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Springfield College AmeriCorps Works to Cleanup Emerson Wight Park

by Bill Dusty

On Saturday morning at Emerson Wight Park – a ballfield, playground and pavilion complex nestled in the South End of Springfield – it was time to get out the rakes and wheelbarrows and put on the work gloves for student volunteers with Springfield College’s AmeriCorps program.

Joined in their efforts by several community volunteers, the students teamed up the the city’s Parks Department to put together the cleanup effort. Together, they raked, painted and planted flowers, bringing new life to the park just as warm springtime weather is getting people outdoors after a long winter season.

The Springfield College AmeriCorps received a $15,000 grant from the Corporation for National and Community Service, a federal government agency created in 1993 – along with the AmeriCorps program itself – to support volunteer community efforts across the nation. The grant money was administered by the Massachusetts Service Alliance, which allocated the funds for the cleanup project that the AmeriCorps students took up in recognition of National Volunteers Week. About seventy student volunteers participated in the morningtime cleanup, according to program coordinator Nicole L. Messmer.

Messmer said the grant money paid for all of the supplies used in the cleanup effort, including rakes, shovels, paint and wheelbarrows, as well as food for a noontime lunch for both volunteers and the community.

The AmeriCorps volunteers coordinated their cleanup effort with the Springfield Parks Department. Parks manager Michael Tully was onsite and oversaw the work getting done on the day.

In addition to the morning’s cleanup, tables were also setup for an afternoon community service fair, where members of the community could meet with representatives from several area organizations, including Square One, STOP ACCESS, Arbor Allies, and Tapestry Health, as well as the city’s Office of Planning and Economic Development and Department of Health and Human Services. The afternoon community fair was promoted entirely by the college, said Tully.

In additon to the cleanup at Emerson Wight park, a city-wide cleanup of Springfield’s neighborhoods will be held on this Saturday, May 2, from 8:00am to 1:00pm. Visit the Keep Springfield Beautiful Web site for details on how to help out.

See images, below, of the Emerson Wight Park cleanup.

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These students thought it might look bad
to show four people painting a single post.
Future DPW employees?

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T-shirt decorating was one of the children’s activities featured during the afternoon.
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Mission accomplished.

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Posted by Bill Dusty on Apr 27th, 2009 and filed under Cities & Towns. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.