --> 00:09:40,679 Speaker 8: are actually people who do want to help, as you 147 00:09:40,800 --> 00:09:46,239 Speaker 8: know THEO. We then had to navigate the different perspectives 148 00:09:46,240 --> 00:09:49,839 Speaker 8: that people had on the situation. And once we got 149 00:09:49,880 --> 00:09:52,320 Speaker 8: access to a trash truck and we were able to 150 00:09:52,360 --> 00:09:56,240 Speaker 8: go to encampment areas and help, it was very clear 151 00:09:56,320 --> 00:10:00,760 Speaker 8: to me that we needed to take a stance and 152 00:10:00,960 --> 00:10:04,640 Speaker 8: make it very clear that we were not here to 153 00:10:04,720 --> 00:10:09,040 Speaker 8: be a part of removing people's homes or taking people's items, 154 00:10:09,559 --> 00:10:13,320 Speaker 8: or you know, working without permission. So it's interesting you asked, like, 155 00:10:13,400 --> 00:10:14,280 Speaker 8: why did I start it? 156 00:10:14,280 --> 00:10:15,360 Speaker 9: At first, it was. 157 00:10:15,840 --> 00:10:18,760 Speaker 8: I wanted to just sort of generally help with the 158 00:10:18,800 --> 00:10:22,000 Speaker 8: trash build up in LA Quickly I realized like, this 159 00:10:22,040 --> 00:10:23,280 Speaker 8: is not just about trash. 160 00:10:23,320 --> 00:10:25,360 Speaker 9: It's also about the connection to people. 161 00:10:26,040 --> 00:10:30,800 Speaker 8: It's about protecting folks that are living outside from the city. 162 00:10:30,960 --> 00:10:33,760 Speaker 8: It was about, you know, I think making a point 163 00:10:33,840 --> 00:10:36,640 Speaker 8: to showcase, like, look what we can do just as 164 00:10:36,640 --> 00:10:40,440 Speaker 8: a group of regular community volunteers, and to show hey, 165 00:10:40,600 --> 00:10:43,079 Speaker 8: what's going on with the city of Los Angeles. Why 166 00:10:43,200 --> 00:10:46,960 Speaker 8: isn't this being dealt with? So it became so much 167 00:10:47,000 --> 00:10:50,439 Speaker 8: bigger than just sort of local trash pickup group. 168 00:10:51,160 --> 00:10:52,679 Speaker 1: We are really in the field. As you can hear 169 00:10:52,720 --> 00:10:53,360 Speaker 1: the trash truck. 170 00:10:53,679 --> 00:10:56,720 Speaker 4: I wanted to ask is because I remember the journey 171 00:10:56,720 --> 00:10:59,200 Speaker 4: and how it started. It was it was always a 172 00:10:59,320 --> 00:11:04,680 Speaker 4: major turnout. And I also watched as you quite correctly mentioned, 173 00:11:05,120 --> 00:11:09,080 Speaker 4: how you started to make the stance and started to 174 00:11:09,480 --> 00:11:12,000 Speaker 4: let people know this is not about a nimby kind 175 00:11:12,000 --> 00:11:14,920 Speaker 4: of of wonderland running up on house people throwing their 176 00:11:14,960 --> 00:11:18,520 Speaker 4: housing away. I can attest to sometimes coming to speak 177 00:11:18,559 --> 00:11:20,920 Speaker 4: to educate people of. 178 00:11:19,640 --> 00:11:21,200 Speaker 1: What it is with housing. 179 00:11:21,480 --> 00:11:24,120 Speaker 4: No one comes to people's houses and start throwing their 180 00:11:24,120 --> 00:11:27,600 Speaker 4: stuff away and to create the issue of empathy. 181 00:11:28,080 --> 00:11:31,480 Speaker 1: I will say with your club, I did notice. 182 00:11:31,720 --> 00:11:34,640 Speaker 4: Something was going on too that some people that maybe 183 00:11:34,640 --> 00:11:38,680 Speaker 4: initially had those viewpoints, and I hopefully we saw it too, 184 00:11:39,080 --> 00:11:43,480 Speaker 4: started to melt started to re examine some of those 185 00:11:43,559 --> 00:11:44,920 Speaker 4: harsh or cruel ideas. 186 00:11:44,960 --> 00:11:46,800 Speaker 9: Did you notice that absolutely? 187 00:11:46,880 --> 00:11:50,760 Speaker 8: In fact, it was a beautiful thing to watch, because 188 00:11:50,800 --> 00:11:53,480 Speaker 8: I think those of us who are into the space 189 00:11:53,480 --> 00:11:56,360 Speaker 8: of education know is that a lot of the times 190 00:11:56,840 --> 00:11:59,960 Speaker 8: what's going on when people hold sort of ignorant belief 191 00:12:00,280 --> 00:12:04,240 Speaker 8: is that they have just not been exposed. 192 00:12:03,840 --> 00:12:06,040 Speaker 9: To information like crucial information. 193 00:12:06,640 --> 00:12:09,080 Speaker 8: And so early on when I knew, okay, we need 194 00:12:09,080 --> 00:12:11,920 Speaker 8: to take a stance and do it right. I did 195 00:12:11,960 --> 00:12:14,760 Speaker 8: some research and I was so lucky to find you, 196 00:12:15,960 --> 00:12:18,560 Speaker 8: and I'll, you know, just to let everyone know, like 197 00:12:18,640 --> 00:12:21,880 Speaker 8: I sent THEO a message just in Instagram. 198 00:12:21,760 --> 00:12:23,319 Speaker 9: You got back to me very quickly. 199 00:12:23,800 --> 00:12:27,080 Speaker 8: You're very willing to answer questions to help me understand 200 00:12:27,120 --> 00:12:30,160 Speaker 8: what was going on with our sort of council member 201 00:12:30,200 --> 00:12:32,319 Speaker 8: person at the time, where I was like, this doesn't 202 00:12:32,320 --> 00:12:32,839 Speaker 8: seem right. 203 00:12:32,840 --> 00:12:34,200 Speaker 9: I need I need to know more. 204 00:12:34,880 --> 00:12:36,959 Speaker 8: So you were so giving of your time, and as 205 00:12:37,000 --> 00:12:40,600 Speaker 8: you mentioned then, you came out joined us, did some 206 00:12:40,720 --> 00:12:45,120 Speaker 8: wonderful educational sort of speeches to the group, and made 207 00:12:45,160 --> 00:12:48,240 Speaker 8: yourself available for folks to be able to ask you questions. 208 00:12:48,679 --> 00:12:52,080 Speaker 8: And folks who were coming that I think did have 209 00:12:52,200 --> 00:12:55,480 Speaker 8: that sort of Nimbi perspective, they. 210 00:12:55,360 --> 00:12:58,760 Speaker 9: Either left or they had a change of heart. 