Latest news with #Grigsby
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Lifestyle
- Yahoo
Holland America Line Unveils 2027 Solar Eclipse Cruises
Guests can experience the solar eclipse at sea via in-depth European journey or two-week Mediterranean cruise; Northern Lights adventures also open for booking SEATTLE, May 29, 2025 /CNW/ -- Today, Holland America Line announced a new slate of cruises taking guests to prime locations throughout Europe to witness some of nature's most stunning phenomena. Those seeking to sail in the shadow of the sun during the 2027 solar eclipse can now book one of two cruises departing summer of 2027. Also available for booking are three newly opened sailings offering guests a chance to catch a glimpse of the elusive Northern Lights. The total solar eclipse will occur on Monday, Aug. 2, 2027, with the path of totality crossing mainly over Northern Africa. Two Holland America Line ships — Nieuw Statendam and Oosterdam — will be positioned off the western coast of Morocco and eastern coast of Tunisia, respectively, for guests on board to experience maximum totality. "The excitement around viewing a total solar eclipse the past few years has been palpable, and we jumped at the chance to create more itineraries that give our guests the incomparable opportunity of viewing the eclipse at sea," said Paul Grigsby, vice president of deployment for Holland America Line. "When you're at sea, there is a greater opportunity to witness an eclipse in the clear because the ship can attempt to position itself away from cloud cover — and the view on the horizon means you get more of the shadow coming in and going out. Because of that, these cruises are extremely popular: for everyone from professional astronomers to travelers looking to check an eclipse off their bucket list." Two Viewing Opportunities Guests hoping to see the 2027 eclipse aboard a Holland America Line ship can choose from two voyages. Travelers on both voyages can expect lectures from and the opportunity to connect with scientific experts, themed activities and more. Proper equipment — like eclipse glasses — will be provided for the safety of guests. And while in port, guests will be able to further delve into the way civilizations in the past designed life around phenomena in the sky, including solar eclipses. "For millennia, civilizations have studied celestial happenings, and that impact is seen even now in many famous landmarks and monuments," said Grigsby. "We took care to add ports into the itinerary that have some connection to the study of the sun and stars: on the 28-day, one example includes Portland, England, within close proximity to famous Stonehenge, long believed to be built with the solstice in mind. And on the 14-day, guests can visit the world's largest and most complex astronomical clock in Messina, Italy." 28-Day Legendary Solar Eclipse & Cosmic Port Explorer Travelers hoping to extend their adventure can board Nieuw Statendam on July 10, 2027, for a 28-Day Legendary Solar Eclipse & Cosmic Port Explorer roundtrip from Rotterdam, the Netherlands, or Dover, England. Guests will then explore 13 ports in Denmark, the United Kingdom, France, Spain, Portugal, Gibraltar and Morocco — including overnight calls in Tilbury (London) and Barcelona. After a memorable solar eclipse at sea off the coast of Morocco, the ship will sail to Leixões (Porto), Portugal, before returning to Rotterdam. Guests can dive further into the study of the sun and the sky via excursions to destinations like the Alhambra Palace in Malaga, designed with architectural features that align with the sun's path, and Montjuic Hill and Observatory in Barcelona — rife with ancient structures aligned with celestial events. 14-Day Solar Eclipse & Astronomical Discovery Guests hoping to supplement their solar eclipse viewing with the perfect Mediterranean vacation can embark on Oosterdam for a 14-Day Solar Eclipse & Astronomical Discovery departing July 31, 2027. Sailing roundtrip from Piraeus (Athens), Greece, Oosterdam will first sail toward Tunisia, finding the ideal position off the coast for eclipse viewing. Guests will then visit ports in Tunisia, Malta, Italy and Greece. An extended call in Valetta, Malta, provides guests ample time to visit the Royal Malta Observatory and learn how telescopes and scientific instruments aided the study of celestial bodies — and improved maritime navigation. The two new itineraries join three existing itineraries that are already bookable for the 2026 eclipse — a 28-Day Scandinavian Solar Eclipse with Greenland and Scotland and a 35-Day Voyage of the Vikings: Solar Eclipse with eclipse viewings off the northeast coast of Iceland, as well as a 13-Day Solar Eclipse with Barcelona Overnight with eclipse viewing off the west coast of Spain. 