Courtesy of NYC Service
Fill out the Love Your Block application at nyc.gov/loveyourblock.
By Forum Staff
Applications for the 2019 Love Your Block community-boosting program are available now, NYC Service and Citizens Committee for New York City announced on Monday.
According to the City, Love Your Block supports residents in transforming public spaces and engaging neighborhood volunteers to make local change. Twenty-five community groups will be selected as Love Your Block winners and rewarded a $1,000 grant, project management support, and City agency (Department of Environmental Protection, Department of Parks and Recreation, Department of Sanitation, and the Department of Transportation) services to improve their neighborhood, including pest control and removal; tree stewardship workshops; graffiti removal; repair of and installation of street signs and street lights; traffic safety surveys; and installation of bicycle racks, speed bumps, and more.
“NYC Service believes that volunteerism is a catalyst for civic engagement in New York City,” said NYC Chief Service Officer Paula Gavin. “Love Your Block supports residents to engage their neighbors and address local needs through service. Over the last ten years, the program has helped over 260 resident groups improve over 400 public spaces and City blocks. NYC Service is proud to continue Love Your Block with Citizens Committee and our sister agencies to inspire and empower 8.6 million New Yorkers to come together and serve each other.”
NYC Service and Citizens Committee for New York City encourage resident-led volunteer groups to submit project proposals that engage local volunteers to address community concerns. Successful applications highlight how the project will transform public spaces, like city blocks or community gardens, and engage residents to be change makers in their neighborhoods. Successful proposals will also utilize City services to address important community concerns and contribute to building stronger communities by engaging neighbors to work together toward sustainable improvements.
Love Your Block applications will be evaluated on the following:
• Groups must be volunteer-led, without paid staff and must demonstrate the ability to mobilize a minimum of 20 volunteers
• Groups must work with two out of the four City agency partners for services
• Projects must help address a shared community need (e.g. tree planting, graffiti removal, speed bumps)
“Civic activism is a hallmark of life in Queens and across the five boroughs,” said Queens Borough President Melinda Katz. “New York City is at its best when citizens take the lead in their communities, and the resources available through the Love Your Block initiative will go a long way toward helping residents make their neighborhoods better places to live.”
NYC Service and Citizens Committee for New York City encourage resident-led volunteer groups across all five boroughs to apply for a Love Your Block Grant by Nov. 7. Visit nyc.gov/loveyourblock for more information. Interested participants may also attend a Love Your Block Information Session on Oct. 16 or Oct. 23 from 6:00 – 7:30 p.m. Contact MGonzalez@citizensnyc.org or call (212) 822-9579 for more information and to RSVP.
“There are more than 60,000 blocks in our city. While Love Your Block focuses on only a very few, it should serve as a model for every New Yorker on every block to get to know your neighbors and to join them in making your block the envy of every New Yorker,” Citizen’s Committee for NYC Executive Director Peter Kostmayer added.
