By Ivan Pereira
A new city program has helped thousands of teens keep busy this summer by placing them in community service projects and now the mayor and other officials want to make volunteering a yearlong routine for the youth.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg paid a visit to the South Jamaica Houses Friday morning with city Department of Youth and Community Development Commissioner Jeanne B. Mullgrav to congratulate the participants of the city’s Summer of Service program. The initiative, which has nearly 45,000 participants, placed teens in various community service projects, such as the tree-planting job at the Jamaica public housing project.
“We want you to pass on service to the next generation of New Yorkers,” the mayor told the crowd of young volunteers.
The Department of Youth, along with other city agencies, organized different projects in each borough July 24 and Friday, including cleanup and an enhancing of Forest Park. The summer of service was launched in April as a way to meet Bloomberg’s pledge to encourage more community service in New York.
“We want to make New York City the easiest city to serve in,” he said.
Damien Dugan, one of the teen volunteers and a student at Excelsior Prep in Springfield Gardens, said he enjoyed spending his summer working with other peers. He said he would continue to do community service throughout the year.
“I was happy to heed the call,” the teen said.
Bloomberg, who regained control of the city schools last week, said he has talked to city Schools Chancellor Joel Klein to have every principal in the city create a community plan in their school for their students. Mullgrav also pushed for the mayor’s plan because the summer program was highly popular among the youth.
“Summer of Service has shown one thing: Our young people want to give back. We just need to show them how,” she said.
Reach reporter Ivan Pereira by e-mail at ipereira@cnglocal.com or by phone at 718-229-0300, Ext. 146.