2027 'Northern Lights' Cruises aboard Rotterdam and Nieuw Statendam As scientists continue to predict intense solar cycles for decades to come, active auroras mean travelers have more opportunities to plan a vacation to see them on vacation. Guests seeking to pair that adventure with an in-depth exploration of Norway can do so on one of three Northern Lights cruises aboard Rotterdam and Nieuw Statendam. The cruises feature an overnight in Alta, also known as "The City of the Northern Lights," and spend five days above the Arctic Circle. Guests sailing to see the Northern Lights can sign up to get a wake-up call from the ship any time the aurora borealis is spotted. Oct. 3, 2027, 14-Day Arctic Journey and Northern Lights with HISTORY CHANNEL Sails aboard Rotterdam, roundtrip from Rotterdam, departing Oct. 3, at Bergen, Ålesund, Trondheim (late-night call),Tromsø, Alta (overnight), Leknes (Lofoten), and Åndalsnes, Norway; and Lerwick, Shetland Islands. Oct. 16 and Nov. 6, 2027, 14-Day Arctic Journey and Northern Lights with HISTORY CHANNEL Sails aboard Nieuw Statendam, roundtrip from Rotterdam or Dover, departing Oct. 16 and Nov. 6, 2027. Calls at Ålesund, Åndalsnes, Trondheim (late-night call), Leknes (Lofoten), Tromsø, Alta (overnight), Kristiansund and Bergen, Norway. Have It All Early Booking Bonus For a limited time, when guests book 2027 Solar Eclipse and Northern Lights Cruises with the Have It All premium package, the standard package amenities of shore excursions, specialty dining, a Signature Beverage Package and Surf Wi-Fi are included — plus the added perk of free prepaid crew appreciation, along with free upgrades to the Elite Beverage Package and Premium Wi-Fi. Guests can also take advantage of Holland America Line's Exclusive Mariner Society Early Booking Bonus. Mariner Society loyalty members can enjoy up to $400 onboard credit per stateroom when these cruises open for sale. Guests must book these cruises by Aug. 27, 2025, to receive the Exclusive Mariner Society Early Booking Bonus. For more information about Holland America Line, consult a travel advisor, call 1-877-SAIL HAL (877-724-5425) or visit Find Holland America Line on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, Instagram and the Holland America Blog. You can also access all social media outlets via the home page at About Holland America Line [a division of Carnival Corporation and plc (NYSE: CCL and CUK)] Holland America Line has been exploring the world for 150+ years with expertly crafted itineraries, extraordinary service and genuine connections to the destinations. Offering an ideal perfectly-sized ship experience, its fleet visits nearly 400 ports in 114 countries around the world and has shared the thrill of Alaska for more than 75 years — longer than any other cruise line. Holland America Line's 11 vessels feature a diverse range of enriching activities and amenities focused on destination immersion and personalized travel. Guests enjoy the best entertainment at sea, and dining venues featuring exclusive dishes by world-famous chefs. A new global fresh fish program brings more than 80 types of fresh fish on board, sourced and served locally in regions around the world. CONTACT: Bill Zucker PHONE: 800-637-5029, 206-626-9890 EMAIL: pr@ View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Holland America Line View original content to download multimedia: Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
USA Today
4 days ago
- USA Today
Cruise to the path of totality: Holland America offers new eclipse itineraries for 2027
Cruise to the path of totality: Holland America offers new eclipse itineraries for 2027 Show Caption Hide Caption How to find the best price, perks when booking a cruise Find the cruise that works for your budget with these tips. Problem Solved Next year's solar eclipse isn't the only one on the horizon. There will be another total solar eclipse in 2027, and Holland America Line will take guests to the path of totality. The cruise line will sail two ships off the coast of North Africa to give passengers a prime viewing experience on Aug. 2, 2027. 'The excitement around viewing total solar eclipse the past few years has been palpable, and we jumped at the chance to create more itineraries that give our guests the incomparable opportunity of viewing the eclipse at sea,' Paul Grigsby, the line's vice president of deployment, said in a news release. 'When you're at sea, there is a greater opportunity to witness an eclipse in the clear because the ship can attempt to position itself away from cloud cover – and the view on the horizon means you get more of the shadow coming in and going out.' Here's what to know. When are Holland America's 2027 solar eclipse cruises? The 28-Day Legendary Solar Eclipse & Cosmic Port Explorer cruise will depart on July 10, 2027. Guests will sail round-trip from Rotterdam in the Netherlands aboard the line's nearly 2,700-guest Nieuw Statendam ship. For those looking for a shorter option, the 14-Day Solar Eclipse & Astronomical Discovery itinerary will begin on July 31. The line's Oosterdam – which can accommodate just under 2,000 guests – will sail round-trip from Piraeus, Greece, the port for Athens. What can guests expect? Passengers booked on the 28-day itinerary will visit ports in Denmark, the U.K., France, Spain, Morocco and more before making their way to an eclipse-viewing spot off Morocco's coast. The itinerary includes overnight stops in Tilbury, England and Barcelona. Oosterdam, for its part, will kick off its voyage with eclipse viewing near Tunisia, before visiting the country along with Malta – where it will stay overnight in Valletta – Italy and Greece. Grigsby noted the cruise line 'took care to add ports into the itinerary that have some connection to the study of the sun and stars,' such as England's Isle of Portland which offers access to Stonehenge. Both voyages will feature onboard scientific experts and 'themed activities,' according to the release. And no need to worry about buying eclipse glasses – the cruise line will provide them. 'The ship can move': Why you should watch next solar eclipses from a cruise ship Holland America will also offer eclipse cruises in 2026. How much do the cruises cost? The 28-day cruise currently starts at $5,619 per person based on double occupancy, including taxes and fees, according to Holland America's website. The 14-day itinerary currently starts at $3,529 per person. Holland America Line fares include accommodations, many meals on board, entertainment and more. Nathan Diller is a consumer travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Nashville. You can reach him at ndiller@
