Councilmember Jimmy Van Bramer, Assemblymember Michael DenDekker, and community organizations came together to beautify the neighborhood of Woodside.
“The event was coordinated by Councilmember Van Bramer and Assemblymember DenDekker,” said Ross Hardisty, communications director from DenDekker’s office. “The councilmember is committed to the beautification of the entire 26th District and holds community cleanup events on a regular basis.”
“It sets a good example to see elected officials, community groups, and residents coming together to make our community a cleaner, safer, healthier, and happier place,” said DenDekker. “I’d particularly like to commend Woodside on the Move for its assistance in making this event a sparkling-clean reality.”
Local community organizations who also joined in the cleanup of the neighborhood included Woodside on the Move, Inc., NYC Community Cleanup, and Wood-Heights Democratic Club.
“We usually coordinate six community events throughout the year and we do a combination of community, civic, and workshops for the kids,” said Rosa Reyes, executive director of Woodside on the Move, Inc. “They invited us to participate and we chose it as one of our events. The purpose was to clean up the area.”
The clean up event was held on Saturday, April 30 at 61st Street and Roosevelt Avenue.
“This summer we are working on renewing the mural located on 61st Street and Roosevelt Avenue. Our goal is to try to do some type of commemoration for September 11,” Reyes said.
The event was a community-wide effort to clean up various sectors of Woodside, where volunteers were divided into separate teams to conduct various tasks, which ranged from painting over graffiti, sweeping the streets, and beautifying the neighborhood.
“Every person in the community benefits from clean streets,” said Van Bramer. “I am proud to have joined over 70 volunteers to help beautify Woodside – I look forward to the next one.”
Children from the Woodside on the Move afterschool program also participated in the beautification of the neighborhood.
“It was a great event and we had a lot of participants, about 10 children from the Woodside On the Move afterschool program and four staff members were in attendance and painting over graffiti, painting over trash,” said Lavern Mason Howard, director of business community and cultural services from Woodside on the Move, Inc. “During the summer months, we run a neighborhood beautification project to make Woodside a cleaner, better neighborhood.”
Howard added, “The children take pride in their community and enjoyed playing a part in keeping it clean.”
“Cleanliness is contagious,” said DenDekker. “Everyone pulled together to clean up litter in Woodside, Queens.”
For more information on Woodside on the Move, Inc. and future clean up events, please contact 718-476-8449.
