In a bar's trash, on the side of the road and at construction sites, I see aluminum cans everywhere. When I met Indianapolis Public School teachers struggling for unique supplies, the solution seemed obvious. What started as picking up a few cans has become The Can Lady Project, transforming recyclables into resources for education.

I hop into my big truck "Bruce" and drive my routes around the city. Businesses save cans for me. Neighbors leave bags on their porches. Schools have collection bins where families drop off their recyclables. People call me "The Can Lady" now, and I answer to it proudly.

Five cents a can doesn't sound like much until you realize how many we throw away. Those nickels become iPads, wobble stools, and playground equipment. One business's weekly recycling becomes new books for a classroom.

The best part isn't the money but how the community has embraced this. Kids get excited about saving cans because they see the direct impact. We teach the children that small actions matter. It's simple, sustainable, and connects everyone in solving two problems at once. We're cleaning up our city and funding education, one can at a time.