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. 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.
They turned in recyclables found on streets, parks and a stretch of State Route 118 and used the cash to buy heavy-duty bags, vests and backpacks.
“When can we do this again?” everyone asked. “They are my new family,” says Emilie Koster, a former UCLA volunteer. “And that doesn’t include the larger items we set out for the city,” Jill said to Woman’s World.
When they were all done, they went for a coffee. Soon, every morning, Jill and a rotating crew gathered for two hours of walking and cleaning. She named her group Volunteers Cleaning Communities. “When COVID struck, we volunteers were the first to be sent home. Then I heard about VCC. It’s easier to do something meaningful when you’re with like-minded people. Over the past six years, VCC members have removed and disposed of nearly three-quarters of a million pounds of trash. “We get exercise, improve the community and make friends. It’s a win all around.”