What started as just a way for Jayce Berfect 7, to get out of the house and away from his Xbox for a few hours each day throughout the summer, has turned into a popular business.
The third-grader at Duplessis Primary in Gonzales owns and operates “Trash 2 Curb,” which services Gonzales, Prairieville, and St. Amant residents.
“My momma told me I had to do something to get out of the house instead of being on my game all day,” Jayce said. “I was too young to try and cut the grass so I thought I could help people by taking their trash cans to the road.”
Jayce’s mother Jamyra Berfect said it was important that Jayce and his sister, Journee, 10, get out of the house this summer when they opted not to attend summer camp.
When Jayce isn’t tending to clients, he’s likely playing basketball outside or enjoying Fortnite, Roblox, or Call of Duty on his Xbox.
Jayce takes the family’s trash out every week and earlier this summer he proposed the idea to his mom.
“He takes our trash out on Tuesday every week,” she said. “He asked me ‘Momma, what if I help people take their trash out’?”
The business started with Jayce’s grandparents as his only clients for the first two weeks.
Jamyra said she started working on a flyer with the goal in mind of getting her son one more client.
The flyer did way more than that when she posted it online on June 26.
“I was just hoping to get one more client, but when I posted the flyer, the child went viral,” Jamyra said the day after the flyer was posted. “I cried all night. The phone’s been ringing ever since. I’m proud of him.”
In addition to bringing the client’s trash to the road before 5 p.m. the day before trash is picked up in the area, Jayce also washes trash cans after the trash has been picked up for an additional cost.
It’s $2 to bring the can to the road and $10 to wash the trash cans. Jayce brings his cleaning supplies.
He said the goal is to earn money for college and V-Bucks, which are the in-game currency used in Fortnite.
The day after the business flyers were posted, Jayce and his mom serviced five clients. Later this summer, Journee will join the “Trash 2 Curb” team.
“At that point, it’ll be a family business,” Jamyra said. “But he (Jayce) makes sure to let us know who’s in charge.”
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