Residents in western Queens should start to notice that streets in Jackson Heights are a little bit cleaner.
That will likely be because State Senator Jose Peralta recently secured $250,000 in funding to expand The Doe Fund’s Ready, Willing & Able program that will help give the organization additional resources to help keep the neighborhood cleaner.
Peralta, who represents District 13 in the State Senate, secured the funding for Ready, Willing & Able, which provides transitional work, housing and comprehensive support to formerly homeless and formerly incarcerated individuals, who can be seen cleaning 150 miles of streets each day throughout New York City.
“I am happy to continue our partnership with The Doe Fund, and this year I have allocated more money to expand the program throughout the 13th District,” Peralta said. “For the past four years, The Doe Fund has been a welcomed partner in the community. The services they provide have resulted in cleaner and safer neighborhoods.”
With the additional funding, Ready, Willing & Able will be able to expand their services that include cleaning the sidewalk from the building or property line to the curb and gutters, removing and replacing new liners in garbage cans and cleaning out weeds, cigarette butts and debris from cracks in sidewalks and tree pits.
This transitional work is the first step the “men in blue” take toward program graduation, which is achieved when they secure permanent, full-time employment and their own housing, as well as maintain their sobriety for the duration of the program.
“We are thrilled to be a part of his efforts to make the 13th District a cleaner and safer place to live and to work, and we are honored to present him with the uniform of the ‘man in blue’ for his many years of support,” George T. McDonald, Founder & President of The Doe Fund.
