On any given night, throngs of Panhellenic partiers, townies, visitors and people experiencing homelessness inhabit the sidewalks of Downtown Athens. Their presence leaves an impact as refuse inevitably litters the streets and paths telling tales of the night before.
The issue is exacerbated during community events, football games and changing seasons. It’s often considered a thankless job, but the streets of downtown are stewarded by the hard-working people at Athens-Clarke County Solid Waste.
One of the people runs the early morning shift, and most would never know he was there — a testament to his craft.
Man That Makes the Magic Happen
“If they think I am just the trash man, that’s their stuff, that’s not my stuff…. We got lives after this. This is just a job. Who are you after you come out of work? Are you a good person? Are you a family man? What do you care about? Some people don’t act like that.”
Meet William Sanchez, 55, one of the men behind the clean streets downtown. At work, everyone calls him Sanchez. He’s worked at Athens-Clarke County Solid Waste for 19 years. He is also much more.
“I’m a son, I’m a brother, I’m an uncle, I’m a member of society today,” Sanchez said. “I’m a hardworking individual. I’m a caring, loving person.”
Born in Harlem, Sanchez grew up in The Bronx with several siblings and friends.
Sanchez has a tough exterior and a kind voice. He has a sense of assuredness and a cheery demeanor indicative of someone who has gone through a lot but is now at peace. Sanchez is raw, real and full of love. He ends every phone call with “have a blessed day,” and he means it.
He also loves artwork and mobster movies. Sanchez’s house is adorned with art from friends, some of which depict scenes from New York, or a partner’s intimate embrace. At the top of the stairs is a canvas of Tommy Shelby from the Peaky Blinders television show.
Addiction, Homelessness, Recovery and Community
On a chilly morning, William Sanchez finished cleaning the sidewalks around College Avenue across from the Arch. He took a well-needed break on a bench (he had fallen a few days before) and reflected on his life. A central theme was his relationship with addiction and his recovery experience since he struggled with narcotics in the past.
Sanchez came to Georgia in 2007 after his brother, Tony Sanchez, invited him down. With help from his family and community, Sanchez was able to take steps to change his life.
It was time for a change, y’know. Either death or jail for me. I live a life of recovery.”
It took some time and a lot of effort, but things changed for the better. In May 2026, it will have been 11 years in recovery.
“Imagine feeling lost, and never coming back, and nobody really cares. That’s an ugly feeling. It’s a lonely feeling.”
Homelessness, drug misuse and mental health conditions can be intertwined, which often creates complex situations to navigate. In his experience, asking for help can be difficult, especially when community members may pretend not to notice.
“People [will] walk over the homeless until one of the homeless is their family members. And as ugly as it may seem, you get to care about something that you didn’t care about before. God forgives, but we still need to be mindful because they’re people, too.”
He also reflects on how addiction can negatively affect relationships saying, “We can’t tell them when to stop being hurt and angry about it. We are powerless over that. Whatever caused them to be hurt and angry, we caused that.”
Sanchez emphasized that community is a big part of the recovery process. Formerly, he worked with Advantage Behavioral Health Systems in Athens to help people alongside their recovery process. Now he is working to support his own recovery houses with his brother and another partner.
His philosophy is simple: approach people with open arms to allay fear.
“What’s the worst that could happen if it don’t work? You can always go back to misery but imagine if it works! It’s scary to do something new, but ain’t it exciting when you think about it too? I’m not gonna say don’t think of all the things that could go wrong. But think of all the things that could go right. If we don’t try, we ain’t gonna know nothing. We ain’t gonna get nothing. We gonna be in the same old misery. That shit sucks!”
Sanchez also said accessing help from the extended community is important, too. He may not know how to solve every problem himself, but he has an extensive network ready to assist.
There’s still people that doesn’t even know that recovery exists. I’m just trying to pass the word out on that. We don’t gotta live like we used to live and things can be different.”
Food and Family
Some of the closest community you can have is family. Sanchez talked about his with great reverence. He also said how lucky he is to have them since not everyone does.
“My father was a giving dude. He’s still a giving dude, y’know. My mother, she would feed the whole neighborhood if she can.” Sanchez talked about the community parties his family took part in. Everyone would stop by and hang out. His mom commanded a lot of respect around the neighborhood.
The day before Easter, Sanchez had lunch with his sister, Margie Nieves, 65, and girlfriend, René Willis, 51. Over a spread of pasta salad, Spanish rice and chicken cutlets, the siblings reflected on childhood moments playing with spiders and worms. They sat around the table and talked about their community in The Bronx and visits to Puerto Rico. René reflected on some of her past experiences.
Sanchez frequently talked about one of his greatest joys: his nephew. At 3 years old, Sanchez said his nephew was smart as a whip and exceptionally funny. The influence of Sanchez’s nephew was not only visible — his face lit up with a big smile — but quite audible. Their banter was a staple of discussion. Regularly, Sanchez used disarming and colorful language more suitable to utter around children. For instance, Sanchez said he was worried about how “those Motherflowers” (bus drivers) might hit him when they speed downtown early in the morning.
Finding Peace Makes Scents
Sanchez has had a lot of time to reflect on the wealth in his life. He is surrounded by family on the daily, has the freedom to fly back to New York when he wants to, and the means to aid his community. He lives an intentional life.
“I’m alright today. Y’know what? If I say I’m alright, I’m lying. I’m more than alright and I want everybody to be more than alright. It’s okay to be okay, but I don’t just wanna be okay. I wanna be good, I wanna be great, y’know. I wanna be at peace.”
When asked about if there was something he wanted people to know, do, or think about, Sanchez offered a simple and poignant response:
Be kind to others. Be kind to themselves. That’s about it. Be humble. Enjoy life. Don’t walk too fast. Stop and smell the roses.”
Zachary Krausman is a student studying ecology at the University of Georgia. He has a bachelor’s degree in entomology from the University of Georgia.
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