California retiree started picking up litter alone; group later removed 750,000 pounds
Jill Mather, a retired restaurant worker, started a community initiative to clean up litter in her neighborhood during the pandemic. Her efforts grew into a large volunteer group that has successfully removed over 750,000 pounds of trash.
Why it matters
This story highlights the power of individual initiative and community engagement in addressing local environmental issues and fostering social connection.
Life always has a purpose, and the fun part is that you get to decide it. You can spend a fine morning sleeping through it or volunteering your time for a purpose. For Jill Mather her retirement wasn't going as planned. After decades of working 80-hour weeks in the restaurant business, she had dreamt of travelling, relaxing and spending time with old friends. But soon, COVID-19 struck and Jill was itching to do something.“I can take a long walk at least,” she told herself one morning, and headed out to stroll 4 miles through her San Fernando neighbourhood. She did it again the next day, but as she walked block after block, she noticed there was litter everywhere — cans, bottles and trash. The next morning she grabbed numerous plastic grocery bags and headed out on her walk with a renewed purpose.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in