A group of volunteers and local non-profit organization leaders cleaned Corona Plaza in preparation for summer as a part of “It’s My Park Day.”
Through events and beautifying parks in all five boroughs, “It’s My Park Day is a program of the New York City Parks Department and Partnership for Parks, which is a non-profit organization that has an official partnership with the parks to engage the community in getting involved in the park system,” said Jose Serrano, a community organizer from the Queens Museum of Art.
Serrano represented the museum and led volunteers of all ages in picking up garbage, and repainting the fence around the plants and trees of the plaza, in an effort to spruce up the Corona green space and spread the message that a little service can go a long way during the event held on Saturday, May 21.
Corona officials City Councilmember Julissa Ferreras and Assemblymember Francisco Moya stopped by to help clean and promote the message.
These events “[allow] for the community to start thinking about keeping our communities not only clean but keeping them healthy,” said Ferreras. “We just want our community residents to know that this is their park and it’s our park to maintain, but also to appreciate.”
“I think that this is what more communities need. It’s just a testament to the resolve of this community to really volunteer their time in a very positive way,” said Moya. “It really transforms neighborhoods.”
The museum hosted the event in conjunction with the Corona Community Action Network (Corona CAN), which is an organization that works to help merchants in the community.
Ruben Pena, President of Corona CAN, noted that the service day will help to make Corona more alluring.
“What we’d like to do is to attract people to the area to present to the tourist nice gardens, [so] that they could come here and have a good time,” Pena said.
Being a volunteer can also help many minorities in New York City integrate in America because “it shows that we actually get involved,” said Eduardo Giraldo, Vice President of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Queens, an organization dedicated to helping local small businesses connect with the government.
Residents passing by the Plaza took note of the efforts by the group and appreciated their work.
“I think it’s really nice that they are volunteering to actually make the community better,” said local resident Jose Rojas. “Actually, it looks better; I’m amazed.”
Elsa Linaes, who lives up the block from Corona Plaza and stopped to watch the cleaning, said, “It’s really nice; it’s how it should be.”
