(Image Credit: Compass.com)
Though Greenpoint open spaces boast some of the most gorgeous views of the city, and buzzing community centers, you may have noticed a shocking amount of litter. Not to mention the various toxins from former industry. You can read more about the garbage problems in our post on the subject here, and find coverage of other environmental issues in the local eco stories section of GoGreenBK here. Thanks to the efforts of local organizations like GCEF, Curb Your Litter, the Open Space Alliance, the Newtown Creek Alliance, Bag It NYC, and Neighbors Allied for Good Growth, great strides have been made. However, there is still a long way to go to make Greenpoint truly green.
Go Green Brooklyn is organizing a series of volunteer afternoons for local businesses (including their employees) and residents to join up with the local organizations working to improve conditions in the neighborhood, all while having a great time out of the office. We will use the opportunity to educate participants on the main environmental issues, and ways to tackle them. Go Green Day takes this one step further, working with local businesses to offer volunteer rewards and discounts.
(Sam Combs of Good. Clean. Fun.)
The first official Go Green Day will be Friday, October 7 at McCarren Park. Sam Combs, founder of Good.Clean.Fun.(G.C.F.), will be helping us lead the group of volunteers.
Interested in participating? All you have to do is show up and be ready to have some good, clean fun. G.C.F. encourages people to be physically active while picking up litter. For example, we can use each piece of trash as an opportunity to practice lunges. A pair of reusable G.C.F. gloves will be available to borrow during this event. This activity is designed to engage everyone in the space in a new way and is incredibly empowering.
In addition to volunteers, Sam and Good. Clean. Fun will be joined by the New York Road Runners and everyone is planning to dedicate time to pick up litter in the area. Go Green Day on October 7th is designed to get local community members and residents moving, cleaning, and having fun. The schedule for the event will be roughly as follows:
- 2 pm: Meet here in McCarren Park
- 2:00 – 2:20 pm: Introduction and Group Think
- 2:20 – 3:30 pm: G.C.F. 1st Session (volunteers get to try it out)
- 3:30 – 4:00 pm: Debrief 1st Session and decide on further group exercises and team building
- 4:00 – 5:00 pm: G.C.F. 2nd Session (game time!)
- 5:00 pm Happy Hour for some Fun
We’re not all about work., we believe these activities can be fun as well! Thanks to local businesses in the area, volunteers can redeem the following rewards:
HOSH YOGA – FREE YOGA CLASS
Hosh will be offering one complimentary class for volunteers with proof of participation in Go Green Day.
BROOKLYN BIKE PEDDLER – 20% OFF ACCESSORIES AND 10% OFF NEW BIKES
Brooklyn Bike Peddler offers a full range of services from minor adjustments to complete overhauls. They will be offering 20% off of accessories and 10% off of new bikes.
To redeem these rewards, you must do the following before October 31, 2016:
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- Show up to volunteer for Go Green Day
- Take an image of yourself participating.
- Upload that image to Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, and include the hashtag #GoGreenBK along with @GoGreenBK and the name of the business you’re trying to redeem from. Here are some examples:
– I participated in @GoGreenBK’s #GogreenBK Day. Shout out to @hoshyoga for rewarding volunteers 🙂
– #GoGreenBK’s volunteer was so much fun! Can’t wait to stop by @BKPeddler - Email your social media post to Ge Wang of Hosh Yoga [email protected] with the subject: Go Green Day Volunteer to redeem the yoga class, OR just show up to Brooklyn Bike Peddler and show your actual post to the owner, Gerard, to take advantage of their offered discounts.
We’re really excited for the first Go Green Day! If you would like more information about volunteering, please email Romey at [email protected]. Hope to see you there!