COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KOAA) — Before most people have had their morning coffee, the Old Colorado City Trash Fairies are already hard at work, trading magic wands for trash bags as they clean up their community.
For Ryan MacNufo, it's not just about picking up trash. It's about picking up pieces of his life and giving back to the community that helped him.
"Every chance I get, every chance that's posted, I will be here helping," MacNufo said.
He started volunteering in 2019, a time when he was fighting to get back on his feet. He had been living in his truck and turned to Westside Cares for help.
"I was actually so stressed. I eventually was like, 'What are the chances of helping me get off the street?' And they said it starts right here. So that was the beginning of the beginning of the process. I had to show up for my life," MacNufo said.
He quickly found purpose and a family through the OCC Trash Fairies — a group that started in 2016 after a rainstorm washed trash through Manitou.
"We were coming home, and a big rainstorm came through. And as you can imagine, all the trash from upstream came down," Tiffany Scott said.
Founders Luke and Tiffany Scott promised to do something about it and have been building community ever since, reminding others that keeping the city clean is a shared responsibility.
"Let's treat each other as equals and get together for things like this and have a good time while we're out here," Luke Scott said.
Their work is 100% volunteer-powered, from first-timers to regulars like MacNufo, who says the work is a form of therapy.
"It's a secret. People would pay good money to feel what I'm feeling. They would literally pay good money. But I know that it's here and it's free, and it only cost me to show up for my own life and for my community," MacNufo said.
Others say the experience opens their eyes to bigger issues and why small actions matter.
"Just to pick up your trash, if you're going to the park, you know, it's a little sad seeing everything here," Madison Kitchen said.
"You kind of get a picture of how these homeless people have to live. And it's, it's, it's not easy. So it's a good thing. It's good for anyone to come out here and see this and then try to become part of the solution," Daniel Kurschner said.
"Oh, it looks much cleaner. I mean, see the back of the truck. It's already full, and we haven't been out here. But maybe, what, like an hour?" Kimberly Reece said.
The OCC Trash Fairies aim to do cleanups at least once a month.
This month, they met at Vermijo Park to clean up the section they adopted from 25th to Ridge, which they say sees a lot of different traffic.
All together, the team picked up almost 2 tons of trash in one morning.
And for MacNufo, who once needed help, now he's the one showing up and showing others what's possible.
"Just come on, have some coffee. Just start bumping, shaking hands. You're here to clean up, too. Roger, that. That's what we're doing. It's not scary, it's awesome," MacNufo said.
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