3 Mount Vernon women form city's first all-female sanitation truck crew
MOUNT VERNON, N.Y. -- Three women made history in Mount Vernon on Wednesday when they took over a sanitation truck.
They are the first all-female sanitation crew to operate a truck in the city's history.
It all started in 2022 when they were hired as seasonal workers during the Love Our City campaign.
"I'm from the city right here, Mount Vernon, I'm born and raised. I always wanted to keep it in the community, help our community, make sure it's clean, safe. So that's where I'm at, right here," sanitation worker Kanya Antwi said.
"It feels great to know that normally it's men working the garbage truck, but then they see females on it, like, females can do it, too," sanitation worker Khadijah Patterson said.
"I'm excited. It's something that I always wanted to do and now I get to do it," sanitation worker Chakka Christoper said.
City officials hope to get more women involved during its annual hiring fair in the spring.