Cision Canada
4 days ago
- Cision Canada
Holland America Line Unveils 2027 Solar Eclipse Cruises
Guests can experience the solar eclipse at sea via in-depth European journey or two-week Mediterranean cruise; Northern Lights adventures also open for booking SEATTLE, May 29, 2025 /CNW/ -- Today, Holland America Line announced a new slate of cruises taking guests to prime locations throughout Europe to witness some of nature's most stunning phenomena. Those seeking to sail in the shadow of the sun during the 2027 solar eclipse can now book one of two cruises departing summer of 2027. Also available for booking are three newly opened sailings offering guests a chance to catch a glimpse of the elusive Northern Lights. The total solar eclipse will occur on Monday, Aug. 2, 2027, with the path of totality crossing mainly over Northern Africa. Two Holland America Line ships — Nieuw Statendam and Oosterdam — will be positioned off the western coast of Morocco and eastern coast of Tunisia, respectively, for guests on board to experience maximum totality. "The excitement around viewing a total solar eclipse the past few years has been palpable, and we jumped at the chance to create more itineraries that give our guests the incomparable opportunity of viewing the eclipse at sea," said Paul Grigsby, vice president of deployment for Holland America Line. "When you're at sea, there is a greater opportunity to witness an eclipse in the clear because the ship can attempt to position itself away from cloud cover — and the view on the horizon means you get more of the shadow coming in and going out. Because of that, these cruises are extremely popular: for everyone from professional astronomers to travelers looking to check an eclipse off their bucket list." Two Viewing Opportunities Guests hoping to see the 2027 eclipse aboard a Holland America Line ship can choose from two voyages. Travelers on both voyages can expect lectures from and the opportunity to connect with scientific experts, themed activities and more. Proper equipment — like eclipse glasses — will be provided for the safety of guests. And while in port, guests will be able to further delve into the way civilizations in the past designed life around phenomena in the sky, including solar eclipses. "For millennia, civilizations have studied celestial happenings, and that impact is seen even now in many famous landmarks and monuments," said Grigsby. "We took care to add ports into the itinerary that have some connection to the study of the sun and stars: on the 28-day, one example includes Portland, England, within close proximity to famous Stonehenge, long believed to be built with the solstice in mind. And on the 14-day, guests can visit the world's largest and most complex astronomical clock in Messina, Italy." 28-Day Legendary Solar Eclipse & Cosmic Port Explorer Travelers hoping to extend their adventure can board Nieuw Statendam on July 10, 2027, for a 28-Day Legendary Solar Eclipse & Cosmic Port Explorer roundtrip from Rotterdam, the Netherlands, or Dover, England. Guests will then explore 13 ports in Denmark, the United Kingdom, France, Spain, Portugal, Gibraltar and Morocco — including overnight calls in Tilbury (London) and Barcelona. After a memorable solar eclipse at sea off the coast of Morocco, the ship will sail to Leixões (Porto), Portugal, before returning to Rotterdam. Guests can dive further into the study of the sun and the sky via excursions to destinations like the Alhambra Palace in Malaga, designed with architectural features that align with the sun's path, and Montjuic Hill and Observatory in Barcelona — rife with ancient structures aligned with celestial events. 14-Day Solar Eclipse & Astronomical Discovery Guests hoping to supplement their solar eclipse viewing with the perfect Mediterranean vacation can embark on Oosterdam for a 14-Day Solar Eclipse & Astronomical Discovery departing July 31, 2027. Sailing roundtrip from Piraeus (Athens), Greece, Oosterdam will first sail toward Tunisia, finding the ideal position off the coast for eclipse viewing. Guests will then visit ports in Tunisia, Malta, Italy and Greece. An extended call in Valetta, Malta, provides guests ample time to visit the Royal Malta Observatory and learn how telescopes and scientific instruments aided the study of celestial bodies — and improved maritime navigation. The two new itineraries join three existing itineraries that are already bookable for the 2026 eclipse — a 28-Day Scandinavian Solar Eclipse with Greenland and Scotland and a 35-Day Voyage of the Vikings: Solar Eclipse with eclipse viewings off the northeast coast of Iceland, as well as a 13-Day Solar Eclipse with Barcelona Overnight with eclipse viewing off the west coast of Spain. 