 "I needed to make my own job, so I thought I'd go around and clean the streets," says Marc, the Litter Guy. (MARK O'NEILL/SUN MEDIA)
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TORONTO (Sun Media) - Marc the Litter Guy needed money to pay the rent but he didn't want to panhandle.
So the 30-year-old got some garbage bags and put a sign on his back saying he was cleaning the city for donations.
"I needed to make my own job, so I thought I'd go around and clean the streets. I wear a sign -- it tells what I'm doing and asks for donations -- but I don't ask for money verbally, I leave it up to people," said Marc, who has been picking up about 80 bags of garbage a day for the past 11 months.
Marc was struggling to get work as a day labourer and was tired of lining up at 4:30 a.m every day looking for a job that wasn't there.
"I can have crappy days where I don't make minimum wage, but some days I can make $10 an hour," he said.
Marc has some specific areas where he works, and it's not uncommon for businesses to donate garbage bags and give him a few bucks to clean up their areas.
Marc is talking to faculty at the University of Toronto about starting a pilot project, where panhandlers could meet at the university and then disperse with garbage bags to different locales.
"I just think this is a viable option for panhandlers and it is good for the city," he said.
It is commonplace for many panhandlers to stake out the same corner every day to beg for money.
"I think this guy has a great idea," said Robin MacDonald, a customer at Starbucks on King St. E.
"Here you have a guy who doesn't bother people and he gives back. I wouldn't mind giving my change to him."
In response to complaints about panhandlers, the city is looking into whether downtown beggars who are not homeless need help in making use of social programs.
The executive committee has met with restaurant and other business owners who are frustrated with panhandlers on downtown streets.
The committee unanimously voted to launch a pilot project -- from July 3 to Sept. 17 -- which will include meetings between senior officials and businesses to find ways of addressing the panhandling problem.
