Hi,
Noticed something different on E 125th? That’s right! This week, volunteers from NHEMA and Picture the Homeless filled tree-pits with a lively assortment of begonias, marigolds and other colorful flowers (Want some flowers of your own? visit the Urban Garden Center!). One couldn’t help but notice the smiles of passerbys as they looked upon the newly planted tree-pits. While it may be a small step, such aesthetic improvements make residents feel proud of their neighborhood and encourage people to stay and frequent local business rather than walk or take the train to another part of town. Many thanks to NHEMA member Q&N Foods who generously donated food to the volunteers.
Working with Picture the Homeless was another incredibly positive aspect of the planting. Having recently moved to E 126th street, Picture the Homeless is a homeless advocacy group that works tirelessly to make sure the civil rights of homeless people are respected and that they receive the services they deserve. As we all know, the homeless population on East 125th Street clearly needs better access to services, be that transitional housing, job training or mental health care. Moving forward, we hope to continue to work with Picture the Homeless to increase access to these services on E 125th street and help find paths for many of the street homeless individuals to get off the streets.
In other news, New York's Styrofoam ban went into effect on July, though there will be a grace period for the next six months.
Until next week,
Your friends at NHEMA
P.S. Have questions for NHEMA? Want to be part of the East 125th Street Plaza when it opens in mid July? Have a community event you want to promote? Don't hesitate to get in touch with us!
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