Southside Tucsonan teaches landscaping skills to unhoused people, sharing his mission for 'Barrio Restoration'

TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Barrio Restoration, an organization committed to cleaning up South Tucson's streets, has long been known for its neighborhood clean-ups with local residents. Now, the initiative is expanding its efforts by enlisting volunteers from a different group, the city’s unhoused community.

David Garcia, a South Tucson community leader, has taken it upon himself to involve people experiencing homelessness in the clean-up efforts. With his signature motto "doing good in the hood," Garcia provides tools and guidance to help those on the streets contribute to beautifying their neighborhood.

“I tell them, ‘Walk with me, talk with me,’” Garcia explained, as he shared his goal of teaching volunteers practical skills like using a shovel and rake to make a living. “I want to see them change. I see folks in the struggle on the streets, and that’s someone’s family, somebody’s mom, somebody’s kid, somebody’s brother.”

The clean-ups began earlier this month, and one of the most consistent volunteers has been Frank, who has shown up every Friday to help out. “We wanted to make it look better, to have money in our pockets, so we cleaned it,” Frank said, noting the pride he takes in contributing to the effort.

In addition to teaching volunteers about hard work, Garcia makes sure that the people who help out are taken care of. After each clean-up, he either buys or cooks food for the volunteers and ensures any donations made go directly to them.

The project has already gained attention and support from the community. One man, moved by the efforts, donated $100 after stopping to ask what the group was doing. Garcia shared his gratitude for the support, allowing him to purchase more tools and grow the efforts.

Garcia expressed his hopes of continuing the project for as long as possible, driven by his vision of empowering people on the streets with the tools and knowledge to improve their lives and their surroundings. He added others can support his mission aside from donations, and welcomed anyone looking to get rid of old tools.

The clean-up initiative has been met with positive feedback from South Tucson residents who appreciate the effort to restore pride to their streets. Barrio Restoration and Garcia remain dedicated to fostering positive change and unity in the community, one clean street at a time. Above all, he said, he hoped this could help those who participate in getting back on their feet.