HALF MOON BAY (KPIX 5) — The Half Moon Bay City Council has voted to extend and expand its coastal cleanup program that employs homeless or low-income individuals to clean up the city’s parks and shoreline.

Council members voted unanimously during their June 4 meeting to increase funding for the program to $85,000 in its second year. The initial funding for the pilot program’s first year was just under $60,000.

Since its inception, the program has removed more than 20,000 pounds of trash from the Coastal Trail, Poplar Beach and surrounding areas, according to staff reports.

“I would call this a huge success,” said Director of Public Works John Doughty.

Doughty was pleased with the council’s vote, saying the decision to expand the program was a “no-brainer.”

“We’ve taken a lot of folks who struggle to find employment because of various challenges and issues in their lives. And they’ve been able to get work and regular work; establish work history. We’ve been able to clean up an area that was greatly in need,” said Doughty.

The expanded budget now allows program coordinator Abundant Grace to increase the size and frequency of work crews. The workers are still paid $15 an hour for three-hour shifts, and receive their payment in cash at the end of the shift.

There is no formal sign-up or application process. Workers simply show up at the More For Less gas station at 501 Kelly Street at 8 a.m. every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday.

Eric DeBode, the Executive Director of Abundant Grace, says the $45 each worker receives at the end of each work day is often spent on cell phone bills, groceries, and gas. DeBode says the program allows participants to establish employment history and helps build confidence and self-esteem.

“The idea that homeless people don’t work, or don’t want to work is false. And this is concrete proof of that,” said DeBode. “It’s a great way for a city to feel like it’s helping the most struggling in its midst, and for people who are really struggling, to connect to their larger community, to be a part of meaningful work, and to see themselves as helping others in the community as well.”