Volunteers Cleaning Communities

05/24/2026

Volunteers Cleaning Communities (VCC) walks the city streets 5-6 days a week for the last 5 years picking up litter, organizing and bagging illegal dumping – then reporting it, reporting graffiti, doing w**d abatement events getting rid of pine needles, trimming overhanging bushes, w**d-whacking w**ds, etc., emptying shopping carts of trash and debris and reporting it for pick up – all on the streets of the San Fernando Valley.

We notice violations of the law in every task that we do – every day... however, we don’t complain or ignore it - we want to give back to our communities, and we do what we can… however, we notice things and discuss how bad it has gotten over the last 10-20 years in the SFV… and it is not getting any better!

We ask:

When was it okay to leave your drinking cup on a nearby wall – tossed on the ground – tossed in the curb – or as we find all the time, pushed down into the interior of a bush?
When was it ok to sit on the curb or sit in your car and dispose of your lunch sack, cup, straw, utensils, cans and bottles onto the curb in the gutter? When was it okay to remove the lid of your drink or remove the straw wrapper and toss either on the ground?

THE LAW
California State Law
Littering in the state is strictly prohibited under California Penal Code Section 374.4.

• Definition: It is illegal to discard, drop, or scatter waste matter (such as paper, packaging, wrappers, or ci******es) on public or private property.
• Fines: A first conviction results in a mandatory fine of $250 to $1,000. Second offenses jump to $500-$1,500, and third offenses carry fines of $750-$3,000.
• Community Service: In addition to the fine, judges often mandate a minimum of 8 hours of litter pickup.

05/18/2026

VCC CLEANS LITTER FOR 16 MILES OF VANOWEN - FALLBROOK TO CLYBOURN WITH 165+ VOLUNTEERS IN 2 HOURS! MONUMENTAL!

A twice a year event that VCC organizes, sponsors and accomplishes with community volunteers across the San Fernando Valley – cleaning up ONE STREET from the west end of the valley to the east end of the valley – VANOWEN this time from Fallbrook to Clybourn all in 2 hours!

It takes a lot of planning and prep to accomplish this and we have done this for 5 years now – Ventura being the first in 2021 (17-1/2 miles), Devonshire, Nordhoff, Sherman Way (the worst street in the SFV for litter and illegal dumping), DeSoto, Topanga Canyon and Tampa.

We set up FOUR STATIONS across Vanowen in order for the registered volunteers to pick up a souvenir safety yellow T-shirt to wear during the event so that we stick out, grabbers, gloves, bags and their street section assignment for the event.

STATION ONE: Was at Winnetka Bowl and had 65 volunteers assigned to pick up equipment here. There was a school group (Welby Way Elementary) of 18 that we gave an extended area from Topanga Canyon west to Fallbrook from this station.

STATION TWO: Was at Balboa and Vanowen and handled 35 volunteers stretching their clean up station from Reseda to Woodley. They had 35 volunteers assigned to their station.

STATION THREE: Located at the DMV at Kester and Vanowen handled 35 volunteers and spread from Woodley to Woodman area. Here is where the trash started getting really bad and so many illegal dumping notifications.

STATION FOUR: Located a Valley Plaza Library had 65+ volunteers show up and had the worst section for trash and illegal dumping – horrific actually! They spread from Woodman to Clybourn – 150 bas of trash here alone! And 48 311 notifications of graffiti and illegal dumping!

It was so fun to see the street being cleaned up all at one time…Mark Hovater drove the street taking video and recording the event.

Groups from: Studio City Neighborhood Council, North Hollywood Neighborhood Council, Chatsworth Kiwanis, Notre Dame High School, West Valley Garden Club, Carpenter Elementary, Sherman Oaks Homeowner's Association, Tarzana VCC Leader group, NoHo VCC Leader group, the core VCC group and others who have joined this event before in the past participated. There were also so many new volunteers and that is the main reason we do this event - getting new volunteers involved in the activity of giving back to their community one day at a time when they can... in any way that they can - but litter pick up is necessary and appreciated. We got so many honks.. thank you's.. and waves as we walked the streets.

Afterwards – getting all the equipment back and disassembling the station tent, etc – there is a VCC Leader party where they received a great lunch, wine, beer and margaritas to celebrate the event and the accomplishment – it was something we look forward to each year with great pride and satisfaction of giving back to cur communities and making it a much nicer place to live in!

Thank you to all the volunteers! 500+ bags of trash picked up today!

04/22/2026

We have this event with Sierra Canyon Middle School once a year with so many students.

They are given a briefing before busses are there to take them to the clean up area...

Lindsay Koss, Director of Grades 7-9 is the person from Sierra Canyon that organizes on their side...
​
Today we chose to do a beautification event in front of Councilman John Lee's office where the curbs collected lots of pine needles from the Pine trees lining the street. The Councilman chooses to make sure that monies are spent on community members streets rather than on their office street, so we decided it was a good project for giving back to the community.

VCC VOLUNTEERS: Danny, Steve Hirschberg, Emilie, Christine, Steve Altmayer, Adele, Sarah, Sharon, Mary, Van, Shannon, Todd, Richard, John - new volunteer from Simi - and myself.

VCC volunteers got there early to set the stage - placing the tools in strategic piles along the street with bags - then raking the pine needles into piles that the students will then scoop into bags.

The busses arrived and we got them gloves donated by a parent of one of the students and safety vests. We assembled for a group picture with CD12 Matt Smith and Erik representing the office under their canopy. Huge groups of 85 kids and 6 teachers.

