Cadence's Community Care Truck Fund
Donation protected
You don't have to be big or strong to make a difference. Sometimes, something as simple as flashing a smile or picking up a piece of litter can exponentially improve someone's day. Since we are only guaranteed this moment, that's enough to be considered a valuable impact. I've noticed an alarming number of mattresses, broken furniture, and other trash piles occupying residential Oakland; rumor has it that they're often left there by companies who claim to "responsibly" dispose of customers' discarded belongings. Since the city of Oakland CLEARLY isn't doing enough, I'm going to help better this situation. Additionally, there is always someone moving and getting rid of bulky items that don't necessarily need to be trashed - I offer a service, in cooperation with some local and online organizations, to find these items new homes and deliver them to folks who may not otherwise have access. This is a fundraiser to help a smart, Black female get s**t done! Please see FAQ and contact info at the end for questions/ comments/ concerns.
I'm raising money to start a community funded clean up and redistribution project by 7/28/2020, in honor of my birthday the following month. I will be 100% transparent about when, where, and how the funds are being spent, keeping detailed spreadsheets to account for all of the information. Below are estimations for the breakdown of how the funds will be allocated.
With these initial funds, I will do the following:
1) Pay for any necessary dump, parking, registration, permits, ppe (personal protective equipment), tools (brooms, shovels, rakes, trash bags, tie-downs, tarps), and any other related fees to safely and responsibly execute this work. Here is a link to the local dump to give an idea of some of those costs. $22,000
2) Cover the fuel the truck needs to get the items to their respectable locations. $5,000
3) Cover the fuel my body needs to perform the work involved. $1,000
4) Fund the promotion (ads, website, flyers) and provision of these services (donating cash to physically-able community members who want to help me with moving mattresses, dressers, and couches) to under-privileged community members who don't have the means to safely and properly re-home or dispose of challenging-to-discard items, in an effort to prevent future stray trash and furniture from unnecessarily occupying our beloved Oakland sidewalks, parks, and yards. $12,000
5) BEFORE I CAN DO ANY OF THIS, I need a reliable pick up truck to navigate narrow, crowded streets, while transporting items to appropriate recycling, donation, and disposal locations. So far, I've been renting and borrowing vehicles to make these trips and I find the process of getting a ride to the rental, check in, limited availability, working within rental time limits, check out, getting a ride home, and astronomical insurance/mileage/security fees to be exhausting. I'm going to buy a new one so that I can eliminate the stress of renting someone else's truck and because buying used is not really any less expensive. I want to continue to do this, in addition to my other carpentry/ handy work, for the longest time possible with minimal maintenance and repair cost. Here is the one I am going to get. A down payment $15,000 is needed to obtain this vehicle. MSRP $44,000
This will be an ongoing, long-term project because we are a country with a consumerist mindset and there are so many who have mistaken Oakland as acceptable dumping ground for their trash. This is one example of how I choose to show up to counteract that mindset. We deserve to live in a clean, healthful, accessible environment. Any funds raised above my goal will go toward prolonging these efforts as far into the future as possible. I'm willing to continue doing the work, but I need a lot of help to make this project a reality. Thank you for reading and thank you for your support! We are on our way to making a difference for our community.
FAQ:
Q: "Why can't you just get a used truck that's less costly? You don't need a new one to accomplish what you're after?"
A: First, accessibility matters. I've done a good amount of research on what's available out there. I'm a small person who can't see over the dashboard of most trucks that I've tested, but still need something that's big and powerful enough to tow and haul, small enough to maneuver through tight streets, rugged enough to handle under-maintained roads, and comfortable enough for me to spend hours driving. With a new vehicle, I can have certain accessibility and safety features custom added that aren't available on used ones, as well as fewer maintenance costs and lower probability of issues.
Second, even if I could fit and see over the dashboard without a pillow or booster seat, used trucks are not necessarily less expensive that new trucks.
Third, why should my community and I have to settle for a used truck when billionaires still exist and there is plenty of money out there to help us pay for this? Black people do deserve to have nice things.
Q: "How do I know you don't just want a truck for yourself?"
A: I do want a truck of my own so that I can avoid the hassle of having to rent or borrow one from elsewhere. Yes, I'll also use it for personal activities such as going to the store and transporting instruments to gigs, but it is primarily a work truck. I don't have space or money to own a personal vehicle and a work vehicle, so this will have to be a two-in-one situation.
Q: "It's the city's job. Why are you taking work from city employees?"
A: If the city were effectively completing this job, I wouldn't have had this idea to begin with. Clearly, there is plenty more work to be done! Also, It's not just about trash removal, it's about accessibility for myself and my community.
