Greenpoint Parks Community Stewardship Program

In 2015, through a competitive process, North Brooklyn Parks Alliance (NBPA) received $99,000 in GCEF funding (and provided $30,000 in matching funds) to support the stewardship of Greenpoint parks and playgrounds. Major project activities included recruiting volunteers and managing volunteer events in the parks, and conducting park cleanup and planting events. The project also developed and delivered weekly educational programs on the natural resources of the parks and how to care for them to local youths, schools, and community groups. Further, the project established self-sustaining “Friends of Parks” groups at many Greenpoint parks, identified community leaders to advocate for their local parks, publicized park events, and gathered feedback from community members about the needs of individual parks.

In 2017, after another competitive process, NBPA was awarded an additional $99,000 to continue the implementation of the Greenpoint Parks Stewardship Program, and its growing network of local Friends of Parks groups. Additionally, the GCEF grant supported a Greenpoint parks volunteer leader training and mentoring program.

Over the course of the project, 40 partner organizations were convened to participate in the community stewardship program for Greenpoint parks and playgrounds.  The program received designation as a “Service Enterprise” by NYC Service, a division of the Office of the Mayor focused on volunteerism and service in the City. The project also worked with AmeriCorps to hire two NYC Civic Corps fellows to design and execute a volunteer program at Greenpoint parks, and develop a “Volunteer Policies and Procedures Handbook” for their use.

In 2018, due to the success of the Greenpoint Parks Community Stewardship Program, NBPA received a $45,000 inaugural grant from the Altman Foundation to support the continued cultivation of local stewards for Greenpoint parks and playgrounds.

• Spearheaded 83 events in Greenpoint parks, including stewardship, education, and youth-focused programs that engaged more than 4,300 community members
• Convened over 40 partner organizations to participate in the stewardship program
• Planted over 5,800 plants, ranging from daffodils to trees, in Greenpoint parks
• Facilitated the creation of “Friends of Parks” groups at American Playground, Greenpoint Playground, WNYC Transmitter Park, and Manhattan Avenue Street End and Barge Park
• Worked with Friends of Parks groups at American and Greenpoint Playgrounds to install planters to create green space in an otherwise asphalt lot
• As a result of the project’s activities, earned NBPA the designation of a “Service Enterprise” by NYC Service, a division of the Office of the Mayor
• Worked with Americorps to hire 2 NYC Civic Corps fellows to design and execute a volunteer program at Greenpoint parks, and develop a Volunteer Policies and Procedures Handbook

• Greenpoint Parks Community Stewardship Program: NBPA Volunteer Policies and Procedures Handbook