Homeless man cleans up Spokane streets to honor mother’s memory | News

SPOKANE, Wash. – “I just wanted to turn my life around, because after my mom passed away, I felt like I wasn’t doing the most trying to make her proud.”

27-year-old Zachary Hutsell has been homeless since he was 16. That’s when his mother broke her leg, leading her to lose her job and their house.

Hutsell has been cleaning the streets of downtown Spokane since May, the same streets he used to live on, after his mother passed away from heart disease.

Before her passing, Hutsell says he “went down the wrong roads,” but he always wanted to turn his life around.

He now lives in Camp Hope, but he still comes downtown every week as a way to honor his mother by cleaning up the streets of his community.

“The best part would be being a part of something that’s much bigger than I am,” said Hutsell.

Jessica Kovac, Founder and Executive Director of Blessings Under the Bridge (BUTB), a local and faith-based nonprofit in Spokane speaks about the impact that Hutsell has had on her organization.

“One day I brought a bag and a broom, and this person just came up and grabbed the broom from me and grabbed the bag and started picking up the garbage,” said Kovac.

“He’s just an incredible man,” she said.

Inspired by his efforts, Kovac provided Hutsell with a job opportunity cleaning up the area BUTB is in charge of.

Hutsell said his earnings go towards a storage unit where he keeps his mom’s ashes and belongings.

“Without her I wouldn’t be who I am today,” said Hutsell.

Kovac hopes that soon, Hutsell will not only find a house but, “somewhere he can rest mentally, emotionally, spiritually and just make his mom proud.”