Council Member Joann Ariola has once again teamed up with the Queens Economic Development Corporation to cleanse her district of unwanted graffiti.
In June, the Queens council member, who represents District 32, which covers the southeast section of the borough, worked with QEDC, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping small businesses, to identify and remove graffiti from storefronts in Woodhaven.
Ariola’s continued work with QEDC and the New York City Department of Sanitation, as seen in previous graffiti cleanups, follows her commitment to rid District 32 of graffiti while in office.
“From day one, I’ve been committed to improving the quality of life in District 32, and that means clean, graffiti-free streets,” Ariola told QNS. “We won’t stop until we can make sure that people know graffiti has no home here. And if that means we need to hit the same place five or ten times until the message is received, so be it.”
Ariola focused her efforts last month on two graffiti sites on 81st Street and 91st Street in Woodhaven. The council member explained that the process to eliminate the graffiti started with the neighbors themselves, who brought the problem areas to the attention of her office.
QEDC, which assists small businesses throughout the borough, takes on graffiti cleanup jobs through a special program that relies on elected officials like Ariola. The organization told QNS it takes a community effort to help Queens residents and business owners get rid of graffiti in their respective neighborhoods.
“Programs like this one can really benefit Queens not only through the rise in property values but also a more favorable perception of the newly-cleaned area,” QEDC shared in a statement. “Through repeated visits to sites, we have also seen a decrease in return vandalism in some areas.”
Ariola has conducted many graffiti cleanups. Last year, she worked to rid streets of graffiti in a series of clean-up events in collaboration with the Queens Economic Development Corporation, the 106th Precinct and the Center for Employment Opportunities.
In March, she focused on much of Southeastern Queens and targeted nearly seven different locations where graffiti was rampant.
Aside from the graffiti, Ariola also hopes to keep the sidewalks clear of litter with the help of other community organizations. Every week participants of the Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO)— a second-chance program giving formerly incarcerated people support in finding jobs — have worked to keep the Queens neighborhoods in Ariola’s district clear of trash and dangerous conditions.