211 00:12:59,480 --> 00:13:02,760 Speaker 8: And there are still folks today that really their whole 212 00:13:02,800 --> 00:13:06,640 Speaker 8: perspective shifted in terms of how they see people who 213 00:13:06,640 --> 00:13:10,080 Speaker 8: are living outside, how they understand what's happening with the city. 214 00:13:10,679 --> 00:13:14,480 Speaker 8: And it's been very beautiful to watch over the years 215 00:13:14,520 --> 00:13:17,240 Speaker 8: as people now come up and they know, they'll run 216 00:13:17,320 --> 00:13:19,360 Speaker 8: up to me and they'll say, has anyone spoken to 217 00:13:19,400 --> 00:13:21,480 Speaker 8: the folks in the encampment yet like have we checked in? 218 00:13:21,520 --> 00:13:25,080 Speaker 8: I mean, people have become educated. And now when we 219 00:13:25,120 --> 00:13:27,680 Speaker 8: go to one of our main encampments that we work 220 00:13:27,720 --> 00:13:30,280 Speaker 8: with at silver Lake in London area, you can just 221 00:13:30,360 --> 00:13:33,520 Speaker 8: tell that like people are peaceful. There's a peaceful feeling 222 00:13:33,559 --> 00:13:36,360 Speaker 8: because they know who we are, we know who they are, 223 00:13:36,520 --> 00:13:39,559 Speaker 8: and we can just focus on the trash remover part, 224 00:13:39,600 --> 00:13:43,680 Speaker 8: which you and I spoke about early on. Everyone regardless 225 00:13:43,679 --> 00:13:46,920 Speaker 8: of where they're living, would like to have their trash. 226 00:13:46,600 --> 00:13:48,760 Speaker 9: Remove when new people come. 227 00:13:49,000 --> 00:13:51,920 Speaker 8: Or frankly, when I hear folks kind of talking about 228 00:13:52,679 --> 00:13:55,760 Speaker 8: that perspective that we fight against, which is like, oh 229 00:13:55,840 --> 00:13:58,680 Speaker 8: they you know all this trash and the encampments, I 230 00:13:58,720 --> 00:14:00,640 Speaker 8: always say, you know, think about this for a second. 231 00:14:01,360 --> 00:14:02,480 Speaker 9: If you at your. 232 00:14:02,400 --> 00:14:06,400 Speaker 8: Apartment or your home want one week without your trash 233 00:14:06,480 --> 00:14:09,920 Speaker 8: company coming, what would happen? And then I say, what 234 00:14:09,960 --> 00:14:12,400 Speaker 8: do you think might happen after a month? You know, 235 00:14:12,920 --> 00:14:16,160 Speaker 8: you're no different than anybody else. A human right is 236 00:14:16,200 --> 00:14:19,960 Speaker 8: to get trash servicing in this society that we live in, 237 00:14:20,000 --> 00:14:24,440 Speaker 8: and so ultimately, I think the Trash Club, I hope 238 00:14:24,480 --> 00:14:27,880 Speaker 8: stands as an example of trying to show up for 239 00:14:27,960 --> 00:14:30,440 Speaker 8: each other in that way especially when our city will 240 00:14:30,440 --> 00:14:30,920 Speaker 8: not do it. 241 00:14:31,720 --> 00:14:34,640 Speaker 4: How was you able to create the trash club because 242 00:14:34,720 --> 00:14:37,360 Speaker 4: other communities may want to do it. What was the 243 00:14:37,360 --> 00:14:39,240 Speaker 4: steps that got you into this? 244 00:14:39,920 --> 00:14:42,480 Speaker 8: Yeah, that's such a good question. So it really went 245 00:14:43,120 --> 00:14:45,560 Speaker 8: in a certain order. I did start in the next 246 00:14:45,560 --> 00:14:47,880 Speaker 8: door app. I will caution people that you have to 247 00:14:47,880 --> 00:14:50,360 Speaker 8: be mindful of the kind of folks that sometimes hang 248 00:14:50,400 --> 00:14:51,240 Speaker 8: around in that space. 249 00:14:52,160 --> 00:14:54,400 Speaker 9: So you know, that's just something to keep in mind. 250 00:14:54,440 --> 00:14:57,280 Speaker 8: But there are also people with their really you know, 251 00:14:57,280 --> 00:14:58,560 Speaker 8: with their head on straight there too. 252 00:14:59,000 --> 00:15:00,040 Speaker 9: I did notice it. 253 00:15:00,080 --> 00:15:04,360 Speaker 8: Okay, it's it's not a completely ineffective social media tool 254 00:15:04,480 --> 00:15:07,960 Speaker 8: because because you can target people that live in a 255 00:15:08,040 --> 00:15:11,600 Speaker 8: very specific radius. I would just caution folks who are 256 00:15:11,640 --> 00:15:14,360 Speaker 8: wanting to get started if you use it, you know, 257 00:15:14,600 --> 00:15:18,560 Speaker 8: come in with your stance clear. That will help you, 258 00:15:18,560 --> 00:15:20,840 Speaker 8: you know, to draw in people who are going to 259 00:15:20,840 --> 00:15:22,000 Speaker 8: be safe, especially if. 260 00:15:21,840 --> 00:15:23,120 Speaker 7: You're working in encampment area. 261 00:15:23,240 --> 00:15:26,440 Speaker 8: So I did use nextdoor first. I got sort of 262 00:15:26,440 --> 00:15:29,080 Speaker 8: the attention of my direct neighbors that way, you know, 263 00:15:29,120 --> 00:15:33,280 Speaker 8: people living in the Echo Park area. Then we pivoted 264 00:15:33,920 --> 00:15:37,880 Speaker 8: over to Instagram since that's such an incredible tool as well, 265 00:15:38,280 --> 00:15:41,040 Speaker 8: started up that page and started really building like an 266 00:15:41,080 --> 00:15:45,440 Speaker 8: infrastructure there and slowly but surely. You know, I can 267 00:15:45,480 --> 00:15:47,840 Speaker 8: tell you for anyone who starts on your own, if 268 00:15:47,880 --> 00:15:52,240 Speaker 8: you just keep showing up, people will come. And then 269 00:15:52,320 --> 00:15:54,880 Speaker 8: when I started to get a little overwhelmed, I no ceo. 270 00:15:54,960 --> 00:15:56,800 Speaker 9: You can relate to that, right, trying to do something 271 00:15:56,840 --> 00:15:57,280 Speaker 9: on your own. 272 00:15:57,680 --> 00:16:00,680 Speaker 8: People started to say, hey, you know, I can take 273 00:16:00,720 --> 00:16:03,920 Speaker 8: over the newsletter. I can help you, you know, gather 274 00:16:04,040 --> 00:16:06,400 Speaker 8: the trash bags. I can take the truck and get 275 00:16:06,400 --> 00:16:10,080 Speaker 8: it worked on. We even did you know crowdfunding where 276 00:16:10,080 --> 00:16:12,440 Speaker 8: we were able to raise money just from our community 277 00:16:12,480 --> 00:16:13,640 Speaker 8: to get a supply truck. 