Committee Grants For Local Projects
From creating gardens out of empty lots to holding educational programs for local youths, programs offered by a host of organizations across Brooklyn and Queens in the weeks to come were awarded with financial grants from the Citizens Committee for New York City (CCNYC), it was announced last week.
In all, the committee stated it would provide $570,000 in financial awards to 292 projects coordinated by volunteer organizations to improve the neighborhoods. The CCNYC will support 154 projects combined in Brooklyn and Queens, accounting for 42 percent of the total number of grants provided.
“Citizens Committee for new York City operates on a simple philosophy: anyone with an idea to change a neighborhood can bring it to us, and we will help turn their idea into a reality,” said Peter Kostmayer, CEO of the committee. “We are proud that Citizens Committee can support these 292 innovative and transformative neighborhood improvement projects throughout New York City. These projects will provide meaningful and lasting changes to over 100 neighborhoods in the city and will improve the quality of life for city residents everywhere.”
All of the organizations were selected through a competitive application process. The recipients were selected to receive grants of up to $3,000 each based on a number of criteria, including-as described by the CCNYC-“the ability to improve quality of life issues identified by community members; whether the project will improve stewardship of neighborhood assets; and whether the project builds community engagement and civic capacity.
It is projected that all 292 projects will involve 5,250 volunteers across the five boroughs “and have an impact on more than 60,000 New Yorkers,” the committee added.
Among the organizations based in the Times Newsweekly coverage area receiving grants include the following:
– 30Q122, Astoria/Long Island City/Jackson Heights-to hold do-ityourself craft workshops for children and families.
– Base Collective, Bushwick-to rent a storefront for use as a headquarters for its community organizing projects tackling various socioeconomic issues.
– Biking Public Project, Jackson Heights/Corona/Woodside-to expand bike advocacy, set up repair stations along Roosevelt Avenue and create a public photography exhibit featuring bicyclists to promote biking.
– Bushwick City Farm-to start its own locally-sourced honey production program by creating a beehive.
– East Elmhurst-Corona Civic Association- to partner with a local Kiwanis Club chapter and other organizations on a beautification project.
– Eldert Street Garden Association, Bushwick-to remove and mulch a tree damaged by Hurricane Sandy and to plant a replacement.
– Fit Urban Neighbors (FUN), Corona/Elmhurst/Jackson Heights- to launch a childhood obesity program centered around physical activity for children between ages six and 13 who are considered overweight or obese by guidelines set by the Centers for Disease Control.
– Fluid New Media Lab, Long Island City-to create an outdoor light installation at the 5Pointz building.
– Food ‘R’ Us, Kew Gardens- to boost its food pantry operation serving local residents in need.
– Forest-Rego Compost Collective, Forest Hills/Rego Park-to transform a lot into a community greenspace featuring compost dropoff bins and educational workshops.
– Friends of the Queens Library at Hunters Point, Long Island City-to launch a children’s summer reading program at an area park.
– GCAMP (Genuinely Care About My Planet), Bushwick-to construct a rain water catchment system to nourish a local garden and plant trees around the community.
– Green Earth Urban Gardens, Flushing/Woodhaven/Far Rockaway- to transform a former oneacre landfill into an outdoor classroom on the environment.
– Grupo de Acción Comunitaria, Long Island City-to hold workshops at their community garden on recycling, ecology, global warming, composting and medicinal remedies.
– Halsey Street Community Greenways, Bushwick/Ridgewood- to beautify a walkway to and from the Halsey Street L train station with a mural and planters.
– Jahajee Sisters, Richmond Hill/Ozone Park/Jamaica-to hold workshops on sexual and reproductive health targeting women of Caribbean or South Asian descent.
– Kew Gardens Improvement Association- to hold a series of community building projects including art activities, a recycling program and a prayer flag project.
– Local Project “The Wall Mural Project,” Long Island City-to provide space or eight local artists to create indoor and outdoor murals in industrial sections of the community.
– Local Project “Wall to Table” Project, Long Island City-to hold a series of community discussions on food and contemporary art.
– LULAC Queens Council 23047, Corona-to create, with students at the Pan American International High School and the New York Hall of Science, an art installation on biology, electrical engineering and design.
– MOVE Brooklyn, Bushwick- to launch a community gardening project involving 15 local students.
– Mt. Paran Community Center and Christian Calvary Ministries, Bushwick-for an art and dance therapy program for children between ages five and 12 who have lost one or both parents for various reasons.
– Newcomers High School Welcoming Workshop, Long Island City/Corona/Ellis Island-to conduct a workshop program on storytelling in examining the experience of immigrants arriving in the U.S.
– No Kids Left Behind, Cypress Hills-to provide a flag-football tournament for six teams of children from a public housing project between 11 and 14 years of age.
– Play Streets, Safe Streets, Corona- to provide play areas for children by closing streets on six occasions this summer.
– Rego Park Green Alliance, Rego Park/Long Island City-to create a community garden on an abandoned lot.
– Son Hikuri, Ridgewood/Flushing/ Jackson Heights-to hold classes for children on Mexican dance styles.
– Sunnyside Community Garden Compost Collective-to develop a composting program educating area youths.
– Woodside Neighborhood Association- to beautify space near a local train station by planting thousands of flowers.
– Woodside Resident Green Committee- to launch a community gardening program and install a tool storage shed for the use of participants.
– Young Governors/Elmhurst Community Garden-to install rainwater harvesting and drip irrigation devices as well as enhanced composting.
For more information, visit www.citizensnyc.org.
