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Crosscurrents
Crosscurrents is our award-winning radio news magazine, broadcasting Mondays through Thursdays at 11 a.m. on 91.7 FM. We make joyful, informative stories that engage people across the economic, social, and cultural divides in our community. Listen to full episodes at kalw.org/crosscurrents

Picking up litter – and spirits – on San Francisco’s streets

KALW | By Mary Catherine O'Connor
Published April 29, 2024 at 6:00 AM PDT
Volunteers gather at Manny's before heading out to collect trash.
Mary Catherine O'Connor
Volunteers gather at Manny's before heading out to collect trash.

This story first aired on July 12, 2023 and it aired most recently on the April 29, 2024 episode of Crosscurrents.

This story was made to be heard. If you are able, press the play button above to listen.

Mary Catherine O'Connor is the new Beat Reporting Fellow covering climate for the KALW newsroom. What would you like to hear her cover? Send us an email at feedback@kalw.org.

Rituals are important. They provide structure and meaning, and they support a practice—spiritual or otherwise.

A group of volunteers meet up every Sunday morning at Manny’s, a cafe and event space in San Francisco’s Mission District. Their devotion? Cleaning up the neighborhood’s notoriously litter-clogged streets. To prepare, they don rubber gloves, bedazzled orange safety vests, and turn up the dance tunes. Once the trash bags are full, volunteers receive freebies at local eateries and other merchants. Welcome to Manny’s Disco Trash Cleanup.

You can sign up for a future disco cleanup here.
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Crosscurrents
Mary Catherine O'Connor
Originally from Chicago, I’ve lived in San Francisco for the past 20 years and am a veteran reporter and communicator. I was most recently editorial director for Activate, a nonprofit that empowers science entrepreneurs to bring their research to market. Prior to that I spent a dozen years as an independent reporter whose beats included climate, energy, microplastics, technology, and recreation. I’ve written for Outside, The Guardian, Al Jazeera America, and many other publications, and in 2014 co-founded a reader-supported experiment in journalism, called Climate Confidential. I had a brief stint in radio during college and can’t wait to learn the craft of audio storytelling.
See stories by Mary Catherine O'Connor