PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Who says being a sanitation worker isn’t cool? Terrill Haigler’s kids, that’s who.
“They were so ashamed that I was a sanitation worker in the beginning,” 32-year-old Haigler remembered. “My son was telling people I was a cop. My daughter told people I was a pilot. They said, ‘Don’t pick us up in front of the door at school.’ ”
They didn’t yet understand how important sanitation workers are. But that gave Haigler the opportunity to start the conversation.
“It opened the door to so many conversations with a 10-, 9- and 5-year-old that now they’re like the trash police,” he said.
Haigler, who has garnered a huge following on social media as Ya Fav Trashman, left his job as a sanitation worker last year to become a full-time advocate for cleaner streets. His most recent effort — inspired by his own children — is a new children’s book that teaches kids about clean communities.
In the book, titled “I’m Cool Too,” he said all the children have the same dream, “and they end up being my new hires on the job. Throughout the book, I’m teaching them about sanitation, sanitation work, the truck, community.”
“Cleaning and greening spaces, fixing up abandoned homes, turning vacant lots into parks reduces crime by almost 30%,” he added. “So when I started organizing neighborhood cleanups, I was like, a cleaner neighborhood is a safer neighborhood.”
The book is available for pre-order before its release on June 30. Haigler said $5 from every book sale will be donated to Philadelphia public schools. The goal is to sell 200,000 copies and hit $1 million for the district.
“I’m going to personally deliver every check to the schools after Labor Day if I can get to my million dollars and let the schools use it how they see fit,” said Haigler. “I think that’s more impactful.”
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