Fence Painting Shows Community Cares
Volunteering doesn’t have to be a chore. Just ask the more than 230 residents, Property Managers, Caretakers, Superintendents, development office staff, and community partners who spent a few hours on August 6 sprucing up the fences at Van Dyke Houses with a fresh coat of paint.
According to NYCHA Project Manager Helga Nyanffor, residents raised the need for new paint for the fences at Van Dyke’s NextGeneration NYCHA meetings. Collaborative committees had been created to implement the ideas that arose from last year’s NextGen “visioning” workshops, which focused on increasing opportunities and improving the quality of life in the community. Healthfirst wanted to assist with this fence-painting request, and Jacqueline Howard, NYCHA’s Resident Engagement Lead for Van Dyke’s NextGen work, helped bring together all the partners.
“The best part was how different groups that don’t usually work together all joined in,” said Ms. Nyanffor.
It was a beautiful day in Brownsville, Brooklyn, thanks to support from the event’s sponsor, Healthfirst, and assistance from participants like the Van Dyke Resident Association, the NYPD’s Police Service Area 2, Brownsville Jobs-Plus, Brownsville Multi-Service Family Health Center, the NYC Summer Youth Employment Program, Afropunk, and the Brownsville Community Justice Center. Assemblywoman Latrice Walker and youth from the Seth Low and the Langston Hughes Community Centers also pitched in, with smiles on their faces and some with a whole lot of paint on their pants!