278 00:16:14,240 --> 00:16:17,160 Speaker 9: And I wasn't Yeah, we got tools. I didn't have 279 00:16:17,200 --> 00:16:18,320 Speaker 9: to use my own car. 280 00:16:18,160 --> 00:16:21,360 Speaker 8: Anymore, which is really helpful because you know, picking up 281 00:16:21,360 --> 00:16:25,000 Speaker 8: trash is a dirty business. Yeah, so yeah, I would 282 00:16:25,080 --> 00:16:28,400 Speaker 8: say another important thing for folks who are trying to 283 00:16:28,440 --> 00:16:32,760 Speaker 8: start one get in touch with your city council people. 284 00:16:32,960 --> 00:16:37,000 Speaker 8: Now you again have to be cautious who's working there, 285 00:16:37,200 --> 00:16:40,840 Speaker 8: what are their perspectives, But you can start changing things. 286 00:16:40,920 --> 00:16:42,960 Speaker 8: I mean, we went from a situation that was not 287 00:16:43,120 --> 00:16:46,240 Speaker 8: great and Echo Park became more aware and we do 288 00:16:46,360 --> 00:16:47,400 Speaker 8: have a better situation. 289 00:16:47,560 --> 00:16:51,160 Speaker 4: Now you were able to do at the height of 290 00:16:51,200 --> 00:16:54,560 Speaker 4: the infamous Mitchell Farrell with his occupation of Echo Park, 291 00:16:54,560 --> 00:16:56,560 Speaker 4: how he treated you and how even though he was 292 00:16:56,560 --> 00:16:58,920 Speaker 4: trying to use it for his benefit, you were able 293 00:16:59,000 --> 00:17:02,720 Speaker 4: to make sure that you professionally distance yourself and then 294 00:17:02,760 --> 00:17:05,399 Speaker 4: make sure that you would not want to be his 295 00:17:05,880 --> 00:17:08,600 Speaker 4: The post of girl to be able to push you 296 00:17:08,720 --> 00:17:13,120 Speaker 4: back against the legitimate discussions against Mitchell Ferrell. Wh who's 297 00:17:13,200 --> 00:17:16,000 Speaker 4: not the council member here now, is Hugo Martinez? 298 00:17:16,000 --> 00:17:17,600 Speaker 9: Have I recrrect Yes, that's exactly right. 299 00:17:17,720 --> 00:17:20,720 Speaker 8: Yes, And you know, in terms of getting in touch 300 00:17:20,760 --> 00:17:24,520 Speaker 8: with your city council and what's happening in your neighborhood, 301 00:17:24,560 --> 00:17:29,320 Speaker 8: you can find out, Okay, are these folks actually trying 302 00:17:29,359 --> 00:17:32,840 Speaker 8: to help or are they problematic? We discovered at the 303 00:17:32,880 --> 00:17:35,520 Speaker 8: beginning that it was very problematic what was happening. 304 00:17:35,880 --> 00:17:39,119 Speaker 9: So you know, we took a stance in opposition. 305 00:17:39,000 --> 00:17:42,359 Speaker 8: And that was fruitful, even though we couldn't get as 306 00:17:42,440 --> 00:17:45,520 Speaker 8: much support because we took that stance, but over time, 307 00:17:45,880 --> 00:17:48,920 Speaker 8: I think we helped to draw more attention to the issue. 308 00:17:49,160 --> 00:17:51,439 Speaker 8: Certainly there are many people that were working on that, 309 00:17:51,480 --> 00:17:53,280 Speaker 8: but our group, you know, I think played at least 310 00:17:53,280 --> 00:17:56,280 Speaker 8: a small role and then it changed, you know, and 311 00:17:56,359 --> 00:17:59,440 Speaker 8: so you and you can get you know, some valuable 312 00:17:59,480 --> 00:18:03,120 Speaker 8: support from your community city where you may be able 313 00:18:03,160 --> 00:18:06,159 Speaker 8: to at least get tools trash bags, You may be 314 00:18:06,200 --> 00:18:08,560 Speaker 8: able to get access to a bin or a truck, 315 00:18:09,040 --> 00:18:12,639 Speaker 8: and those tools are very invaluable, especially when you're picking 316 00:18:12,680 --> 00:18:13,879 Speaker 8: up large amounts of trash. 317 00:18:14,280 --> 00:18:16,680 Speaker 9: So I think the number one. 318 00:18:16,520 --> 00:18:20,000 Speaker 8: Piece of advice I have is do your research as 319 00:18:20,000 --> 00:18:22,840 Speaker 8: you're building, you know, because it is important to get 320 00:18:22,920 --> 00:18:25,680 Speaker 8: familiar with what's going on in your city and make 321 00:18:25,720 --> 00:18:29,160 Speaker 8: sure you're doing it safely and carefully and considering not 322 00:18:29,320 --> 00:18:32,200 Speaker 8: just people that live in traditional homes, but people who 323 00:18:32,200 --> 00:18:33,600 Speaker 8: are living outside as well. 324 00:18:33,760 --> 00:18:33,959 Speaker 7: You know. 325 00:18:34,280 --> 00:18:36,600 Speaker 4: And they're not just magically going to disappear. It's going 326 00:18:36,640 --> 00:18:39,520 Speaker 4: to even no matter how much criminalization that we are 327 00:18:39,520 --> 00:18:42,000 Speaker 4: trying to do with young house across this country, across 328 00:18:42,040 --> 00:18:44,880 Speaker 4: the city, we are not going to have house susteners disappear. 329 00:18:45,000 --> 00:18:47,520 Speaker 4: And still the issue of trash, whether your house or unhud, 330 00:18:47,960 --> 00:18:50,159 Speaker 4: is one of the commonalities that we have in common. 331 00:18:50,600 --> 00:18:52,480 Speaker 4: I see we're standing right here, and this seems like 332 00:18:52,520 --> 00:18:54,840 Speaker 4: this is very very karmic. It says here on the 333 00:18:54,880 --> 00:18:57,000 Speaker 4: statement here, it says, I hope we always find a 334 00:18:57,000 --> 00:18:59,080 Speaker 4: way back to each other. I think that's a very 335 00:18:59,080 --> 00:19:01,359 Speaker 4: good place to end and I thank you all for listening. 