What are we?

We Are Talking Trash is a non-profit group created to educate and spread awareness to restore Germantown to its beautiful and rich historical state.

Why?

Because we are walking on pure history. We as a movement believe that through collaboration with neighbors and other community representatives, we can give back to this city from the outside-in. We strive to restore Germantown’s historic value, stop illegal dumping, beautify our neighborhoods, and keep this precious town safe for Germantown residents. In fact, we don’t just talk trash. We inspire, collaborate, educate, and most of all get down and dirty.

It All Started With...

A vision. A vision for a safer, cleaner, and history-rich community; a Germantown that truly represented its potential.

My journey begins with helping a friend clean the streets of Germantown. It was the start of wanting to do more as I walked around the neighborhood. I began to see how unclean it was and knew that once upon a time our president, Washington had walked the streets of his Germantown area. Germantown was a part of history so when I heard about a community meeting involving a clean-up, I was going to be the voice that was unheard before. That is where I met Shota, who became my partner in this same mission to restore Germantown. This is my passion and calling to restore what has been lost.

- Kecina Vasquez

Co-founder and resident of Germantown

It all started from participating in an organized Community clean up where I met Kecina Vasquez. She allowed me to meet Jeanette Gooch and 5 high school volunteers to clean up Lena and Armat street. When we arrived at the location, we were shocked to see the place filled with trash, abandoned cars, and oil spills. After 2 hours of hard work, we filled 40 construction-size bags and cleaned up the place spotless. Within just a few days, an unidentified van dumped large construction debris and furniture that filled the sidewalk and spilled over to the street. I saw a mother and her toddler who could not use the sidewalk and maneuvered around the pile and walked in the middle of the street. This fueled something in me and I immediately organized an online We Are Talking Trash round table discussion. I invited city council representatives and local residents to discuss how to install the camera at the Lena and Armat St. underpass.

I hope to see We Are Talking Trash Inc become one of the several catalyst organizations to create synergy amongst the city council, state representatives, nonprofits, and residents within the Germantown community. I hope to raise awareness to keep our community clean and restore pride within this history-enriched area. We also hope to empower a sense of civic pride amongst residents of Germantown by building safe and peaceful communities through ongoing beautification projects!

- Shota Iwasaki

Co-founder and pastor in Germantown