2027 'Northern Lights' Cruises aboard Rotterdam and Nieuw Statendam As scientists continue to predict intense solar cycles for decades to come, active auroras mean travelers have more opportunities to plan a vacation to see them on vacation. Guests seeking to pair that adventure with an in-depth exploration of Norway can do so on one of three Northern Lights cruises aboard Rotterdam and Nieuw Statendam. The cruises feature an overnight in Alta, also known as "The City of the Northern Lights," and spend five days above the Arctic Circle. Guests sailing to see the Northern Lights can sign up to get a wake-up call from the ship any time the aurora borealis is spotted. Oct. 3, 2027, 14-Day Arctic Journey and Northern Lights with HISTORY CHANNEL Sails aboard Rotterdam, roundtrip from Rotterdam, departing Oct. 3, at Bergen, Ålesund, Trondheim (late-night call),Tromsø, Alta (overnight), Leknes (Lofoten), and Åndalsnes, Norway; and Lerwick, Shetland Islands. Oct. 16 and Nov. 6, 2027, 14-Day Arctic Journey and Northern Lights with HISTORY CHANNEL Sails aboard Nieuw Statendam, roundtrip from Rotterdam or Dover, departing Oct. 16 and Nov. 6, 2027. Calls at Ålesund, Åndalsnes, Trondheim (late-night call), Leknes (Lofoten), Tromsø, Alta (overnight), Kristiansund and Bergen, Norway. Have It All Early Booking Bonus For a limited time, when guests book 2027 Solar Eclipse and Northern Lights Cruises with the Have It All premium package, the standard package amenities of shore excursions, specialty dining, a Signature Beverage Package and Surf Wi-Fi are included — plus the added perk of free prepaid crew appreciation, along with free upgrades to the Elite Beverage Package and Premium Wi-Fi. Guests can also take advantage of Holland America Line's Exclusive Mariner Society Early Booking Bonus. Mariner Society loyalty members can enjoy up to $400 onboard credit per stateroom when these cruises open for sale. Guests must book these cruises by Aug. 27, 2025, to receive the Exclusive Mariner Society Early Booking Bonus. For more information about Holland America Line, consult a travel advisor, call 1-877-SAIL HAL (877-724-5425) or visit Holland America Line has been exploring the world for 150+ years with expertly crafted itineraries, extraordinary service and genuine connections to the destinations. Offering an ideal perfectly-sized ship experience, its fleet visits nearly 400 ports in 114 countries around the world and has shared the thrill of Alaska for more than 75 years — longer than any other cruise line. Holland America Line's 11 vessels feature a diverse range of enriching activities and amenities focused on destination immersion and personalized travel. Guests enjoy the best entertainment at sea, and dining venues featuring exclusive dishes by world-famous chefs. A new global fresh fish program brings more than 80 types of fresh fish on board, sourced and served locally in regions around the world.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Holland America Line Unveils 2027 Solar Eclipse Cruises
Guests can experience the solar eclipse at sea via in-depth European journey or two-week Mediterranean cruise; Northern Lights adventures also open for booking SEATTLE, May 29, 2025 /CNW/ -- Today, Holland America Line announced a new slate of cruises taking guests to prime locations throughout Europe to witness some of nature's most stunning phenomena. Those seeking to sail in the shadow of the sun during the 2027 solar eclipse can now book one of two cruises departing summer of 2027. Also available for booking are three newly opened sailings offering guests a chance to catch a glimpse of the elusive Northern Lights. The total solar eclipse will occur on Monday, Aug. 2, 2027, with the path of totality crossing mainly over Northern Africa. Two Holland America Line ships — Nieuw Statendam and Oosterdam — will be positioned off the western coast of Morocco and eastern coast of Tunisia, respectively, for guests on board to experience maximum totality. "The excitement around viewing a total solar eclipse the past few years has been palpable, and we jumped at the chance to create more itineraries that give our guests the incomparable opportunity of viewing the eclipse at sea," said Paul Grigsby, vice president of deployment for Holland America Line. "When you're at sea, there is a greater opportunity to witness an eclipse in the clear because the ship can attempt to position itself away from cloud cover — and the view on the horizon means you get more of the shadow coming in and going out. Because of that, these cruises are extremely popular: for everyone from professional astronomers to travelers looking to check an eclipse off their bucket list." Two Viewing Opportunities Guests hoping to see the 2027 eclipse aboard a Holland America Line ship can choose from two voyages. Travelers on both voyages can expect lectures from and the opportunity to connect with scientific experts, themed activities and more. Proper equipment — like eclipse glasses — will be provided for the safety of guests. And while in port, guests will be able to further delve into the way civilizations in the past designed life around phenomena in the sky, including solar eclipses. "For millennia, civilizations have studied celestial happenings, and that impact is seen even now in many famous landmarks and monuments," said Grigsby. "We took care to add ports into the itinerary that have some connection to the study of the sun and stars: on the 28-day, one example includes Portland, England, within close proximity to famous Stonehenge, long believed to be built with the solstice in mind. And on the 14-day, guests can visit the world's largest and most complex astronomical clock in Messina, Italy." 