336 00:19:01,600 --> 00:19:10,600 Speaker 4: Thank you to you, big thank you. Thanks so much 337 00:19:10,680 --> 00:19:13,520 Speaker 4: to Erin for sharing her story. And when we come back, 338 00:19:13,800 --> 00:19:16,320 Speaker 4: we'll talk to others who have started volunteering with Echo 339 00:19:16,359 --> 00:19:17,160 Speaker 4: Park Trash Club. 340 00:19:23,800 --> 00:19:25,879 Speaker 1: Welcome back to William House again. 341 00:19:25,920 --> 00:19:28,040 Speaker 4: A big thank you to Erin for sharing her story 342 00:19:28,359 --> 00:19:31,760 Speaker 4: and providing inspiration to others to come in and beautify 343 00:19:31,840 --> 00:19:38,720 Speaker 4: the community. One such beautifier is Eliza and here's eliza story. 344 00:19:41,600 --> 00:19:43,600 Speaker 10: Thanks so much for joining us today THEO It's really 345 00:19:43,640 --> 00:19:47,359 Speaker 10: great to meet you. I got involved with Echo Park 346 00:19:47,440 --> 00:19:54,159 Speaker 10: Trash Club in twenty twenty one following my involvement in 347 00:19:54,240 --> 00:19:59,159 Speaker 10: supporting the Echo Park Rise up movement situation over at 348 00:19:59,200 --> 00:20:02,040 Speaker 10: Echo Park Lake, and you know, I was looking for 349 00:20:02,080 --> 00:20:04,440 Speaker 10: a way to get involved in the community. I had 350 00:20:04,600 --> 00:20:07,200 Speaker 10: moved to Echo Park in October and was just noticing 351 00:20:07,240 --> 00:20:11,320 Speaker 10: that there was quite a bit of trash. And then, 352 00:20:12,000 --> 00:20:16,480 Speaker 10: somewhat serendipitously, I started seeing billboards for Echo Park Trash 353 00:20:16,520 --> 00:20:20,320 Speaker 10: Club seeing them on Instagram, and after my experience with 354 00:20:21,119 --> 00:20:23,640 Speaker 10: the police at Echo Park Lake, I thought I want 355 00:20:23,720 --> 00:20:26,920 Speaker 10: to do something to help people who are. 356 00:20:28,320 --> 00:20:30,200 Speaker 7: Being criminalized and being. 357 00:20:30,080 --> 00:20:34,800 Speaker 10: Cast a side by our city, whether it's a police 358 00:20:35,280 --> 00:20:40,760 Speaker 10: you know, mayor's office, or just private citizens. And I 359 00:20:40,760 --> 00:20:43,200 Speaker 10: also wanted to do something about the amount of trash. 360 00:20:43,240 --> 00:20:45,439 Speaker 10: And then once I learned about Echo Park Trash Club's 361 00:20:45,520 --> 00:20:49,720 Speaker 10: mission of providing and passionate trash servicing, did my research 362 00:20:49,800 --> 00:20:52,320 Speaker 10: made sure things look cool. I'm pretty sure I noticed 363 00:20:52,359 --> 00:20:55,240 Speaker 10: that we the un Housed was a partner, and all 364 00:20:55,280 --> 00:20:57,359 Speaker 10: of those felt like green flags, and so I decided 365 00:20:57,400 --> 00:20:58,360 Speaker 10: to get involved. 366 00:20:58,600 --> 00:21:00,679 Speaker 7: And then, in. 367 00:21:00,560 --> 00:21:03,520 Speaker 10: My experience of seeing the work being done on the ground, 368 00:21:03,640 --> 00:21:06,919 Speaker 10: the care and compassion in addition to the marriage of 369 00:21:07,000 --> 00:21:10,840 Speaker 10: like our mission and our practice, I would say it 370 00:21:11,000 --> 00:21:15,480 Speaker 10: just has continued to speak to me. And then I 371 00:21:15,520 --> 00:21:19,120 Speaker 10: shifted my professional work to also become more involved in 372 00:21:19,280 --> 00:21:20,080 Speaker 10: service delivery. 373 00:21:20,160 --> 00:21:22,639 Speaker 1: So what were you before you change jobs? 374 00:21:23,359 --> 00:21:26,760 Speaker 10: Yeah, so I've always done fundraising for like nonprofits and stuff, 375 00:21:26,760 --> 00:21:29,399 Speaker 10: but I was working for an organization in Santa Monica, 376 00:21:29,440 --> 00:21:31,720 Speaker 10: and I realized I wanted to be working somewhere more 377 00:21:31,760 --> 00:21:34,160 Speaker 10: local to where I live, being in silver like Echo 378 00:21:34,200 --> 00:21:37,159 Speaker 10: Park area. So I started working for Chryslis, which is 379 00:21:37,200 --> 00:21:41,760 Speaker 10: located downtown helps people find employment. But yeah, so I 380 00:21:41,800 --> 00:21:44,520 Speaker 10: don't know, it felt like for me personally, and it's 381 00:21:44,520 --> 00:21:46,119 Speaker 10: not about me. It just felt like a lot of 382 00:21:46,119 --> 00:21:49,560 Speaker 10: things converging. But in terms of trash club in particular, 383 00:21:49,840 --> 00:21:53,320 Speaker 10: I just really appreciate. I don't know, I feel like 384 00:21:53,960 --> 00:21:59,879 Speaker 10: we as Americans, as Los Angelinos, get really comfortable with trash, 385 00:22:00,280 --> 00:22:03,000 Speaker 10: and so I think it's important to say this is 386 00:22:03,040 --> 00:22:05,040 Speaker 10: going on. It's something in a way that kind of 387 00:22:05,080 --> 00:22:08,040 Speaker 10: unifies us. It doesn't matter where you live or how 388 00:22:08,080 --> 00:22:10,119 Speaker 10: you live. Trash is around all of us, and we 389 00:22:10,160 --> 00:22:12,880 Speaker 10: all play a role in mitigating it, and we. 390 00:22:12,960 --> 00:22:14,800 Speaker 7: Also all play a role. 391 00:22:14,720 --> 00:22:16,679 Speaker 10: Creating it, creating exactly all. 392 00:22:16,720 --> 00:22:18,680 Speaker 1: Then the house people have great trash. There's no way 393 00:22:18,680 --> 00:22:19,119 Speaker 1: around it. 394 00:22:19,400 --> 00:22:22,320 Speaker 10: Right, And so I think like when we see trash 395 00:22:22,359 --> 00:22:25,680 Speaker 10: around an area where folks are living outside who aren't 396 00:22:25,680 --> 00:22:28,600 Speaker 10: house then it adds to our stigma. So to me, 397 00:22:28,680 --> 00:22:31,720 Speaker 10: it's not to say like people are dirty or gross. 