Cleaning up more than just the streets of Vancouver

“Vancity was a great fit for CleanStart because we were able to form a partnership, and they worked with me personally to help reach my business goals.” – Dylan Goggs, CleanStart founder and director.

CleanStart BC, a social enterprise located within Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside (DTES), is focusing on positively impacting the community by providing services for its residents and giving jobs to those with barriers to employment. Working with both commercial and residential customers, they provide a wide range of services including junk removal and garbage and recycling pick-ups. Since receiving funding from Vancity, CleanStart has been able to purchase a new truck, which will allow it to tackle bigger projects and expand its business and clientele.

One of their specialities and arguably their most important service is what they call a “Compulsive Hoarding Clean-up.” For these clean-ups, the team is called into a person’s home at a time of crisis and works to create a safer and healthier living environment for that person. Taking a compassionate approach, the team also helps the individual deal with the trauma of getting rid of his or her belongings.

CleanStart can be considered an environmentally forward-thinking company, because it helps to reduce waste in the community and uses only biodegradable products in its clean-up services. Rather than disposing of unwanted items in a landfill, CleanStart recycles items such as furniture and used computers as donations to the DTES community.