TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Since its conception seven years ago, the Tucson Homeless Work Program (HWP) has helped more than 2,500 people earn money and get them back on their feet.
The Old Pueblo Community Services (OPCS) program — spearheaded by Ward 5 Councilman Richard Fimbres — pays participants experiencing homelessness for picking up trash around the city.
“We pick up just bag after bag after bag of debris that’s been blown around the area,” said Supervisor Dezeri Marsh.
On average, they clean up about a thousand pounds of trash every day — five teams go out to dozens of garbage hot spots five days per week.
“There’s obviously no shortage of areas that need help in town," Marsh said. "Whether it’s an abandoned camp or an illegal dumping, we try to be there and help everywhere we can.”
Marsh will be three years sober next month. She was homeless for eight years and found her OPCS job, the first one where she felt comfortable.
“It’s incredible. I’ve gotten my life back and I’m hoping to give that back to the people I’m with every day.”
What started as one truck and one driver in 2017 grew to five drivers, five vans and three trailers with more coming soon.
Program spots are limited, making them highly sought after within the local shelters.
Tuesday marked Kerri Schramek's second time out with HWP. She's recently disabled and stays at Sister José's Women's Center.
Schramek said she's lucky to have nabbed one of the spots.
“It helps give them a sense of purpose. It makes them feel like they’re doing something positive," she explained. "(The supervisors) don’t look at you as homeless. They look at you as just a peer-type of thing. It’s really nice. It’s refreshing.”
The team will even hire on-site if they don't have a full crew. Tuesday was one of those days.
“A gentleman doesn’t speak any English, had no clue what was about to happen and it just made his day," Marsh said during an interview with KGUN 9. "He’s out here cleaning up with us right now, he’s getting enrolled in services.”
It's not just about the money.
Twenty percent of program participants found permanent housing, some telling employees like Driver Todd Parke it's improving their social skills.
“We’ll get a lot of people that say that it’s building their self-esteem. We just tell them, 'Do what you can' and that’s what we expect," Parke said.
"As long as they’re happy when they go home, saying they think they’ve done a good job, then we’re pretty much happy.”
An OPCS ceremony on Thursday at 2323 S. Park Ave will recognize the progress made over the last seven years and honor the supporters of the work program. The event starts at 4:30 p.m.
Mikenzie Hammel joined the KGUN 9 team as a multimedia journalist in the summer of 2023. She graduated from Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism with her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees. With her passion for human connection and visual storytelling, Mikenzie is honored to share the stories of Tucson and southeastern Arizona. Share your story ideas and important issues with Mikenzie by emailing mikenzie.hammel@kgun9.com.