398 00:22:31,720 --> 00:22:34,320 Speaker 10: It's just to say we all deserve to have trash 399 00:22:34,320 --> 00:22:36,320 Speaker 10: removed around us. It's not safe for people to live 400 00:22:36,320 --> 00:22:38,600 Speaker 10: in those conditions, not fair for us to determine that 401 00:22:38,600 --> 00:22:39,439 Speaker 10: that's how it should be. 402 00:22:40,480 --> 00:22:43,840 Speaker 4: I like how Aaron says compassionate trash pickup with the 403 00:22:43,880 --> 00:22:46,520 Speaker 4: in the house community. I always say this conversation is 404 00:22:46,720 --> 00:22:48,439 Speaker 4: if I kicked in your door and told you you 405 00:22:48,520 --> 00:22:50,800 Speaker 4: had ten minutes to move your things and put it 406 00:22:50,800 --> 00:22:53,200 Speaker 4: into trash bags, and I just start throwing away all 407 00:22:53,200 --> 00:22:56,600 Speaker 4: of your things that you consider essentially important. That's not compassionate. 408 00:22:56,640 --> 00:22:59,680 Speaker 4: That's just you know, doing something that's violence. And one 409 00:22:59,680 --> 00:23:01,919 Speaker 4: of the things things that touched stood out for me 410 00:23:02,080 --> 00:23:05,400 Speaker 4: with the conversations that she would have with the residence 411 00:23:05,480 --> 00:23:08,280 Speaker 4: on house community about what this trash do they want 412 00:23:08,280 --> 00:23:11,639 Speaker 4: take it? And once that started to when I'm witnessed 413 00:23:11,720 --> 00:23:14,400 Speaker 4: with my own eyes and seeing how that they trusted 414 00:23:14,440 --> 00:23:16,200 Speaker 4: that they're worth going to have all of their whole 415 00:23:16,359 --> 00:23:20,879 Speaker 4: livelihood or their whole survival mechanisms thrown away, they respected 416 00:23:21,000 --> 00:23:23,320 Speaker 4: and welcomed eco part trash clup. 417 00:23:23,320 --> 00:23:24,160 Speaker 1: That's a different other colt. 418 00:23:24,520 --> 00:23:27,240 Speaker 10: Yes, it's a partnership, and there's damage that's been done 419 00:23:27,280 --> 00:23:29,119 Speaker 10: to that relationship. Like you know, it could be a 420 00:23:29,160 --> 00:23:31,359 Speaker 10: trigger to see a trash club a trash truck come up. 421 00:23:31,359 --> 00:23:34,160 Speaker 10: So that's why it's important to us to as humans arrived, 422 00:23:34,200 --> 00:23:37,200 Speaker 10: first introduce the situation, get permission right. 423 00:23:37,320 --> 00:23:38,320 Speaker 7: There's a there. 424 00:23:38,359 --> 00:23:41,560 Speaker 10: Consent is a critical part of our process here, and 425 00:23:42,880 --> 00:23:45,800 Speaker 10: it's a partnership. Sometimes we're all cleaning up together. Sometimes 426 00:23:45,800 --> 00:23:48,640 Speaker 10: we're asked not to and we go because the consent 427 00:23:49,200 --> 00:23:53,040 Speaker 10: is not ours to get in terms of what is trash, 428 00:23:53,080 --> 00:23:56,320 Speaker 10: and we also need to flip sometimes our understanding of. 429 00:23:56,280 --> 00:23:57,720 Speaker 7: What is trash. 430 00:23:57,880 --> 00:24:00,879 Speaker 10: I appreciate that what Aaron did informing the group was 431 00:24:00,920 --> 00:24:04,199 Speaker 10: identify a gap in our city services and what we 432 00:24:04,240 --> 00:24:07,600 Speaker 10: as private citizens do, and say we can do something 433 00:24:07,640 --> 00:24:08,080 Speaker 10: about this. 434 00:24:09,280 --> 00:24:12,520 Speaker 4: With that question in mind, I've been watching and hearing 435 00:24:12,560 --> 00:24:14,919 Speaker 4: about the audit that Kenny McKee is talking about with 436 00:24:14,960 --> 00:24:18,800 Speaker 4: house business Services, and in he's sounding the alarm that 437 00:24:18,840 --> 00:24:22,159 Speaker 4: we may be in financial distress soon and some of 438 00:24:22,160 --> 00:24:25,440 Speaker 4: the services may be cut. Do you think this issue 439 00:24:25,480 --> 00:24:27,320 Speaker 4: with trash is going to be impacted by. 440 00:24:27,320 --> 00:24:29,879 Speaker 7: Back Honestly, I don't know. 441 00:24:29,920 --> 00:24:32,359 Speaker 10: I've only been looking at the law enforcement side of that, 442 00:24:32,440 --> 00:24:35,000 Speaker 10: so I hadn't thought about the impact on the trash budgets. 443 00:24:35,000 --> 00:24:39,119 Speaker 10: But I will say it's impacted. At least our partnership 444 00:24:39,160 --> 00:24:42,199 Speaker 10: with the city has impacted us before. I would be 445 00:24:42,240 --> 00:24:45,359 Speaker 10: curious to see now that the election's over, right, because 446 00:24:45,400 --> 00:24:48,840 Speaker 10: I noticed that we got more inclusive. I'm using air 447 00:24:48,920 --> 00:24:51,639 Speaker 10: quotes trash servicing during the election cycle, So what's going 448 00:24:51,680 --> 00:24:53,920 Speaker 10: to happen now that that's over and these budget cuts 449 00:24:53,920 --> 00:24:58,399 Speaker 10: are on the table. I don't honestly have an educated projection. 450 00:24:58,040 --> 00:24:59,280 Speaker 7: But I share your. 451 00:25:00,800 --> 00:25:04,560 Speaker 10: Curiosity is not the word, maybe a dreaded, dreadful curiosity 452 00:25:04,600 --> 00:25:07,600 Speaker 10: about what that will look like. But I think something 453 00:25:08,320 --> 00:25:12,840 Speaker 10: that we can hold is that there are other groups 454 00:25:12,840 --> 00:25:15,080 Speaker 10: that are willing to step in. Is it right that 455 00:25:15,119 --> 00:25:16,879 Speaker 10: we have to step in where the city does not. 456 00:25:17,080 --> 00:25:19,119 Speaker 10: I don't know, but we're here. 457 00:25:19,640 --> 00:25:22,919 Speaker 4: Any successful mutual aid group always has sprung out of 458 00:25:22,960 --> 00:25:27,879 Speaker 4: a necessity for the survival of vulnerable, impacted people, and 459 00:25:27,960 --> 00:25:30,240 Speaker 4: I just look at Echo Park trash Club as no different. 