Spring Cleaning & Planting Week
500 Hancock Block Association will beautify its block by cleaning and planting 10 planters and 29 tree pits to encourage neighborliness, safety and beauty.
Leader
Shelia Kennedy Paul Hawthorne
Location
Hancock Street Brooklyn, NY 11233
Impact areas
About the project
500 Hancock Street Block Association wishes to beautify the block by cleaning, pruning, weeding, fertilizing and planting the 10 30" large planters that are dispersed intermittently on both sides of the block and to clean, weed, fertilize, mulch and distribute lava rocks in 29 tree pits to discourage weeds and to deter dogs from using the tree pits. The 500 Hancock Block Association, which was reestablished in 2008, and has been consistently active since that time in block environment beautification and safety, proposes a Spring Cleaning and Planting Week from May 14-May 21. In 2008, the Association raised funds to purchase large planters to create a colorful cheerful environment and discourage litter, which had become rampant on our sidewalks. In 2009, tree guards were installed and the tree pits were cleaned. In 2009-10 there was a push to have additional trees planted through the 1 Million Trees programs and our block had 7 new trees were planted over 2 years. Now with almost 3 dozen trees on our block and 10 large planters, a major landscaping job is needed to sustain our beautification efforts. This year, we wish to raise $1000 for plants, flowers, materials and a landscaper to help guide our cleaning, weeding, fertilizing and planting efforts for our planters and tree pits. We propose to do this on Saturday May 14 and completing the work during the week, culminating in a block celebration (Stoop Coffee & Chat) on May 21 to admire and appreciate our work and to meet and greet our neighbors.
The Steps
The block association has created a budget and established the week of May 14 to May 21 2011 as Spring Cleaning and Planting Week. Using a landscaper, who has donated significant time with free and reduced-cost labor and has led us in planting and caring for our planters and tree pits from their beginnings; as well as the beautification committee and l our block members, a day of cleaning and planting will take place on May 14. Further planting and landscaping efforts will continue through the week until complete. On Saturday, May 21st morning, the block will have a Stoop Coffee & Chat, to celebrate and admire the block's good works. All neighbors will be invited to come out for coffee and cakes, to be served at volunteer hosts' stoops. We will learn about care of our tree pits, meet, greet and enjoy our neighbors and celebrate spring and each other.
Why we‘re doing it
Prior to 2008, the 500 Hancock Street block association had been on hiatus and the block environment had deteriorated. Tree pits were used as garbage dumps and yards and sidewalks were unkempt. Through an active Block Association with executive, beautification, and security committees, for the last four years, there has been an enormous improvement on the block. A once cluttered block with little greenery now has nearly 3 dozen trees and 10 enormous planters that at its peak is a profusion of colorful pants beautifying the entire block. Maintaining progress is an enormous effort, especially in light of difficult economic times, which has affected many of our members and has impacted our fundraising. Additionally, a return of abandoned and burned out properties have reappeared in recent years, as properties in mid-stream of development were abandoned. Thus, we must beautify with even more energy to sustain momentum. Maintaining our planters and trees is an on-going effort requiring professional and volunteer help. Our block hosts monthly block clean-ups, which along with our landscaping, works toward the maintenance of a clean, pretty and cheerful block. Our association believes that a green and clean environment encourages neighborly interaction and community involvement while discouraging litter. Neighborhood children routinely participate in our clean-ups and plantings which instills in them at an early age the importance of community participation, responsibility, and respect for non-human living things.