NYC Service and Citizens Committee for New York City launched the 2018 Love Your Block application to support resident-led volunteer projects that transform public spaces, like City blocks or community gardens, and empower residents to be change makers in their neighborhoods.
NYC Service and Citizens Committee are seeking project proposals that address important community concerns and contribute to building stronger communities through neighbors working together toward sustainable improvements. The application will be open through Monday, November 6th and 25 community groups will be announced as Love Your Block winners and receive a $1,000 grant and support from City agencies. Since its inception, ten years ago, over 270 Love Your Block awards have been granted, over 900 City services have been provided, and nearly 10,000 volunteers have been engaged.
“New Yorkers are change agents and Love Your Block is one of our City’s longest running initiatives building valuable partnerships between community residents and government,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “We want to continue investing in our community leaders and empowering them with the tools to help make our City more equitable, resilient and sustainable. I encourage any resident-led group to apply for a Love Your Block grant and take a step towards making a difference in your neighborhood.”
“NYC Service believes in the power of New Yorkers to help address local needs through volunteerism and community building,” said NYC Chief Service Officer Paula Gavin. “Love Your Block is an opportunity for the City to build relationships with its residents while encouraging civic engagement. We are so proud to offer Love Your Block as a means to inspire and empower New Yorkers to serve our City and each other.”
“Love Your Block gets New Yorkers out of their apartments and houses and into the streets to spruce up their neighborhoods,” said Peter Kostmayer, CEO of Citizens Committee for New York City. “And it gets them to meet their neighbors and know them as well, which these days may be just as important.”
In addition to a $1,000 grant, recipients receive project planning assistance, volunteer management resources, as well as services from the Department of Environmental Protection, Department of Parks and Recreation, Department of Sanitation, and the Department of Transportation. Services from these City agencies include vacant lot cleanup; graffiti removal; dead tree removal; tree stewardship workshops; resident surveys to plant new street trees; supplies for gardening projects; repair of and installation of street signs and street lights; traffic safety surveys; and installation of bicycle racks, speed bumps and more.
Resident-led volunteer groups across the five boroughs are encouraged to apply for a Love Your Block Grant by November 6th. Visit nyc.gov/loveyourblock for more information.
Interested participants may also attend a Love Your Block Information Session on Monday, October 23rd from 6:00-7:30pm. Contact Shawn Whitehorn (SWhitehorn@citizensnyc.org or 212-822-9563) for more information and to RSVP.
“The Department of Sanitation is pleased to support NYC Service and Citizens Committee as part of the 2018 Love Your Block Initiative,” said Department of Sanitation Commissioner Kathryn Garcia. “Sanitation is proud to support this initiative and any civic organization that takes the time and effort to initiate projects that invest in the betterment of their neighborhoods.”
“Volunteering to beautify your local neighborhood is one of the most direct ways New Yorkers can help improve our environment and create a more resilient, sustainable city,” said DEP Acting Commissioner Vincent Sapienza. “We encourage neighborhood groups from all parts of the city to apply to be a part of the 2018 Love Your Block program.”
“Love Your Block is about empowering New Yorkers to care for and protect our city’s public spaces, including the thousands of trees that line our streets,” said NYC Parks Commissioner Mitchell J. Silver, FAICP. “NYC Parks is proud to be a part of this great initiative that strengthens communities while making our neighborhoods a better place to live.”
“Love Your Block gives residents the opportunity to reclaim and beautify their neighborhoods, one block at a time,” said DOT Commissioner Polly Trottenberg. “We are happy to partner once again with Citizens Committee and our sister agencies — NYC Service, Sanitation, DEP, and Parks — for this great initiative. Whether installing new signage, streetlights, or bike racks, DOT values the role community groups play as our partners in creating safer and more livable streets. We look forward to another year of Love Your Block – and seeing all of the new beautification projects completed throughout the five boroughs.”
“Love Your Block is an exciting way to support small-scale volunteer projects making large-scale impacts on the quality of life in their neighborhoods,” said Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams. “I encourage groups across Brooklyn to apply for one of these grants and advance their efforts to make our communities safer places to raise healthy children and families.”
“It is so very encouraging to see the sense of community and civic engagement that Love Your Block promotes, especially at this particularly divisive time in our nation,” said Council Member Robert E. Cornegy, Jr. “It is programs like this that allow New York City to continue to stand as the shining example of the good we can achieve when we focus on our commonalities and the betterment of our communities for the benefit of all.”
“I encourage everyone who is part of a small organization, whether it’s your block association or just a group of active residents, to apply for a Citizens Committee grant,” said Council Member Antonia Reynoso. “They present a great opportunity to jumpstart a community project, as many great organizations and community gardens in my district have done with these grants in recent years.”
For more information and to find an opportunity to #ServeNYC, visit www.nyc.gov/service.
Visit us online at www.citizensnyc.org.
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