This is Marc.

Marc The Litter Guy.

We’re neighbours. Have been for years now.

He lives a block north of Bloor Street. I live a block south.

We’ve only ever had, at most, half a dozen conversations.

Yet Marc has had an impact on me much more than he may ever imagine.

Some years back, Marc ended up homeless. Yet he didn’t go panhandling.

Instead of becoming a responsibility on society, he decided he had an ability to respond to society.

His act of civic engagement was to simply act, as a citizen.

He bought a few garbage bags, a broom, gloves, a bristol board and a marker.

The marker transformed the bristol board into his hand-made sign which he threw on his back.

Marc then quietly went about cleaning up trash in the nooks and crannies that City of Toronto workers either didn’t yet get to, or missed in the first place.

If people donated to his cause as his sign suggested they do, fine. If they didn’t, still fine. Marc would keep cleaning up the city, as much as one person could.

He makes a difference.

People notice. They have been donating cash to him directly when they see him. Donations go towards garbage bags and some minor supplies.

The remainder, pays his rent, food, and allows Marc to have pretty much a regular life with regular work hours.

Marc didn’t go to City Hall, ask permission, give a deputation in front of a committee nor submit a petition with hundreds of names. He just went out and did it.

Marc became Marc The Litter Guy.

An invisible guy who makes litter invisible.

During the Civic Workers’ Strike in the summer of 2009, when The City’s garbage was no longer being picked up for 39 days, Marc was in high demand, being retained by several Business Improvement Areas to clean-up around those streets.

A documentary filmmaker began filming and it looked like he might have a breakthrough in different areas of his professional life.

This past week, Marc and I said Hi to each other on Bloor Street. The half-way point in-between our homes.

I asked him about the documentary.

He matter-of-factly reported the filmmaker never finished ‘editing’ the film. He decided three years was enough and gave up on the documentary film ever being made. The BIAs, once the strike was over, were no longer keen in retaining his services.

Marc wasn’t bitter. He was happy. He has a life where he makes a difference, daily, in the life of The City. My City. In the life of my neighbourhood.

I’ve never given Marc any money.

He thinks of me as a friend. He told me so the other day.

Perhaps that’s why I’ve never given Marc any money.

Perhaps it’s because I can never repay Marc for what Marc The Litter Guy has taught me.