460 00:25:30,280 --> 00:25:33,679 Speaker 4: It's because the conversation was not getting anywhere because there 461 00:25:33,720 --> 00:25:37,960 Speaker 4: was more criminalization, more demonization of unhoused people. Therein like, 462 00:25:38,640 --> 00:25:41,840 Speaker 4: one of the creative solutions in order for the unhoused 463 00:25:41,840 --> 00:25:45,200 Speaker 4: community to just stopped being slammed was something like Echo 464 00:25:45,240 --> 00:25:49,119 Speaker 4: Part trash Club to be able to restore some of 465 00:25:49,160 --> 00:25:51,119 Speaker 4: the empathy that's been lost in the conversation. 466 00:25:51,600 --> 00:25:53,800 Speaker 1: That's just my insight. You have anything to add on. 467 00:25:53,760 --> 00:25:56,040 Speaker 7: That, I completely agree. 468 00:25:56,119 --> 00:25:59,560 Speaker 10: I mean, I think we say every week there's someone 469 00:25:59,600 --> 00:26:02,840 Speaker 10: new and I think every single person that is new 470 00:26:02,880 --> 00:26:05,320 Speaker 10: and has this experience at least once comes away with 471 00:26:05,600 --> 00:26:10,400 Speaker 10: a more compassion, more perspective, better clarity around a situation 472 00:26:10,600 --> 00:26:12,480 Speaker 10: or an issue that they may have never been had 473 00:26:12,560 --> 00:26:13,760 Speaker 10: proximity to before. 474 00:26:15,440 --> 00:26:17,880 Speaker 4: Well, I think this is a good place to end, 475 00:26:17,880 --> 00:26:23,040 Speaker 4: but I thank you again, thanks so much to Eliza 476 00:26:23,200 --> 00:26:27,240 Speaker 4: for talking with me. Most of the volunteers of Eco 477 00:26:27,320 --> 00:26:30,680 Speaker 4: Park Trash Club deserve five stars, but there are rare 478 00:26:30,720 --> 00:26:34,639 Speaker 4: exceptions where one volunteer deserves an extra five stars, and 479 00:26:34,720 --> 00:26:35,399 Speaker 4: that is Cass. 480 00:26:35,920 --> 00:26:43,280 Speaker 1: Here's cast story. 481 00:26:44,160 --> 00:26:46,359 Speaker 11: Hi THEO as you said, Yes, my name's Cass. It's 482 00:26:46,400 --> 00:26:48,399 Speaker 11: good to talk with you today. I actually found the 483 00:26:48,440 --> 00:26:53,320 Speaker 11: Echo Park Trash Club. I literally googled Echo Park trash 484 00:26:53,320 --> 00:26:56,320 Speaker 11: Club because I think it's more impactful to pick up 485 00:26:56,359 --> 00:26:59,439 Speaker 11: trash in a community versus by yourself. And when I 486 00:26:59,440 --> 00:27:01,600 Speaker 11: first moved to LA I started picking up trash in 487 00:27:01,640 --> 00:27:03,879 Speaker 11: alleyways and I found by the time I finished the 488 00:27:03,920 --> 00:27:06,800 Speaker 11: alleyway by myself, it was already worse than when I started, 489 00:27:06,800 --> 00:27:08,800 Speaker 11: and it was so heartbreaking. And then I would go 490 00:27:08,880 --> 00:27:10,280 Speaker 11: to the beach and then people looked at me like 491 00:27:10,320 --> 00:27:12,400 Speaker 11: I was a felon, because they're like why would someone 492 00:27:12,440 --> 00:27:14,600 Speaker 11: come pick up trash the beach? And so I was like, 493 00:27:14,640 --> 00:27:16,720 Speaker 11: you know what, I just need to find my people. Google, 494 00:27:17,080 --> 00:27:20,000 Speaker 11: let's utilize that. And I searched Echo Park Trash Club 495 00:27:20,280 --> 00:27:22,959 Speaker 11: and what do you know, it's that's the rest is history. 496 00:27:23,080 --> 00:27:25,000 Speaker 1: How did you how did you find How did you 497 00:27:25,040 --> 00:27:26,359 Speaker 1: know that there was a trash club? 498 00:27:27,240 --> 00:27:29,000 Speaker 11: I literally was just like, I live in Echo Park, 499 00:27:29,119 --> 00:27:30,680 Speaker 11: let me just see if there's a trash club here. 500 00:27:30,760 --> 00:27:33,199 Speaker 11: And I never did I think it would actually be 501 00:27:33,280 --> 00:27:35,040 Speaker 11: called Echo Park Trash Club. 502 00:27:34,800 --> 00:27:35,479 Speaker 7: But it was. 503 00:27:37,240 --> 00:27:39,360 Speaker 1: So when did you come to La. 504 00:27:39,880 --> 00:27:42,359 Speaker 11: I've been in LA for about six years now, Yeah, 505 00:27:42,680 --> 00:27:44,439 Speaker 11: and yeah, I was living in the valley and so 506 00:27:44,640 --> 00:27:47,119 Speaker 11: once I moved to Echo Park, I was like, you know, 507 00:27:47,200 --> 00:27:49,000 Speaker 11: at this, let me get more involved in the community. 508 00:27:49,040 --> 00:27:51,200 Speaker 12: I could not find my community in the valley. 509 00:27:50,960 --> 00:27:52,560 Speaker 11: So I was like, Echo Park seems like a place 510 00:27:52,560 --> 00:27:54,600 Speaker 11: where I'm gonna be able to find my people, and 511 00:27:54,640 --> 00:27:58,760 Speaker 11: I sure did. I am really happy with what we're 512 00:27:58,760 --> 00:28:01,399 Speaker 11: doing here in the community. I think that picking up trash, 513 00:28:01,440 --> 00:28:02,679 Speaker 11: you know, it can mean a lot of different things 514 00:28:02,720 --> 00:28:04,399 Speaker 11: to different people. Some people are doing it because they 515 00:28:04,440 --> 00:28:06,160 Speaker 11: just don't want to see trash on the streets and 516 00:28:06,600 --> 00:28:09,600 Speaker 11: for me, I really appreciate that. You know, the issue 517 00:28:09,840 --> 00:28:13,280 Speaker 11: with how many unhoused people we have in this city 518 00:28:13,400 --> 00:28:16,200 Speaker 11: is not going to be something that I can help 519 00:28:16,240 --> 00:28:17,240 Speaker 11: out with like solving. 