Staff Reporter
At 8 a.m., the retirees gathered near the G Line station in Canoga Park, hard to miss in neon yellow vests. With trash bags in hand, they scanned sidewalks and gutters littered with debris.
Group leader Jill Mather, moving with military precision, outlined the mission: clean a mile-long stretch of Sherman Way.
For two hours, they collected Q-tips, chicken bones, paper plates, coffee cups, soiled napkins, and vape canisters. Mather retrieved a black slipper from an abandoned shopping cart.
“It makes us feel good,” said Mather, hauling a bag. “It’s visibly different. It’s instant gratification.”
By midmorning, the San Fernando Valley heat pressed down. Alan Aaronson, 71, flexed sore fingers from his grabber tool. But he and others would return the next day to go “trashing.” And the day after that.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
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Volunteers Cleaning Communities (VCC) is among L.A.’s largest cleanup groups.
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Membership: About 250 active volunteers, mostly retirees.
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Coverage: West San Fernando Valley, with branches in East Valley, Brentwood, and Santa Monica.
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Motivation: Frustration with city filth and loneliness drives participation.
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Frequency: Crews clean streets six days a week.
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Purpose: Friendship, exercise, and civic pride.
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Leadership: Founder Jill Mather, 76, organizes events and celebrates volunteers.
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Activities: Beyond sidewalks—mountain trails and freeway shoulders.
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Notable finds: Cash, a gun, human ashes, and dead animals.
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City response: Mayor Karen Bass promotes cleanup efforts for 2028 Olympics.
Meet the Trashers
Volunteers Cleaning Communities (VCC) has become one of Los Angeles’ largest grassroots cleanup efforts. The group, formed during the pandemic, now draws retirees in their 60s and 70s who fan out across the West Valley six days a week.
What started as frustration with city litter evolved into something more — friendship and purpose. Many members turned to the group after losing spouses or leaving long careers.
Aaronson, a retired entertainment sales manager, joined during a difficult period after his wife died. “I like going to coffee after, I like hanging out with people,” he said. “I like the whole communal exercise.”
Danny Sinclair, 75, moved from Tampa in 2020 after his wife’s death. Feeling isolated, he joined VCC. Now, he cleans five days a week and hikes with fellow volunteers on Fridays. “I came to California not knowing anyone except my son and his family,” Sinclair said. “I got a new family.”
Beyond Cleaning: A Social Lifeline
Volunteers often bond beyond the sidewalks. They play pickleball, line dance, gather for game nights, and even took a Mississippi River cruise. A Ventura trip is planned.
The group also honors members — from birthday parties to memorials. Pins featuring Cash Vandervort, a beloved volunteer who died at 86, are worn proudly.
Founder Mather, a former hospitality executive, says she treats volunteers better than employees. “The volunteers don’t have to come back,” she said.
A Growing Effort with Civic Impact
The group’s work stretches beyond neighborhoods. Volunteers clear abandoned motorcycles, washing machines, and trash along the 118 Freeway, sometimes donning hard hats for safety. They have even recovered human ashes and firearms.
Despite daily progress, litter returns quickly. Still, the volunteers press on. “You clean up your little area for two hours and you feel like you can do something,” said Ann LaManna, a retired psychotherapist.
City leaders have noticed. Councilmember John Lee calls their work “infectious,” crediting VCC for making his district one of the cleanest in L.A.
From Isolation to Connection
For many, VCC is more than trash pickup — it’s a second family. Some found best friends; others found love. David Weisberg, 61, and Nancy Nicoloro, 57, met at a cleanup and are now a couple.
Mather, once craving a social life in retirement, now plans weekly events on the group’s site. Volunteers meet at posted locations — often parking lots near coffee shops — before tackling their routes.
As Mather puts it: “We want our communities to look nice. We want to be proud of where we live.”
The retirees of Volunteers Cleaning Communities have turned what many see as a citywide problem into a mission of hope and connection. Their daily efforts prove that small actions — one Q-tip, one bottle, one bag at a time — can make a visible difference. More than cleaning streets, they are cleaning away loneliness, building friendships, and restoring pride in Los Angeles neighborhoods. As the city prepares for the 2028 Olympics, these volunteers remind us that community spirit, not just city policy, is what truly keeps a city beautiful.
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