Operation Sandy

On Monday December 10th, at 7:00 am Bronx Community Solutions Community Service Department collaborated with our sister sites (Midtown Community Court, Red Hook Community Justice Center and Brownsville Community Justice Center), as well as a number of community service clients assigned by the Manhattan District Attorney's office, to conduct a major cleanup project at 100 Center Street aimed at helping rebuild the neighborhood after Hurricane Sandy. Fittingly, we called the project Operation Sandy. 

A total of 32 community service clients and eight supervisors (two representing each project and borough) joined together with one goal: to assist the Coney Island community, one of the neighborhoods most heavily affected by the catastrophic storm.

32 clients and 8 crew supervisors learning the plan for the day

The group was divided into two teams, one team working on Surf Avenue from W25th Street up to W37th Street. The second team covered Mermaid Avenue, beginning at the intersection of Mermaid Avenue and West 37th Street. The mission was to assist the Department of Sanitation, the Department of Transportation and the community by picking up trash, wood, sand and other litter displaced by the storm onto the streets and sidewalks.

 

 

 

 In speaking with community members, we witnessed sadness in some of their faces, but also a determination. Local business owners described the struggle they faced in recovering their businesses. The clients worked very hard. I believe they saw the need in the community and didn't hesitate or hold back in participating with this special clean up. I was personally very proud to see all of our sister programs coming together and doing an awesome job. Thank you all for participating in the project and for inviting us to be part of it.
 

- Ramon Semorile, BCS Community Service Crew Supervisor

- Moises Reyes, BCS Coordinator of Community Service

Crew Supervisors from the four participating CCI Projects