520 00:28:17,320 --> 00:28:17,879 Speaker 12: And I think it. 521 00:28:18,840 --> 00:28:21,760 Speaker 11: I think it's a really complicated issue, and I don't 522 00:28:21,760 --> 00:28:23,159 Speaker 11: think it's something that's going to be solved in the 523 00:28:23,200 --> 00:28:25,919 Speaker 11: next year, five ten years. And I'm not in I 524 00:28:25,920 --> 00:28:27,720 Speaker 11: don't know my politics, so I'm not the person to 525 00:28:27,720 --> 00:28:30,520 Speaker 11: help that. However, in the meantime, well, hopefully we can 526 00:28:30,560 --> 00:28:33,760 Speaker 11: get some people who are qualified to actually come up 527 00:28:33,800 --> 00:28:35,639 Speaker 11: with solutions and resolve that and come up with long 528 00:28:35,720 --> 00:28:39,560 Speaker 11: term solutions that will help this and more permanent issues 529 00:28:39,680 --> 00:28:42,479 Speaker 11: or permanent solutions for this permanent issue. There's still that 530 00:28:42,560 --> 00:28:45,120 Speaker 11: need right now. And we were finding that so many 531 00:28:45,160 --> 00:28:48,720 Speaker 11: and canas were being swept due to hygiene, even though 532 00:28:48,800 --> 00:28:51,040 Speaker 11: you know, they weren't supposed to be doing sweeps at 533 00:28:51,040 --> 00:28:51,280 Speaker 11: the time. 534 00:28:51,280 --> 00:28:52,560 Speaker 12: They were finding these loopholes. 535 00:28:52,560 --> 00:28:54,800 Speaker 11: As you know, I'm so sure you are so familiar 536 00:28:54,800 --> 00:28:56,320 Speaker 11: with this and yeah, like this. 537 00:28:56,320 --> 00:29:01,160 Speaker 12: Is not news to you, yeah, yeah, And so I 538 00:29:01,360 --> 00:29:02,560 Speaker 12: don't know what to do about that. 539 00:29:02,680 --> 00:29:05,480 Speaker 11: However, we can step in and help keep those encampments 540 00:29:05,520 --> 00:29:08,000 Speaker 11: clean and you know, come in with compassion and just 541 00:29:08,560 --> 00:29:10,080 Speaker 11: the first thing we do is just check, like what 542 00:29:10,120 --> 00:29:11,960 Speaker 11: are your boundaries today? Like, is it okay if we 543 00:29:12,000 --> 00:29:14,480 Speaker 11: clean up your encampment? If not, have a great day. 544 00:29:14,560 --> 00:29:16,520 Speaker 11: Here are some trash bags. Do what you're comfortable with. 545 00:29:16,760 --> 00:29:18,360 Speaker 11: If you do want us to clean up your encampment, 546 00:29:18,400 --> 00:29:20,520 Speaker 11: We're going to clean up only what you want us 547 00:29:20,560 --> 00:29:20,880 Speaker 11: to take. 548 00:29:21,080 --> 00:29:24,280 Speaker 12: And I believe everyone deserves hygiene. 549 00:29:24,360 --> 00:29:26,320 Speaker 11: I think that is such a basic human right and 550 00:29:26,360 --> 00:29:29,000 Speaker 11: it's such a sad thing to see that, Like if 551 00:29:29,040 --> 00:29:30,840 Speaker 11: you don't have the resource to be hygienic, you just 552 00:29:30,840 --> 00:29:33,800 Speaker 11: get swept ye, like so many curse words come to mind. 553 00:29:33,880 --> 00:29:37,320 Speaker 11: So we've built the society to have waste, and so 554 00:29:37,920 --> 00:29:40,320 Speaker 11: if certain people don't have access to removing that waste, 555 00:29:40,360 --> 00:29:41,440 Speaker 11: like that's not their fault. 556 00:29:41,560 --> 00:29:42,320 Speaker 12: We need to help. 557 00:29:42,920 --> 00:29:45,600 Speaker 11: And yeah, so I just am really passionate about like 558 00:29:45,600 --> 00:29:48,960 Speaker 11: helping the people who like if I mean, also, oh god, 559 00:29:49,040 --> 00:29:52,840 Speaker 11: it's just sorry, I'm getting frustrated now, but yeah, so 560 00:29:52,920 --> 00:29:54,600 Speaker 11: for me, it's really important to be able to help 561 00:29:54,600 --> 00:29:56,840 Speaker 11: a problem now. And so many people are like, well, 562 00:29:56,840 --> 00:29:58,320 Speaker 11: what are you gonna do to fix this long term? 563 00:29:58,360 --> 00:30:00,920 Speaker 11: And I'm like, personally, I don't have that answer if 564 00:30:01,040 --> 00:30:03,400 Speaker 11: I can help, I will. I see an immediate need 565 00:30:03,480 --> 00:30:05,680 Speaker 11: right now, and I think it's important to help that. 566 00:30:05,800 --> 00:30:06,920 Speaker 1: And here's the rejoining it to that. 567 00:30:07,200 --> 00:30:08,600 Speaker 4: What are you going to do as on my long 568 00:30:08,640 --> 00:30:11,360 Speaker 4: ternal instead of just complaining and wagging your finger, because 569 00:30:11,400 --> 00:30:15,720 Speaker 4: that always magically has the most vile or most disgusting 570 00:30:15,760 --> 00:30:18,520 Speaker 4: idea about the situation. But when you ask then call 571 00:30:18,640 --> 00:30:21,680 Speaker 4: upon them to do anything, it's always criminalization. It's always 572 00:30:21,680 --> 00:30:25,360 Speaker 4: something that's dystopian or I'm getting on. 573 00:30:25,600 --> 00:30:26,680 Speaker 12: Yeah, we're being brought up. 574 00:30:26,960 --> 00:30:28,360 Speaker 1: What the fact of the matter. 575 00:30:28,240 --> 00:30:30,760 Speaker 4: Is, this is a viable thing because trash is an 576 00:30:30,760 --> 00:30:34,480 Speaker 4: ongoing thing. Trash is not going to magically disappear. Even 577 00:30:34,520 --> 00:30:37,560 Speaker 4: with you housing now human beings. You create trash. 578 00:30:38,320 --> 00:30:39,960 Speaker 1: It's got to be taken care of. 579 00:30:40,280 --> 00:30:42,280 Speaker 11: And that's a great point you bring it because even 580 00:30:42,320 --> 00:30:45,480 Speaker 11: when you know ideally the sooner the better, but as 581 00:30:45,520 --> 00:30:48,520 Speaker 11: soon as we resolve getting permanent housing for all of 582 00:30:48,520 --> 00:30:50,760 Speaker 11: our neighbors, you're right, we're still going to have trash. 583 00:30:50,800 --> 00:30:52,520 Speaker 11: And I think something like the Trash Club is still 584 00:30:52,520 --> 00:30:55,560 Speaker 11: necessary because the city is never going to have enough 585 00:30:55,600 --> 00:30:58,480 Speaker 11: resources to deal with the amount of waste we're creating. 