New York City City Council member Linda Lee announced a districtwide initiative in cleaning up litter and beautifying public spaces in District 23. The initiative comes in partnership with the New York City Department of Sanitation and the Association of Community Employment Programs for the Homeless (ACE). Additionally, the initiative has been driven by community members’ input.
Lee has encouraged residents to reach out to her office via phone or email to report known dumping sites and other areas in need of beautification. The Department of Sanitation will be targeting illegal dumping sites while ACE will be focusing on roadside cleanup and litter pickup.
“District 23 is home to some of New York City’s most beautiful public parks and open spaces and ensuring they are clean and well-kept fosters a sentiment of pride of being a resident of eastern Queens,” Lee said. “It is demoralizing to walk around the neighborhood and see heaps of trash piled on the side of the road and litter on the side of the road. I’m encouraging community members, local businesses and anyone else to take part in beautifying our neighborhood by identifying locations for cleanup to my office.”
This initiative marks the second cleanup initiative in Lee’s Spring Cleaning Series, which is aimed at restoring and beautifying public areas across District 23. It also comes just a week after Lee organized a graffiti cleanup with Queens Economic Development Corporation, resulting in graffiti being removed from 15 public spaces and businesses.
ACE is a nonprofit organization that provides job training, work experience and a lifetime support network to help homeless men and women in New York City achieve their goals and establish economic independence. The organization’s sanitation services expanded to neighborhoods across New York City.
ACE provides supplemental sanitation on a daily basis to the SoHo Broadway Initiative, the Meatpacking Business Improvement District, 24 New York City Council districts, a state senator and over two-dozen public spaces and parks. ACE keeps a total of 1,580 New York City blocks clean and beautiful for residents, businesses and visitors.
