BROOKLYN
NYC Community Cleanup is a new citywide initiative designed to address neighborhood hot spots and eye sores. NYC Community Cleanup is putting low-level offenders to work repairing conditions of disorder throughout New York City. The goal is to create meaningful community service work projects that emphasize the values of immediacy, visibility, and accountability.
Offenders sentenced in the Criminal Court at 120 Schermerhorn Street to perform community service are assigned to restitution projects organized by NYC Community Cleanup. The average sentence is one to ten days, and approximately 10-12 participants work on Cleanup each day, five days a week.
The Brooklyn team is cleaning in high need areas of Brownsville and Crown Heights in partnership with the Department of Sanitation. On their fourth day of operations, they partnered with volunteers from the Bank of America and staff from the Red Hook Community Justice Center to clean out a neglected, weed and trash filled lot located next to a school and paint over graffiti. In just their first four days, the Brooklyn team worked with 35 clients (an average of slightly less than nine per day) and removed 60 bags of garbage from neighborhoods.
RESULTS
Java Street Cleanup, August 14, 2010
When NYC Community Cleanup began project operations for Brooklyn in November 2009, project staff approached Rami Metal, a community liaison for Council Member Steven Levin in the 33rd Council District (covering north Park Slope, parts of downtown, and the north Brooklyn waterfront of Greenpoint and Williamsburg).
Rami described long term efforts by the Member’s office, working with local community groups, to improve waterfront access and quality of life along the industrial waterfront of Greenpoint. They've dealt with homeless activity, graffiti, dumping, trash, and general neglect. Following these conversations NYC Community Cleanup began making regular visits to the area to address trash and dumping issues by providing extra cleanup services.
Building on our efforts, on August 14, NYC Community Cleanup came together with community members, Council Member Steven Levin and his staff, the Department of Sanitation, John Jay students, friends and family, a volunteer artist, the Parks Department, and the Open Space Alliance for North Brooklyn, to give one block, Java Street between West Street and the East River, a complete "make over." We removed trash and weeds, turned soil, spread mulch, painted over graffiti, and painted a "NYC Camo" mural that uses the outline of each of the five boroughs. A "pop-up park" is planned for the waterfront at the end of the block.
December 2009
The Brooklyn crew has handled over 174 community service mandates so far. The crew has cleaned up and removed over 400 bags of trash so far, while working in Community Boards 2, 3, 6, and 8, and contributed labor worth almost $10,000 to improving conditions in Brooklyn neighborhoods.
In partnership with the Brooklyn District Attorney's office, the crew assisted St. Mary's Community Services, Inc. with rehabilitating neglected spaces as well as collecting relief supplies for earthquake victims in Haiti. NYC Community Cleanup clients cleaned the grounds, storage spaces and lounges, removing almost 300 bags of trash and shredded documents. Clients also received, transported, washed, sorted and folded dozens of bags of donated clothing and supplies. Click here to view a letter of appreciation.
Volunteers from the Bank of America prepare
to assist
NYC Community Cleanup with tackling
a neglected lot
next to a school.
Cleaning the lot at the intersection of
Columbia Street and Nelson Street in Brooklyn.
View letters of appreciation from some of our partners here:
Assemblyman Thomas Boyland Jr.
St. Mary's Service
Eric Adams NYS
Senator
