Feces, urine, and heaps of trash…that’s a common sight (and smell) when walking down the various streets of Skid Row. Until you get to a small section near the corner of San Pedro and 6th St. There is no sign of trash, litter, human waste, or even dried leaves fallen from the trees. That’s because of one woman. “Brenda” sweeps the street every single day. The street that she sleeps on every night. As well as encourage others to use the bathroom in the shelter, rather than relieve themselves on the sidewalk. For her it’s her home, so she takes it upon herself to keep it clean. Even if it takes her hours to do it. When I was speaking with her, various homeless people would come up to her to thank her for what she does. But she simply does it because it’s her home. When she is not cleaning, she spends a lot her time at the shelter getting tutored or taking classes to educate herself so one day she can find a decent job to get her off the street. In the meantime, she will continue to call Skid Row home and maintain her street with pride and respect.
