Here's Some Money To Love Your Block With

Ever felt like that overgrown lot on your block could be spruced up with a garden? Or maybe you think some speed bump surveys need to be done? Or heck, perhaps a few trees need to be pruned…

Well, you don’t have to wait around for the city to do something about it. Community Board 15 Chairperson Theresa Scavo forwarded us some details about a great city program to empower neighborhoods at the grassroots level to take things into their own hands.

The Mayor’s NYC Service division and Citizens Committee for New York City are in their third year of awarding Love Your Block grants, providing volunteer-led community groups with up to $1,000 for projects to enhance and revitalize their streets.

Here’s a bit from the initiative’s website:

Existing and newly-formed groups such as block, tenant, and civic associations, as well as community gardening and school gardening groups, are invited to apply. Officials from city agencies such as the Departments of Transportation, Sanitation, and Parks & Recreation engage with group members and listen to their block improvement requests. The city agencies then proceed to carry out the requested services which may include anything from repairing damaged or missing street signs/streetlights to a replacement of worn-out/missing litter baskets to conducting tree, bike rack, and speed bump surveys. With grant money, the selected groups purchase equipment and supplies and roll up their sleeves to carry out their own brand of block beautification and repair, whether it be painting a mural or sprucing up the length of the block with brand-new planters and saplings.

There’s an information session in Manhattan tomorrow, and applications are due by November 15. Get all the information on the Citizens Committee website.