Q: "How can I be sure you're not spending my donation on personal expenses?"
A: I will maintain transparency throughout this process. Some of the money will be used to make sure I have food, am hydrated, or to eventually replace worn out equipment like gloves and work boots, but not things that are unrelated to this work. I do have other means of income separate from this endeavor.
Please feel free to contact me through the link provided below, IG, email, or text messaging if you have more questions about this project!
I'm raising money to start a community funded clean up and redistribution project by 7/28/2020, in honor of my birthday the following month. I will be 100% transparent about when, where, and how the funds are being spent, keeping detailed spreadsheets to account for all of the information. Below are estimations for the breakdown of how the funds will be allocated.
With these initial funds, I will do the following:
1) Pay for any necessary dump, parking, registration, permits, ppe (personal protective equipment), tools (brooms, shovels, rakes, trash bags, tie-downs, tarps), and any other related fees to safely and responsibly execute this work. Here is a link to the local dump to give an idea of some of those costs. $22,000
2) Cover the fuel the truck needs to get the items to their respectable locations. $5,000
3) Cover the fuel my body needs to perform the work involved. $1,000
4) Fund the promotion (ads, website, flyers) and provision of these services (donating cash to physically-able community members who want to help me with moving mattresses, dressers, and couches) to under-privileged community members who don't have the means to safely and properly re-home or dispose of challenging-to-discard items, in an effort to prevent future stray trash and furniture from unnecessarily occupying our beloved Oakland sidewalks, parks, and yards. $12,000
5) BEFORE I CAN DO ANY OF THIS, I need a reliable pick up truck to navigate narrow, crowded streets, while transporting items to appropriate recycling, donation, and disposal locations. So far, I've been renting and borrowing vehicles to make these trips and I find the process of getting a ride to the rental, check in, limited availability, working within rental time limits, check out, getting a ride home, and astronomical insurance/mileage/security fees to be exhausting. I'm going to buy a new one so that I can eliminate the stress of renting someone else's truck and because buying used is not really any less expensive. I want to continue to do this, in addition to my other carpentry/ handy work, for the longest time possible with minimal maintenance and repair cost. Here is the one I am going to get. A down payment $15,000 is needed to obtain this vehicle. MSRP $44,000
This will be an ongoing, long-term project because we are a country with a consumerist mindset and there are so many who have mistaken Oakland as acceptable dumping ground for their trash. This is one example of how I choose to show up to counteract that mindset. We deserve to live in a clean, healthful, accessible environment. Any funds raised above my goal will go toward prolonging these efforts as far into the future as possible. I'm willing to continue doing the work, but I need a lot of help to make this project a reality. Thank you for reading and thank you for your support! We are on our way to making a difference for our community.
FAQ:
Q: "Why can't you just get a used truck that's less costly? You don't need a new one to accomplish what you're after?"
A: First, accessibility matters. I've done a good amount of research on what's available out there. I'm a small person who can't see over the dashboard of most trucks that I've tested, but still need something that's big and powerful enough to tow and haul, small enough to maneuver through tight streets, rugged enough to handle under-maintained roads, and comfortable enough for me to spend hours driving. With a new vehicle, I can have certain accessibility and safety features custom added that aren't available on used ones, as well as fewer maintenance costs and lower probability of issues.
Second, even if I could fit and see over the dashboard without a pillow or booster seat, used trucks are not necessarily less expensive that new trucks.
Third, why should my community and I have to settle for a used truck when billionaires still exist and there is plenty of money out there to help us pay for this? Black people do deserve to have nice things.
Q: "How do I know you don't just want a truck for yourself?"
A: I do want a truck of my own so that I can avoid the hassle of having to rent or borrow one from elsewhere. Yes, I'll also use it for personal activities such as going to the store and transporting instruments to gigs, but it is primarily a work truck. I don't have space or money to own a personal vehicle and a work vehicle, so this will have to be a two-in-one situation.
Q: "It's the city's job. Why are you taking work from city employees?"
A: If the city were effectively completing this job, I wouldn't have had this idea to begin with. Clearly, there is plenty more work to be done! Also, It's not just about trash removal, it's about accessibility for myself and my community.
Q: "How can I be sure you're not spending my donation on personal expenses?"
A: I will maintain transparency throughout this process. Some of the money will be used to make sure I have food, am hydrated, or to eventually replace worn out equipment like gloves and work boots, but not things that are unrelated to this work. I do have other means of income separate from this endeavor.
Please feel free to contact me through the link provided below, IG, email, or text messaging if you have more questions about this project!
Organizer
Cadence Myles
Organizer
Oakland, CA