They were pre-divided into small groups so all we had to do is direct them to find a pile of needles and start bagging them with the tools provided. They usually are fairly slow at the beginning before they find what task they like to do... one rakes, 2 sweep, 2 holds the bag and the others scoop the needles up into the bags... it was an awesome sight to see these middle schoolers do this task which they have never done before.
​
We finished the entire street - Oakdale - on the one side in front of the Councilman's office - it looks so much better and in just an hour! It was teamwork at its finest - a great clean up and made a huge difference in the look of the area.
​
Thank you to all connected with this activity - it is always rewarding working with students and exposing them to something worthwhile and new.

Total of approximately 250 large bags of pine needles collected... that is amazing and a huge accomplishment.

04/05/2026

It is time to REGISTER for our semi-annual ALL STREET LITTER PICK UP event - this time on VANOWEN from TOPANGA CANYON Blvd to Vineland - 13-1/2 miles - with 150+ volunteers working together on sections of this street to pick up the litter and make it a nicer place for us to view!

We need you to REGISTER because we need to know your shirt size for your souvenir T-shirt and so that we have equipment for you - as well as to assign you the specific section of the street that you and a group will be given for this event.

If you have any question: [email protected]

Watch the video: https://youtu.be/kACm2DvSkeI

03/08/2026

TWO EVENTS FOR THE SERVICE DAYS...

SANTA SUSANA PASS ROAD - David Weisberg Leader

Everyone met at the church parking lot in order to outline what was being picked out of the canyon along Santa Susana Pass - some will pick up litter along the road while other actually go down into the valley and bring illegal dumping up from the canyon.

Rocky Peak Clean Up was a Total Success!

Together with the Church at Rocky Peak Volunteers and (VCC) Volunteers Cleaning Comunities helpers David, Nancy and Claudine... Santa Susana Pass Road is Trash Free!

Over 40 volunteers worked in perfect coordination to grab, scoop, bag, lug, lift and dispose of over 2,000 lbs. of Illegally Dumped items on the hillsides and roadsides. Items included random piles of fruitstand cardboard, discarded concrete, several pieces of furniture, lots of tires, metal poles, two mattresses, lots of recycling and one deceased dog wrapped up in a blanket.

DEVONSHIRE BEAUTIFICATION - Jill Mather Leader

We met on Tunney just north of Devonshire because we could park there... and then worked on the north and south side of Devonshire going east and west directions - as well as Tunney going north toward Tampa.

The teams were amazing - each set of 4 worked hard sweeping, raking and shoveling up the debris into bags for the 2 hours. Families worked together which was great to see - others worked at getting the w**ds out of the sidewalk cracks which is really hard work

In total we collected 139 bags of pine needles, trash and debris along the street. We covered 2 whole blocks going east and west on Devonshire and the entire Tunney block to Tampa... it looks so much better and everyone had a good time - worked hard!

Come Join us....

02/28/2026

OUR JOINT EVENT WITH DE TOLEDO HIGH SCHOOL

The day started with an educational presentation at the school located on Vanowen near Fallbrook. This is our first event with this school and what a beautiful campus.

Then two busses took the 52 students and 4 adults - teachers - to the site which was beautification on Chatsworth Street starting at Tampa and working toward Vanalden eastward.

The students worked for about 1-1/2 hours and then the bus took them to Mason Park for lunch and the bathroom. They returned after lunch to do another 30 minutes or so of the clean up.

We had a competition going with which group would win for the most bags collected - in teams of 4 students.

We awarded 2 teams - one team of 2 boys got 30 bags and a team of 4 girls collected 36 bags of trash.

In total we collected 130 bags of pine needles, trash and debris along the street. Did not make the entire way to Vanalden but close.

It was a very hot day and hard work but worthwhile. Mark came along to document with some great pictures.

02/23/2026

OUR JOINT EVENT WITH THE SIMI HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL TEAM

VCC VOLUNTEERS: Claudine and Jill lead the group - Anthony is the coach - and 11 football players.

We all worked the Noutheast off ramp together to start - 19 bags of trash there... and worked the Northwest on ramp and the southwest on ramp area for another 10 bags of trash and recyclables... 29 bags in total.

We are working our way down the 118 west doing one on and off ramp per month - the FIRST is the next one in line.

It was a little cool this morning and windy for sure... but we got the trash up... still need to do the southeast and southwest on and off ramps though - could not get to those.

02/16/2026

VCC & STUDIO CITY CLEAN UP

The third event in Studio City was today, Sunday and approximately 45 volunteers showed up - lots of them were repeat volunteers and even volunteers from other events in different areas.

The VCC Leader, Andrew Epstein and his co-organizer Joanna Calabrese coordinate the event and the volunteers.

The event starts out at Vitello's Restaurant on Tujunga with coffee and some sweets donated by the office of LA Empowerment and a representative from CD4 as well as the SCNC. Directions are given as to where each of the groups are to pick up trash for the 2 hours.

Everyone was urged to use 311 to report any bags they had to leave of he street as well as illegal dumping, etc.

They spread north and south on Tujunga - east and west on Magnolia and Ventura Blvd. side streets as well as the off ramp at Tujunga going eastward.

Great weather - great group - approximately 60 bags of trash picked up this morning - before the rain!

02/15/2026

Wonderful video created by Mark Hovater of the Celebration of Cash Vandervort's one year anniversary of passing. What a lovely memory of the day.

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

02/14/2026

NOTRE DAME HIGH SCHOOL & VCC EVENT

We participate in the Immersion Program with NOTRE DAME HIGH about 6 times a year with 50 or so students and chaperones / teachers.

Today's VCC group was at WOODLEY PARK in the Sepulveda Basin area - Woodley and Victory.

There were about 50 participants which we went going north and south on Woodley - east and west on Victory and cleaning the Park and parking lot itself. The groups worked about 1-1/2 hours and collected a lot of trash, a knife and a hammer.

In total we collected about 30 full bags and left the area much cleaner!