COMMUNITY 12 Clandestine cleaners recognized in Ocean Beach FRIDAY · September 25, 2020
THE PENINSULA BEACON
By DAVE SCHWAB | The Beacon
Most mornings, van dwellers Marc Gervais and David Hendon spend their pre-dawn hours thanklessly picking up trash in Ocean Beach Pier parking lot. Now, thanks to a webcam on a nearby tattoo parlor, and an outof-stater who witnessed them doing their “chores” and tipped off local affiliate CBS News 8, which profiled them, the two men have received financial assistance. That aid has come from a GoFundMe account that to date has netted more than $20,000 to help them in their efforts, and start them on a path toward eventually getting their own place. Asked what inspired them to help clean up the community, Gervais said it was another anonymous volunteer. “It was about four years ago and it was this old Obecian named Doug, who walks the beach every single morning,” he said. “He’s 85 years old and he walks from Dog Beach to the tide pools picking trash off the sand, taking the kids toys he finds and puts them on the seawalls so kids can play with them again.” Added Gervais, “After sitting here for a week watching this old man going along picking up trash we decided, ‘Hell, if he can do it in the sand, we can do it at the pier.’” “[Doug] doesn’t want the notoriety,” added Hendon. “He does it to
keep [the beach] clean and for exercise.” Asked why they volunteer, Gervais replied: “I just don’t like seeing a beautiful area look like trash. It looks like @#$% to the community. I don’t like looking out at the beauty and seeing ugly. And trash is ugly.” The two friends, who met at the beach walking their dogs before they were homeless, are on another mission: to change David Hendon and Marc Gervais clean-up Ocean Beach Pier parking lot in the early morning COURTESY PHOTO the public’s perception hours. to see the homeless as area, make your section look nic- can just go ahead and trash. It’s individuals. “The public put [homeless] all er, and quit drinking and doing going to get picked up anyway.’ together with drugs,” pointed drugs. Basically, that’s where We’re going to do it anyway, but out David, adding,” If you ever most of the problems come from.” we shouldn’t have to do that much look around, you can tell the difMarc said he and David have every night.” ference. All the tweakers have “grown” into their chosen roles Marc said the best part of bikes. That’s one thing they’ve as public servants. volunteer trash picking comes all got.” “We started picking up trash at afterward. “The good part comes when “If you’ve got to have homeless, Dusty Rhodes Park and then we you’d rather have people that re- got the van and we started com- we’re all done and we sit down spect and care about the commu- ing down here (OB Pier),” he said. and we drink a hot cup of coffee nity, who are going to try and do “At first we didn’t have pickers and and we look out and you don’t something to make it better rather had to bend over all the time. Now see all kinds of trash in the lot,” than worse,” said Marc. “I don’t we’ve got pickers so we can do he said. expect the community to change more. We got a broom and startConcerning keeping OB clean, Marc said: “It’s a respect thing. for me. I expect to change for the ed sweeping. It just progressed.” Being a community volunteer If you respect the people in the community. “If you’re homeless, quit being has its downside, noted David. community in your area, and the such a damn pig. Nobody owes “Most people know that we people next to you, then harmony you nothin’. You owe everybody come down here every night,” he exists. When you don’t – harmony else. Get out, pick up around your said. “They just feel like, ‘Oh, we can’t exist.”
COASTAL CLEANUP DAY ON SEPT. 26 The popular countywide environmental protection event is back for its 36th edition on Saturday, Sept. 26. Produced by I Love A Clean San Diego for the residents of San Diego County, the event has hosted over 970,000 volunteers who have removed over 16 million pounds of litter and debris from communities since 1985. This year, Coastal Cleanup Day volunteers will participate close to home to safely protect and cleanup streets, parks, canyons and beaches within their own communities. Volunteers can learn more and register for free now at CleanupDay.org. Coastal Cleanup Day typically runs for three hours 9 a.m. to noon. However, organizers want as many people as possible to spend what time they can in their communities, so volunteers are able to participate anytime during the day. “No matter where you live in San Diego County, we all live in one of the region’s 11 watersheds, which need our help to protect the inland environment, creeks, bays and ultimately the ocean,” said Len Hering, executive director at I Love A Clean San Diego. “This year, we are not organizing specific sites to avoid large group gatherings. Rather, we encourage residents to help their community close to home with immediate family and friends, and engage with us through social media to show their impact.”