28-Day Legendary Solar Eclipse & Cosmic Port Explorer Travelers hoping to extend their adventure can board Nieuw Statendam on July 10, 2027, for a 28-Day Legendary Solar Eclipse & Cosmic Port Explorer roundtrip from Rotterdam, the Netherlands, or Dover, England. Guests will then explore 13 ports in Denmark, the United Kingdom, France, Spain, Portugal, Gibraltar and Morocco — including overnight calls in Tilbury (London) and Barcelona. After a memorable solar eclipse at sea off the coast of Morocco, the ship will sail to Leixões (Porto), Portugal, before returning to Rotterdam. Guests can dive further into the study of the sun and the sky via excursions to destinations like the Alhambra Palace in Malaga, designed with architectural features that align with the sun's path, and Montjuic Hill and Observatory in Barcelona — rife with ancient structures aligned with celestial events. 14-Day Solar Eclipse & Astronomical Discovery Guests hoping to supplement their solar eclipse viewing with the perfect Mediterranean vacation can embark on Oosterdam for a 14-Day Solar Eclipse & Astronomical Discovery departing July 31, 2027. Sailing roundtrip from Piraeus (Athens), Greece, Oosterdam will first sail toward Tunisia, finding the ideal position off the coast for eclipse viewing. Guests will then visit ports in Tunisia, Malta, Italy and Greece. An extended call in Valetta, Malta, provides guests ample time to visit the Royal Malta Observatory and learn how telescopes and scientific instruments aided the study of celestial bodies — and improved maritime navigation. The two new itineraries join three existing itineraries that are already bookable for the 2026 eclipse — a 28-Day Scandinavian Solar Eclipse with Greenland and Scotland and a 35-Day Voyage of the Vikings: Solar Eclipse with eclipse viewings off the northeast coast of Iceland, as well as a 13-Day Solar Eclipse with Barcelona Overnight with eclipse viewing off the west coast of Spain. 2027 'Northern Lights' Cruises aboard Rotterdam and Nieuw Statendam As scientists continue to predict intense solar cycles for decades to come, active auroras mean travelers have more opportunities to plan a vacation to see them on vacation. Guests seeking to pair that adventure with an in-depth exploration of Norway can do so on one of three Northern Lights cruises aboard Rotterdam and Nieuw Statendam. The cruises feature an overnight in Alta, also known as "The City of the Northern Lights," and spend five days above the Arctic Circle. Guests sailing to see the Northern Lights can sign up to get a wake-up call from the ship any time the aurora borealis is spotted. Oct. 3, 2027, 14-Day Arctic Journey and Northern Lights with HISTORY CHANNEL Sails aboard Rotterdam, roundtrip from Rotterdam, departing Oct. 3, at Bergen, Ålesund, Trondheim (late-night call),Tromsø, Alta (overnight), Leknes (Lofoten), and Åndalsnes, Norway; and Lerwick, Shetland Islands. Oct. 16 and Nov. 6, 2027, 14-Day Arctic Journey and Northern Lights with HISTORY CHANNEL Sails aboard Nieuw Statendam, roundtrip from Rotterdam or Dover, departing Oct. 16 and Nov. 6, 2027. Calls at Ålesund, Åndalsnes, Trondheim (late-night call), Leknes (Lofoten), Tromsø, Alta (overnight), Kristiansund and Bergen, Norway. Have It All Early Booking Bonus For a limited time, when guests book 2027 Solar Eclipse and Northern Lights Cruises with the Have It All premium package, the standard package amenities of shore excursions, specialty dining, a Signature Beverage Package and Surf Wi-Fi are included — plus the added perk of free prepaid crew appreciation, along with free upgrades to the Elite Beverage Package and Premium Wi-Fi. Guests can also take advantage of Holland America Line's Exclusive Mariner Society Early Booking Bonus. Mariner Society loyalty members can enjoy up to $400 onboard credit per stateroom when these cruises open for sale. Guests must book these cruises by Aug. 27, 2025, to receive the Exclusive Mariner Society Early Booking Bonus. For more information about Holland America Line, consult a travel advisor, call 1-877-SAIL HAL (877-724-5425) or visit Find Holland America Line on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, Instagram and the Holland America Blog. You can also access all social media outlets via the home page at About Holland America Line [a division of Carnival Corporation and plc (NYSE: CCL and CUK)] Holland America Line has been exploring the world for 150+ years with expertly crafted itineraries, extraordinary service and genuine connections to the destinations. Offering an ideal perfectly-sized ship experience, its fleet visits nearly 400 ports in 114 countries around the world and has shared the thrill of Alaska for more than 75 years — longer than any other cruise line. Holland America Line's 11 vessels feature a diverse range of enriching activities and amenities focused on destination immersion and personalized travel. Guests enjoy the best entertainment at sea, and dining venues featuring exclusive dishes by world-famous chefs. A new global fresh fish program brings more than 80 types of fresh fish on board, sourced and served locally in regions around the world. CONTACT: Bill Zucker PHONE: 800-637-5029, 206-626-9890 EMAIL: pr@ View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Holland America Line View original content to download multimedia: Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
