The Heart Behind
The Movement
Trash Army was born from our desire to create a ripple effect of positivity, transforming lives one kind gesture at a time."
Kristen Mallaby, and Arianna founders
Our Story
Our movement began with the vision of Kristen, a disabled single mother who transformed her own struggles into a call to action. Having faced medical hardships, unforeseen challenges, and the uncertainty that so many families experience, Kristen saw her story reflected in the lives of her unhoused neighbors. She understood deeply that behind every hardship is a person—someone deserving of dignity, support, and compassion.
What started with one woman’s determination quickly grew into a community united by shared values and a belief in the power of coming together. Friends, families, and neighbors joined hands to expand her mission, and today we stand as a volunteer-powered force of change across Southern California.
For us, healing happens in two ways—through supporting one another and through reconnecting with nature. Hiking, exploring, and spending time outdoors offer peace, gratitude, and clarity. Yet our trails, state parks, and natural spaces often bear the marks of neglect: trash, graffiti, and disregard for their beauty. While we celebrate creativity in all its forms, we believe our environment deserves care, preservation, and respect.
That’s why our work is built on blending environmental stewardship with human compassion. We lead hikes and clean-ups that not only restore our trails and remove graffiti but also bring people of all ages together for fun, purpose, and connection. We feed and support unhoused neighbors, offer resources, and remind them—and ourselves—that community is strongest when no one is left behind.
From one woman’s spark grew a movement of many. Today, we are proof that when a community unites with compassion and gratitude, we can protect our environment, uplift our neighbors, and create a future that is brighter for generations to come.
7,000
LBS of Trash Removed
Every Hand Helps Keep California Green
50
Volunteers
Uniting Hearts and Actions
250
Projects Completed
Milestones of Hope and Change
Our Mission
We unite communities across Southern California to restore nature, uplift our unhoused neighbors, and inspire connection through service. By blending environmental care with human compassion, we empower people of all ages to create cleaner, stronger, and more compassionate communities—one trail, one meal, and one act of kindness at a time
Foregrounding Women
SoCal Trash Army is guided by a dynamic Organizing Collective of ten women leaders who bring vision, discipline, and compassion to the forefront of our mission. These women embody the strength of collaboration — foregrounding women’s leadership in environmental justice, mutual aid, and community organizing. They represent not only the backbone of strategy, coordination, and administration, but also the heart of a growing movement that continues to expand through solidarity and shared purpose.
What makes this leadership especially powerful is not just the work they do, but the energy they carry into the streets. Their presence is both grounding and revolutionary — a living example of what happens when women stand together for each other and for their communities.
Surrounding them is a diverse network of volunteers who make every cleanup, resource distribution, and outreach effort possible, stepping into roles from set-up and take-down to direction, coordination, and administration. This collective leadership model ensures sustainability, inclusivity, and the ability to scale our impact.
Funders investing in SoCal Trash Army are not just supporting a cleanup effort — they are empowering a women-led movement that is building resilience, creating systemic change, and shaping a healthier, more compassionate future across Southern California
Snapshots of Connection
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