Ya Fav Trashman is running for Philadelphia City Council
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Local Philadelphia activist Ya Fav Trashman is taking a stab at politics. On Saturday at a community cleanup in North Philadelphia surrounded by his family, Terrill Haigler, aka Ya Fav Trashman, announced he's going to run for City Council.
The next election is in 2023.
Haigler grew up in North Philadelphia on the block he hosted the community cleanup on Saturday. He credits his mother and grandmother for keeping him off the streets at a young age.
"People with my background and my perspective need to be represented at the table of decision makers. I feel that the everyday Philadelphian don't have a voice that is being heard when critical decisions are being made for their way of life in this city. My goal is to become the working voice for everyday Philadelphians on City Council," Haigler said in a release.
Haigler, who started working as a sanitation worker for Philadelphia in 2019 after settling down with kids, went viral during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
During that time, Haigler realized that sanitation workers in the city had little PPE equipment to protect themselves while collecting trash and witnessing illegal dumping around the city. Since then, he's taken to social media to create awareness and inspire change.
Haigler's presence on social media led him to be featured on several national shows. He was even invited to speak at the White House.
Haigler left his job as a sanitation worker with the city in February of 2021 and launched his own hauling company, Ya Fav Hauling. According to a release, he's cleaned up nearly 500 tons of trash around Philadelphia.
Before his time as a sanitation worker, Haigler discovered his love for dance and theater thanks to his mother. He attended Philadelphia High School for Performing Arts, where he focused on dance and other forms of performing arts.