This Portland collective keeps the city clean — and helps unhoused people find stability
On a Thursday morning in Portland's Old Town neighborhood, two dozen people mill around a warehouse, waiting for the results of a lottery. At 7:45 sharp, a woman sitting in an interior office calls out three numbers in quick succession. She repeats the last one a few times before someone finally comes forward. '234?' she says into the crowd. 'Who's 234?' Chris Parker is 234. He is tall and thin and wears Garneau cycling gloves and a baseball cap from the power tools company DeWalt. 'Are you kidding me?' he says, happy and shocked. Across the room, one of the other selectees — number 237 — does a kind of end-zone victory dance, shimmying with arms above his head. The lottery determines who will participate in that day's waste collection program from Ground Score Association, a Portland-based collective for people who 'create and fill low-barrier waste materials management jobs.' Through this particular program, called GLITTER — short for Ground Score Leading Inclusively Together Through Environmental Recovery — Parker will join a group of Ground Score employees on a four-hour walk around Portland, clearing the city's sidewalks of plastic and other trash. At the end of the shift, he'll get $80 in cash — $4.55 more per hour than the Portland metro area minimum wage. Participating in the lottery doesn't require passing a drug or sobriety test or providing a social security number. It's meant to provide low-barrier employment to people who might otherwise struggle to find or keep a job. Parker, for example, told me he totaled his car last summer — the latest in a string of misfortunes. He said he used to work at a rail yard on the Columbia River, but he was laid off when he got COVID. It's been difficult to find a stable job, he said, especially one that pays enough for the 'affordable' apartments he sees advertised at $1,300 a month. For now he's living in a small apartment near Ground Score's headquarters. Most people are homeless when they start working with Ground Score. But after a year on payroll, there's an 80 percent chance they will have secured housing, according to the organization. Terrance Freeman, one of the employees leading a GLITTER group on Thursday, wears wraparound sports sunglasses and a yellow scarf. He's been working at Ground Score for six months. Previously, he worked at a nearby Chevron gas station and struggled with alcohol. Another member of his group, Dana Detten — aka Peanut — was homeless for eight years and worked various jobs at Dollar Tree and FedEx before joining the GLITTER program. Kevin Grigsby, the lankiest of the team, says he came to the organization while trying to overcome mental health issues and a 'huge cocaine problem.' Now he's splitting a $630-a-month garage apartment on Portland's outskirts with his girlfriend. 'If Ground Score didn't hire me I would be on a different path,' Grigsby says, using a long grabber tool to pinch up an Oreo wrapper. Grigsby and the other people employed by Ground Score are 'waste pickers,' a catch-all term for the 20 million people worldwide who make a living collecting, sorting, recycling, and selling discarded materials. In recent years, waste pickers have fought for their work to be recognized and formalized in the global plastics treaty being negotiated by the United Nations. Ground Score, which sees its mission as building community while also 'changing society's perceptions of what and who is considered valuable,' shows what that recognition and formalization look like on a local level. It's a model with huge potential, given the urgent global need to create stronger social safety nets and combat the growing plastic waste crisis. Could it work in other cities, too? Waste pickers tend to work outside of governments' formal waste management programs, meaning the services they provide — keeping streets clean, ensuring high recycling rates, sifting hazardous e-waste out of landfills — are underappreciated and poorly remunerated. The International Alliance of Waste Pickers, or IAWP, which represents unions, collectives, and organizations across 34 countries, says waste pickers manage as much as 80 percent of some cities' municipal waste, with the highest percentages in developing countries that lack extensive waste management infrastructure. One study from 2020 estimated that waste pickers collect 58 percent of all the plastic that ever gets recycled. They boost recovery rates for cardboard, aluminum, and other metals too. Waste pickers also recover e-waste — often so they can sell the metals inside of them — as well as textiles that can still be worn, repaired, or refashioned into new goods. In some jurisdictions, including Oregon, waste pickers collect aluminum cans and plastic bottles in order to claim a rebate determined by a so-called 'bottle bill' — a law that tacks an extra 5 to 15 cent deposit onto the containers' purchase price. But these policies are a relative rarity. Within the U.S., only nine other states and Guam have one, and the majority of similar laws internationally are concentrated in Europe, Canada, and Australia. Waste pickers