OCEANSIDE, Calif. — A small but mighty group of volunteers is quietly picking up tens of thousands of pounds of trash in San Diego County.
In this Zevely Zone, I went to Oceanside to meet the members of 'A Cleaner North County.'
A CBS 8 viewer suggested I cover this story about a fairly unknown group of super volunteers who can't stand to see trash strewn upon public areas.
A Cleaner North County is a volunteer group you've probably never heard about.
"Looks like we got some down here," said Colby Schexnayder.
The group's CEO is dumbfounded by how many people can't find a trash can.
"Vacuum cleaners, more than one toilet, like the whole porcelain thrown," said Colby about some of the strangest items he has found.
Colby's comrades are out here almost every week. You might be surprised to hear how many core members appear for these massive clean-ups.
"Consistently around five," said Colby. I responded, "That doesn't seem like enough." Colby then said, "It's not. We are a small team, but we are dedicated."
On this day, they visited Oceanview Cemetery.
"They are fantastic," said Greg Morones.
He works for Eternal Hills, which cares for the special resting place. The cemetery is mostly immaculate, but A Cleaner North County offered to make it even cleaner and pick up trash around the perimeter. "That's the goal, right? Respecting the decedents who are lying to rest here is very important, and then the perimeter is just as important as the grounds here," said Greg.
We found volunteer Diane Turner dragging out another bag of trash.
"It's disappointing, but somebody's got to do it. It's heartwarming that we are doing something for the community," said Diane, the secretary and treasurer of A Cleaner North County. "We concentrate on Fallbrook, Bonsall, Oceanside and Vista because that's our little circle," said Diane.
At this site, they found an abandoned encampment.
"You want your next generation to have something nice," said Robin Olson. Along with collecting the big stuff, we found Robin, a former smoker, picking up cigarette butts.
I asked her if she ever tossed a cigarette butt out of her car window?
"Yes, I did. So I pay my penance by picking them up," said Robin.
They all have their reasons but share the same goal. "Because it's where I live," said Diane.
"I mean it's almost like nobody has any pride in their community." Robin then added, "It makes me feel good; it makes me feel like I am doing something good for our society."
The El Camino Rotary Club offered reinforcements during this clean-up. Maybe someone reading this story will show up next week as the group surpasses 22 thousand pounds of collected trash. "It's sad, but we are at least picking it up, right? Without us, it would still be there," said Colby. Every little bit, every little bit helps."
A Cleaner North County was founded in 2021. If you'd like to learn more about volunteering, click here or email the group at acleanernorthcounty@gmail.com.