Vols To Spruce Up Queens Campuses
Teams of volunteers will spruce up 10 public schools across Queens as part of “New York Cares Day Fall,” scheduled to take place rain or shine this Saturday, Oct. 13.
Organized by New York Cares, a volunteer organization which serves hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers in need annually, the cleanup will involve the painting murals and fencing around each school as well as improvements to schoolyards.
In all, 90 public schools across the city will be cleaned up by more than 6,000 individuals during Saturday’s New York Cares Day event. Among the 10 locations in Queens are the following:
– P.S. 2, located at 75-10 21st Ave. in East Elmhurst;
– P.S. 11, located at 54-25 Skillman Ave. in Woodside;
– P.S. 166, located at 33-09 35th Ave. in Astoria;
– the Growing Up Green Charter School located at 39-27 28th St. in the Dutch Kills section of Long Island City;
– I.S. 126, located at 31-51 21st St. in Astoria; and
– the Our World Neighborhood Charter School, located at 36-12 35th Ave. in Astoria.
Volunteers taking part in the cleanup registered through New York Cares’ website, www.newyorkcaresday.org, for a $20 fee. The proceeds raised by each volunteer will go toward the organization’s other programs.
“We still need volunteers in Queens to paint murals, lead arts and crafts projects and help provide many services to the borough’s schools,” said Gary Bagley, executive director of New York Cares, who added “we’re proud to say that our volun- teers are not only helping the city provide inspiring learning environments for students, but directly engaging the students and the communities around them.”
Anyone who cannot participate in this Saturday’s New York Cares Day event can still participate in a number of ongoing volunteer opportunities provided by the organization, including serving snacks at the Ravenswood Community Center, teaching computer literacy at a program operated by the Emerald Isle Immigration Center at I.S. 230 in Jackson Heights or serving meals at the Sunnyside Community Center.
Learn more about these programs during a special orientation session hosted by New York Cares on Monday, Oct. 22, from 3 to 4 p.m. at the Forest Hills public library, located at 108-19 71st Ave.
For more information, visit www.newyorkcares.org or call 1-212-228-5000.
