Hello all,
We received a D on our ‘report card” from NYers for Parks. For all of you out there who ever got a “D” we understand!
However, it does give us some weight in terms of asking for help. Which we will do. I also want to remind folks that this grade, as is often true of grades, does not tell the whole story. NYers for Parks agreed heartily on this.
I wrote this recently in response to someone about our park. I’ll paraphrase:
“…The people of this neighborhood have been caring for this park and its people since 1982 when they rid it of drug dealers and pimps. They risked their lives doing it. We continue to care for it as we can with no money and volunteer help. If you walk through here you’ll often see an older African Heritage guy cleaning or organizing homeless people to help him. And they do. This park is surrounded by poor people and working families with little time to do the daily care that should be better funded. We have three major homeless providers here and no homes coming for their people. Parks has no real budget. Our Council Member has given us money to help throughout her tenure as has our Borough President. Some of it still waiting to be spent.
Check out our website for the Park and see what children, the homeless and a shitload of neighbors are doing.
If you haven’t been here cleaning up needles, dog shit, human feces, fighting for housing, fighting to reclaim Rivington House, fighting to get the Stanton Street park building back to the community, fighting Climate change/racism/sexism, fighting to get safe bike lanes installed, organizing Halloween/Juneteenth/Sukkot/Chinese Moon Festivals & music & art events, caring for Alzheimer’s inflicted neighbors, planting, raking, weeding, pruning, painting, caring for chickens and turtles and songbirds and caring for this place (for decades) we would welcome your help. It isn’t glamorous but you’ll find an amazing community here too. It will be good for you.
We love our park and our people. D’s and all.