586 00:30:58,640 --> 00:31:00,600 Speaker 12: And it just kind of goes than that would like. 587 00:31:00,640 --> 00:31:03,560 Speaker 11: Sustainability is not always the biggest factor with companies. 588 00:31:03,120 --> 00:31:05,600 Speaker 12: And so it's just we could just we're gonna have 589 00:31:05,760 --> 00:31:06,600 Speaker 12: waste forever. 590 00:31:07,160 --> 00:31:09,400 Speaker 11: And I think certain things like this where if you 591 00:31:09,400 --> 00:31:11,560 Speaker 11: can just give up two hours of your day every 592 00:31:11,600 --> 00:31:13,960 Speaker 11: other week to just pick up a couple of bags 593 00:31:13,960 --> 00:31:16,680 Speaker 11: of trash like boom, there's a community service. Even if 594 00:31:16,720 --> 00:31:18,959 Speaker 11: you're doing it, just feel good about yourself you're doing something. 595 00:31:19,200 --> 00:31:20,520 Speaker 11: Or if you're doing it because you want to be 596 00:31:20,520 --> 00:31:22,520 Speaker 11: able to walk down the street, if you're doing it 597 00:31:22,520 --> 00:31:26,120 Speaker 11: so that a disabled neighbor has good access to their ramps, great, 598 00:31:26,160 --> 00:31:28,120 Speaker 11: whatever your reason is, come out here and pick out 599 00:31:28,160 --> 00:31:31,040 Speaker 11: some trash. You know, if you are someone who leads 600 00:31:31,040 --> 00:31:34,200 Speaker 11: with compassion and you care about your neighbors regardless of 601 00:31:34,240 --> 00:31:36,720 Speaker 11: their situation, and you don't mind getting a little dirty, 602 00:31:36,760 --> 00:31:37,440 Speaker 11: just come join us. 603 00:31:37,440 --> 00:31:38,320 Speaker 12: We would love to have you. 604 00:31:38,720 --> 00:31:40,800 Speaker 1: And when do you guys do trash pickup? 605 00:31:41,000 --> 00:31:43,160 Speaker 11: We do trash pickups. We like to do it twice 606 00:31:43,200 --> 00:31:45,880 Speaker 11: a month, every other Sunday. It's always on Sundays from 607 00:31:45,960 --> 00:31:48,360 Speaker 11: ten am until noon. The best way to keep up 608 00:31:48,360 --> 00:31:51,320 Speaker 11: with that is Echo Park Trash Club Instagram. We are 609 00:31:51,480 --> 00:31:54,640 Speaker 11: very communicative we're posting during the cleanups and we're gonna 610 00:31:54,680 --> 00:31:55,880 Speaker 11: let you know when to come find us. 611 00:31:56,000 --> 00:31:58,080 Speaker 4: On one other thing, is there any kind of any 612 00:31:58,080 --> 00:32:01,040 Speaker 4: fundraisers that people may not be able to come? Can 613 00:32:01,080 --> 00:32:05,800 Speaker 4: they do any donations? Step in to fundraise for you guys? 614 00:32:05,560 --> 00:32:07,320 Speaker 4: What's the four one one on it? 615 00:32:07,920 --> 00:32:11,800 Speaker 11: Absolutely, we have a gofundbe which is linked on our Instagram. 616 00:32:11,920 --> 00:32:14,760 Speaker 11: And then if trash isn't your thing, I actually do 617 00:32:14,920 --> 00:32:17,480 Speaker 11: kind of an earth Day Music festival, So if you 618 00:32:17,520 --> 00:32:19,320 Speaker 11: were lucky enough to come to earth Day Music Festival. 619 00:32:19,400 --> 00:32:22,120 Speaker 11: Last year we raised thirty five hundred dollars for both 620 00:32:22,160 --> 00:32:25,680 Speaker 11: Trash Club and Sila And so it's a little early, 621 00:32:25,720 --> 00:32:27,360 Speaker 11: but I'm currently working on it. 622 00:32:27,360 --> 00:32:28,320 Speaker 12: It will not be on. 623 00:32:28,320 --> 00:32:31,160 Speaker 11: Earth Day because we celebrate Earth Day every year, so 624 00:32:31,400 --> 00:32:34,320 Speaker 11: we're hoping for July. But it's gonna be a really 625 00:32:34,360 --> 00:32:35,920 Speaker 11: special event. This year is going to be a much 626 00:32:35,960 --> 00:32:39,080 Speaker 11: bigger production. So if you really want to support what 627 00:32:39,120 --> 00:32:42,240 Speaker 11: we're doing, but packing up the trash is not necessarily 628 00:32:42,240 --> 00:32:44,240 Speaker 11: your thing, which I totally get, you can either donate 629 00:32:44,280 --> 00:32:46,280 Speaker 11: to our GoFundMe or keep your ears out and then 630 00:32:46,360 --> 00:32:47,640 Speaker 11: just support us at the music. 631 00:32:47,440 --> 00:32:49,440 Speaker 12: Fest because it's it's gonna be a good time. 632 00:32:50,000 --> 00:32:53,120 Speaker 4: Well, hopefully I can stop in and see what's going 633 00:32:53,160 --> 00:32:55,720 Speaker 4: on there as well. Thank you very much, Cas, thank you, 634 00:32:59,320 --> 00:33:02,680 Speaker 4: thanks so much to cast and to every volunteer I 635 00:33:02,760 --> 00:33:05,640 Speaker 4: got to speak with. You can follow the Echo Park 636 00:33:05,680 --> 00:33:12,760 Speaker 4: Trash Club on Instagram at Echo Underscore Park Underscore Trash 637 00:33:13,120 --> 00:33:17,160 Speaker 4: Underscore Club. If you would like to share your story 638 00:33:17,200 --> 00:33:20,120 Speaker 4: on whedian House, please reach out to me at Wiedianhouse 639 00:33:20,120 --> 00:33:23,880 Speaker 4: dot com, at whidian House on Instagram, or email me 640 00:33:24,040 --> 00:33:28,440 Speaker 4: at Whedianhouse at gmail dot com. Until next time, may 641 00:33:28,480 --> 00:33:34,400 Speaker 4: we again meet in the light of understanding. Whedianhouse is 642 00:33:34,440 --> 00:33:38,880 Speaker 4: the production of iHeartRadio. It is written, hosted, and created 643 00:33:39,080 --> 00:33:45,160 Speaker 4: by me Theo Henderson, our producers Jbie Loftus, Kailey Fager, Katiefischal, 644 00:33:45,480 --> 00:33:49,320 Speaker 4: and Lyra Smith. Our editor is Adam Wand and our 645 00:33:49,400 --> 00:33:51,520 Speaker 4: loco art is also by Katieficial. 646 00:33:51,920 --> 00:34:04,360 Speaker 1: Thanks for listening.