On July 30, the CBC team joined the New York Restoration Project (NYRP) in beautifying local parks by gardening, painting, mulching, raking and weeding at Swindler Cove in Inwood at their annual July CBC Gives Back event.
NYRP strives to ensure that all New Yorkers have equitable access to green space by maintaining and sprucing up areas in need. For over 25 years, the organization has invested in and stewarded parks throughout all five boroughs, promoting diversity, equity and inclusion as they work to strengthen communities, promote food sovereignty and counter environmental and social injustice.
This year, CBC helped actualize this mission by participating in landscaping along the Harlem River Greenway.
“We’re really grateful to have a beautiful day, and to have the help out here,” said Chris McArdle, Landscape Manager of Northern Manhattan Park at NYRP.
Participants split into separate groups that rotated through different gardening tasks, reconnecting in person after some operated virtually for over a year and getting in a workout at the same time.
“It feels great to be out here, and we thank Chris so much for organizing this and getting our team together to give back to the community,” said Dr. Alec Miller, co-founder of CBC. “We also know that nature is very helpful from a mental health standpoint … for ourselves, and for our community members.”
Each year, CBC Gives Back dedicates a day of service to volunteer for a local cause. Previous CBC Give Back events have included packing lunch bags for homeless people through JoyJ, cleaning up and gardening with Lifting Up Westchester and collecting litter along the Bronx River Parkway.