Thanks to the Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Safety and Urban Upbound, Riis’ NStat team has revitalized several community gardens and green spaces at Queensbridge Houses this summer as part of the Love Where You Live initiative. These funds support projects that improve neighborhood safety in a myriad of ways.
Green spaces in Queensbridge Houses have long been places for neighbors to gather, but as a result of the pandemic, some had fallen into disrepair. The revitalization of these spaces, driven by residents, has helped to promote intergenerational connection, social cohesion, and provide safe and beautiful shared spaces for community members to work together. Ms. Ashley Cruce, an environmental educator who has worked with Riis for over ten years, was able to build upon her work in Riis’ community garden. She facilitated horticulture workshops out of our senior center, where participants created plans for what they wanted to grow over the summer, planted seedlings, and more. While workshops like these have traditionally been attended by older adults, this summer our NStat team brought younger voices into the conversation. Riis was also able to hire additional garden staff from the community to carry out these plans.
Last month, basil and other herbs grown in the garden were harvested, packaged, and distributed at the senior center. It was wonderful to be able to bring back this pre-pandemic tradition. The outdoor shed for gardening supplies, which sustained damage from weather and squirrels, received necessary repairs. Overall, we are very proud of our NStat team for giving green spaces at Queensbridge new life, and creating a safer community.