in poorer countries often have to buy or sell their wares directly to recycling companies or brokers, and they can't rely on a government-mandated return rate per item collected. These activities not only provide waste pickers with a living, they also help to address climate change. According to one study published in March, a subset of waste pickers in just one city — Salvador, Brazil — helped avoid more than 27,000 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions between 2010 and 2022, mostly by enabling recycling that displaced the need for raw materials like aluminum and PET, the kind of plastic used in water bottles. (For context, 27,000 metric tons of emissions is about as much as what's emitted by 6,300 gasoline-powered cars in a year.) Removing paper and cardboard from landfills also reduces emissions, because these materials would otherwise release methane — a potent greenhouse gas — as they decompose. Read Next How waste pickers are fighting for recognition in the UN global plastics treaty Erin X. Wong Waste pickers' services have recently gained attention thanks to negotiations for a binding United Nations treaty to 'end plastic pollution,' which began in early 2022 and are ongoing. One paper published last year, quoting an unnamed negotiator, described waste pickers as 'the human face' of the treaty, since they're on the front lines of plastic pollution. In the negotiations, the IAWP has allied with many countries and environmental groups that want to put limits on global plastic production. But it's also calling for the treaty to include a distinct article ensuring a 'just transition' for waste pickers whose livelihoods could be at risk from greater formalization of the waste management sector. Broadly, IAWP wants countries to build better waste management systems around the work waste pickers are already doing, instead of bringing in private companies that would take their place. Ground Score is showing how to implement that goal on a small scale — in part through partnerships with city, county, and state government, but also through a participatory organizational structure that gives waste pickers a sense of ownership over Ground Score's activities. Workers in the program 'feel like it's a privilege that they can actually help their own community rather than just perpetuating this culture of, you know, giving and taking 'handouts,'' said Taylor Cass Talbott, Ground Score's co-executive director, who is also the advocacy director for the IAWP. Cass Talbott, Laura Tokarski, and Barbra Weber co-founded Ground Score in 2019 as a 'peer-led initiative,' meaning it would be organized by and for the city's waste pickers. Weber had been collecting cans in Portland since 2015 — she had previously worked in marketing, but a brain lesion affected her ability to speak and put her on the street. Tokarski had already founded the Portland-based Trash for Peace, a nonprofit that engagess with communities to reduce and reuse waste. Ground Score is now fiscally sponsored by Trash for Peace. In contrast to most waste pickers' activities, Ground Score's GLITTER program doesn't focus on recovering and selling recyclable material. According to one of the organization's co-directors, Nic Boehm, 26 percent of what participants collect is nonrecyclable 'microtrash,' like cigarette butts. Much of the rest is food wrappers, containers, plastic bags, needles — things that can't be recycled and are instead destined for landfills or incinerators. GLITTER's workers are compensated thanks to funding from the City of Portland's Homelessness and Urban Camping Impact Reduction Program, as well as contracts with local businesses associations. The Homeless Services Department, a partnership between Portland and overlapping Multnomah County, has also supported the program through funds raised by a 2020 'supportive housing services' tax, though a department spokesperson told Grist that funding for 'employment programs' like GLITTER may be reduced in the 2026 budget. GLITTER highlights the value that waste pickers provide outside the recycling value chain, by keeping city streets clean. 'Trash attracts other trash,' Boehm told me as his group swept up fast food containers and wrappers around an overflowing garbage can. The goal was to keep the buildup at bay. Ground Score also has another program that more closely resembles the type of waste picking that is common in other jurisdictions. It's called The People's Depot, and it serves as a dropoff point for those who collect and sell used cans and bottles, who are sometimes called 'canners.' The people who visit the depot gather empty water bottles and aluminum cans, whether from the side of the road or from unsorted residential recycling bins, and then lug them to a small lot underneath the Morrison Bridge, in Portland's Central Eastside neighborhood. At the depot, canners sell their goods for 10 cents a pop — a value assigned to them by the current version of Oregon's 54-year-old bottle bill. Ground Score's payroll employees, some of whom are current or former canners, dole out more than $4,000 in cash each day. The money comes from beverage companies that pay into the Oregon Beverage Recycling Cooperative, a nonprofit that manages implementation of the bottle bill. Deposited bottles are hauled off at the end of each day to an Oregon Beverage Recycling Cooperative warehouse, where they're weighed so that Ground Score can be reimbursed for their value. Read Next Does the plastics industry support waste pickers? It's complicated. Joseph Winters Kris Brown is the operational manager at The People's Depot. He's worked there since 2021, but before that, starting in 2016, he made a living collecting cans — one night a week in Portland's Southeast quadrant, a couple nights a week near Willamette Park in Southwest. Apartment complex dumpsters were hotspots, he says, because many apartment buildings lacked a separate recycling bin, meaning there would be lots of cans and bottles to pull out. Brown lived in tent camps around town, and under Portland's Tilikum Crossing bridge during the earliest days of the COVID-19 pandemic. 