- My next guest
is Instagram's most popular sanitation worker,
known in Philadelphia as Ya Fav Trashman.
He's using the power of social media
to not only connect his community,
but also buy protective gear for his fellow co-workers.
That makes him today's rad human.
(upbeat music) (audience claps)
Woo, if that music didn't make you feel good
I don't know what will.
Please welcome Tarrel y'all.
What's up? (audience clapping)
- Hey Kelly how are you?
- I'm so good, I love your glasses.
Those are red,
those are nice. - Thank you,
they're prescription.
Thank you. - I love them.
I mean everybody, you know COVID has hit
every you know area of everyone's life in different ways.
But how did COVID affect your department specifically?
- Oh yeah.
COVID-19 hit us pretty hard.
We had 200 plus of my coworkers who had tested positive.
- Wow. - Or who were quarantine-ing
from COVID-19, and you couple that with 35 percent
more trash on the ground, because people are home.
At one point I worked 19 days straight,
from seven to seven.
You know, to keep the trash going.
We were almost five days behind
at one point. - Wow.
- And I just, I had to figure out a way
to bridge a gap between the public and the department.
And let people know
that you know we're coming to get the trash,
it's just, you know we're hit hard, we're coming.
And we're just as essential
as you know doctors and post office
and your grocery workers.
But people just didn't understand what was going on.
So I used the Instagram to let them know,
give them a inside scoop.
Give them tips on how to make our jobs easier.
Putting the trash out better.
And it just really worked.
And I'm telling you Kelly,
some of the smells that we deal with, you cannot wash off.
(audience laughs) - How has the community
responded to your posts?
- Oh, it's been overwhelming Kelly.
I mean I started a hashtag,
called hashtag support sanitation.
And I had a campaign, like hey,
if you love us, show us.
Put signs out, put signs in your window,
and it just erupted and went on like fire.
People were coming to us, giving us water and Gatorade.
They were giving us gloves and stuff,
donating to the yards.
It was amazing.
And you know it just really made the morale of the workplace
a lot easier.
People came to work, they were happy, we were talking,
and we were just fighting through COVID together.
You know because of the public's reaction.
- Yeah, that's what I do love now everybody,
like I'm from a small town,
it's nice that everybody's getting
a little bit of that small town vibe with this.
Because you are at our home,
so you now notice the people that are helping you
keep your life going,
that you did not notice before possibly.
And I think that that's actually a beautiful thing
to come out of all of this.
You know, knowing people's names,
and people saying thank you.
- Amen. - And really knowing
the level of appreciation you should have
for certain essential workers
that you may be, like I said,
you know just didn't think about before.
But, so you've also raised money for protective gear, right?
- Yes.
So I've raised, thirty-two-thousand dollars in four weeks
selling tee shirts that have their face,
the trash man local on it. (audience clapping)
And the back it says support sanitation.
So we don't always get the best quality PPE,
so that's where the money is going to go,
buy high quality PPE, cleaning supplies,
to keep the germs down in the truck.
And then now, I'm working on getting hazardous pay
for sanitation workers.
I'm actually working with some congressmen, some state reps,
and even the Attorney General of Pennsylvania
to draft some legislature
so that we can do some trash reform here in Philadelphia.
Then hopefully get a bill passed nationwide,
and really change the sanitation industry
across this country.
- Yeah, that's amazing.
So I mean Tarell's actions have made a real difference
like he's been saying.
But also for your co-workers.
So they actually wanted to send you some messages.
You wanna take a look?
- Aw.
- I just wanna thank you for your bravery
and taking the initiative to getting us proper PPE,
during this pandemic.
- Thank you Tarell for everything you're doing
for our communities.
- Thank you for all your efforts you put in,
to put our safety first.
- I really truly appreciate all that you have done,
and all that you have accomplished.
- You've proved it, it don't take long,
to make a impact.
- We appreciate all your hard work,
talented education and all you do
for people in the department man.
I wish I had eleven-hundred guys just like you man.
- Keep up the good work.
Love you friend!
- Thank you thank you thank you!
- Keep up the hard work, keep pushing man,
you make me proud.
- Thank you.
- Oh, that's the best. - Wow.
Wow. - You have a great crew.
Those are the people you're working with?
They seem like so fun.
- Yeah, those are my actual co workers, wow.
- Oh my god. - Pulled a fast one Kelly.
You pulled a fast one. - Yes!
They were so happy to do it, that's what's amazing.
So the pandemic has reminded us
how much we owe a debt to our essential workers.
So to further Tarell's mision
we've reached out to Boomer Naturals,
a health and wellness company,
to help you give masks to your fellow front line workers.
They're actually giving
you one-thousand-- - Oh no way!
- Of their best selling Boomer Nano Silver
reusable face masks.
So that's awesome. (audience clapping)
Oh you know what,
they're actually gonna give you five-thousand dollars too.
So that's gonna happen too. (audience clapping)
- What?
No way!
What?
- I was like, I was like, I love that we're saying the masks
and then we'll be like,
oh yeah like five grand too. - Oh my goodness.
- Yes, that's so awesome.
We love what you're doing! - Thank you.
Thank you.
Oh man, thank you Kelly.
- You are more than wel--
Hey thank you.
This is a really every--
There are a lot of companies wanting to get behind
people like you, like really making a difference.
And opening our eyes, you know, and all of it.
So you know, thank you so much to all those companies
helping us you know, give amazing people like you,
and rad humans like you,
not only the spotlight to say what you're doing,
and to bring awareness,
but also like put their money where their mouth is
and actually helping everybody.