The eleventh annual Clean-A-Thon of the Fruit Belt Neighborhood will be held tomorrow Friday, April 29th.
Tool selection and team formation commences at 8:30am and cleanup starts at 9:00am. Cleanup participants will then have a picnic lunch at 11:45am on Orange Street which will then be followed by a festival from 12:30pm to 2pm.
The annual day of cleaning neighborhoods and performing community outreach has been organized by Futures Academy, the Friendly Fruit Belt Block Club and the University at Buffalo Center for Urban Studies. The theme of “Collective Work and Responsibility” is what brings students, teachers and residents together to spend the morning cleaning vacant lots and neighborhoods and planting community gardens. The goal is to make the Fruit Belt Neighborhood and the City of Buffalo a better place to live.
The eleven year old event combines positive energy with beautification… it’s all a part of a larger effort to clean inner city neighborhoods. In return, neighborhoods become aware of the volunteers’ efforts, while hopefully gaining an appreciation for the work that is being performed. As lots are cleaned, the community see the direct impact. In turn, many of those lots are then kept clean by block clubs and thoughtful citizens. These efforts need to start somewhere, and often times the initial lift can be too great for members of the neighborhood.
This event has been successful in the past by serving as a spark that can help to spur neighborhood revitalization. Ultimately the effort is intended to cause crime rates to go down as neighborhoods unite in grassroots activities. Neighborhoods that look neglected are notorious for attracting illicit activities. These community efforts go a long way to combat blight – they also help to increase property values, fight crime and strengthen community bonds.
People looking to volunteer for future cleanups should contact Freida Ferrer at the Center for Urban Studies (716-829-5910).