As the winter season approaches, people tend to stay indoors to keep warm rather than brave the cold. Nevertheless, on November 12, 2023, 30 middle and high school ASEZ STAR volunteers beautified Webster Avenue in the Bronx. The purpose was to show gratitude for their community by taking positive action to clean a busy street.
The student volunteers partnered with the office of Assemblymember George Alvarez, taking up rakes, shovels, and clippers to cleanup the neighborhood. In just three hours, the volunteers collected trash littered along the street, removed weeds and debris from the median, and brightened the overall appearance and atmosphere of the high-traffic area. In total, they collected 70 bags of trash, as well as abandoned car parts and improperly disposed construction waste.
Leilani Lugo, a 7th grade student volunteer, said, “The event today was a good exercise for gratitude and thankfulness, to have a smile on our faces since we are together and can enjoy each other’s company while doing this activity. When we are thankful for our surroundings, we can take care of it. It’s a way to see our thankfulness through our actions.”
Gratitude Transforms Webster Avenue
Assemblymember Alvarez shared encouraging words with the students, saying, “We have an action day today to make sure that we clean our assembly district. People who live here, and want to live here, can be proud of living here. To all the members of the cleanup, I want to let you know that you are making a huge impact and that partnering with government officials is important work to help us achieve a better future for those coming behind us. “
Stefano Perez, Chief of Staff to Assemblymember Alvarez, was also moved by the volunteer effort. He stated, “I’m overjoyed. To think that we beautified Webster Avenue in a matter of hours, where constituents are stopping by the office and saying they don’t recognize the neighborhood, the street, the median, is exciting and motivating, and I’m truly overjoyed. We are so proud to have sponsored this partnership with ASEZ STAR. From the bottom of our hearts we want to say thank you. You are showing us that we can make a difference in the community by coming together.”
A lasting change begins when everyone considers it their duty to care for one another. ASEZ STAR hopes to inspire their friends, classmates, and communities to do the same.
To view more volunteer events in New York, please click here.
