Misty Potzkai posts a garbage bag to a pole on Wesley St. The Nanaimo woman is chartering a new path in life with help through a part-time job cleaning up garbage and needles in downtown Nanaimo (Ian Holmes/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By Ian Holmes

New beginnings

Downtown Nanaimo garbage & needle clean-up program provides purpose and hope

Jan 19, 2020 | 12:51 PM

NANAIMO — A new needle and trash clean-up initiative is the opportunity a Nanaimo woman believes will turn her life around.

Misty Potzkai, 35, is one of eight people employed through Clean Sweep, an initiative launched by the mid island chapter of the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) in mid-November.

Potzkai’s two hour daily tour of Nanaimo’s downtown and Old City Quarter business district typically fills three to four large bags of garbage and small pail of needles.

“It’s helping me give back,” Potzkai said while taking a break during a recent shift. “It’s giving me an even bigger purpose to survive, to keep going and not give up and show others it’s possible. If I can do it anybody can do it.”

Potzkai is all too familiar with the unforgiving cycle of drug abuse, homelessness and despair.

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The recovering drug addict sees Clean Sweep as not only a way to spruce up downtown Nanaimo, but also help people struggling the same way she did.

“After I’m done my two hour shift I’ll stop and say, ‘Hey, how are you doing?,’ or give them a hug or whatever, just to uplift their spirits, because I understand what they’re going through.”

Potzkai said Clean Sweep provides her with the stability needed to find other job opportunities.

Job coach Wayne Jones with the mid island branch of the CMHA said Clean Sweep is a resounding success.

“It gives (our clients) a purpose again,” Jones said. “They get up everyday, they come here do the two hours, they’ve got a few dollars in their pocket and start feeling better about their lives,” Jones said.

Destiny Herman, team lead for the CMHA’s overdose prevention site on Wesley St., helped create Clean Sweep. She said the aim was to provide meaningful employment for clients, while also benefiting the community.

Herman said early reviews have been positive.

“We’ve gotten a lot of good feedback from businesses and residents in the area. I’ve heard from quite a few people that they’re happy to see somebody out there.”

The local CMHA chapter hopes Clean Sweep will be expanded, however the future of the locally created initiative is unclear as it’s funded by B.C. Housing.

ian@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @reporterholmes