Photo by Anoah Levine
Area residents and civic organizations came out in full force last Saturday, when they set their sights on cleaning up a wall on the border of Ozone Park and Brooklyn that was defaced by graffiti and vandalism.
The United Bangladeshi American Youth Association (UBAYA) and the Queens Borough Democratic Club (QBDC) teamed up to rid the wall at 103 Forbell St., located between Atlantic and Liberty avenues, of the graffiti that has long pervaded the area.
Photo by Anoah Levine
UBAYA and QBDC joined forces to organize the cleanup, and Alpha Priority donated the paint and rollers needed for the event that drew more than 20 volunteers. Residents joined representatives from UBAYA and QBDC and began cleaning the area of trash and other objects that could be a danger to pedestrians walking in the area.
“UBAYA is about uniting the people, and today we are united to paint this wall,” Iqbal Ali, founder of UBAYA, said Saturday. “I am very happy to see so many people come out.”
Photo by Anoah Levine
After cleaning the area, residents began painting the wall back to the original green that was there before vandals spray painted it. The center symbol on the wall was painted red once again and, together, the red and green colors represent the national colors of Bangladesh – which is the predominant ethnic group in the area.
With the help of more than 20 volunteers, the wall was completely painted within two hours. Residents walking by the area couldn’t help but stop to look at the great work being done, and some even stopped and joined the group to help.
“I am always happy to see when the community gets together for the common good and even happier to see this new community working together for such a good cause,” said David Adorno, of QBDC.
Photo by Anoah Levine
Photo by Anoah Levine
Photo by Anoah Levine
Photo by Anoah Levine