'There's this stigma that if you're homeless, then you're useless. Like, 'Why don't you get a real job?'' he says. 'But collecting bottles and cans — it is work. It wasn't enough money to get a house or an apartment, but it was enough for me that I didn't have to go begging or steal anything. I could be me and feel good about it.' Where deposit return systems do exist, the data suggests that they play a big part in boosting the number of containers that get reclaimed and recycled. According to an industry estimate, cans covered by deposit systems are recycled in the U.S. at a rate of 74 percent, compared to the national average of 43 percent. Plastic bottles eligible for a deposit are returned at rates of up to 81 percent, compared to a national average of under 30 percent (although not all of what's collected is ultimately recycled due to technological and economic limitations on plastic recycling). In Portland, The People's Depot offers an alternative to deposit locations attached to supermarkets and convenience stores, where waste pickers say they're treated with disdain by shoppers and passersby. Last year, hundreds of Portlanders blocked a new bottle dropoff location proposed in the neighborhood of St. Johns. They cited 'safety' concerns and a 'potential increase in crime or vandalism.' Brown, who regularly invites mutual aid groups and a mobile library to visit The People's Depot so its patrons can benefit from free books and food, calls the program a 'more humanizing experience.' He suggests it could be a model for scaling up waste picker-led recycling programs in other cities. 'It becomes more of a community space for [canners] to show up to,' he says. 'And the community shows that respect back to us.' Ground Score has had a presence at all five negotiating sessions for the global plastics treaty so far. Weber and Cass Talbott helped draft the IAWP's 2023 report, 'Vision for a Just Transition for Waste Pickers under the UN Plastics Treaty,' which describes the environmental importance of waste pickers' work. The report calls for, among other things, the direct involvement of waste pickers in plastics-related policymaking, as well as 'universal registration' of waste pickers in local and national databases, so they can be enrolled in social benefits programs and more formally included in the plastics recycling value chain. In order to create more programs like Ground Score, Cass Talbott said waste picker collectives around the world should cultivate relationships with policymakers inside local and regional governments, who can help educate their peers on the benefits waste pickers provide. Ground Score has one particularly strong connection within Portland's Homelessness and Urban Camping Impact Reduction Program, which has helped Ground Score negotiate nearly all of its contracts with the city, according to Cass Talbott. Waste pickers and their allies often talk about a 'just transition' for the waste sector, a concept that seeks to resolve the apparent tension between reducing plastic production and protecting waste pickers' livelihoods: If oil and gas companies stop making so much plastic, waste pickers could have less work to do. For their part, Ground Score's employees and day workers are aware of that tension. Brown, at The People's Depot, stressed that plastic production should be reduced and that companies should be 'held accountable' for the waste they create. Detten, the GLITTER group member, says she wishes we could send a big laser up into space to 'zap' away the world's plastic pollution. Christine Alix is more reserved than some of her co-workers. She has dark blue hair peeking out from under her baseball cap, and wears bright yellow sunglasses despite the overcast day. She says that, before she started waste picking, she would get angry with people for throwing plastic onto the street. Her feelings are more complicated now: 'Thanks for giving me a job,' she jokes. Alix says her bigger priority is trying to keep streets looking clean in order to 'reduce the impacts of sweeps,' referring to the police clearing of tents and other shelters from parks, sidewalks, and other places. Most of the team is effusive about Ground Score's social mission and the way a simple, low-barrier job can change people's trajectory. At least three people tell me Ground Score saved their life. Others say their work with the organization has given them a renewed sense of purpose and self-respect. 'I love my job,' Detten says. 'It's fulfilling in a way that just expands my humanity.' This story was originally published by Grist with the headline This Portland collective keeps the city clean — and helps unhoused people find stability on May 28, 2025.
