Brookville Park

The Daily Plant : Tuesday, August 25, 2009

A Special Friend of Brookville Park

Volunteering is a great way for city residents to give back to their community. At times, volunteers who go the extra mile deserve special recognition.

Kangela Moore and the Friends of Brookville Park have dedicated hours of their time to ensure residents from all over the city can enjoy this beautiful emerald gem located in South Jamaica, Queens. Recently, the Friends of Brookville Park worked tirelessly planting 2,000 daffodils throughout this 90 acre park. Their efforts were credited as they received the Daffodil Project Award given by parks advocate group, New Yorkers for Parks. The Daffodil Project was originally created to commemorate the lives lost during the attacks of September 11. It is a symbol of memory and revitalization that is meant to reinforce a feeling of hope in New Yorkers. New Yorkers for Parks and the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation joined together to facilitate this program. Celebrating its eighth year, dedicated and committed volunteers such as Ms. Plan bulbs throughout the city.

Ms. Moore’s, volunteer work began with a simple walk through Brookville Park. She noticed it lacked luster and vitality. Numerous trees were in need of simple pruning, paint was chipped of benches, and the park was in need of renovation. Ms. Moore decided to take a proactive approach and collaborated with other community residents to create a volunteer organization called the “Friends of Brookville Park.” Their goal was to encourage and promote local residents to take an active role in their community and support a greener, cleaner, and safer park. Their hard work has indeed succeeded!

The Friends of Brookville Park was created in early 2008. They are supported by numerous sponsors such as Nationwide Cleaners who provided shirts, The Beautiful Foundation and New Yorkers for Parks who donated bulbs, and Councilman James Sanders Jr. who sponsored music at Brookville Park. Several other organizations such as the Grads Foundation, School Safety NYPD Explorers Program, Excelsior High School, and Victorious Organization of Women have also united with the Friends of Brookville Park to promote their mission.

Ms. Moore has been a community activist for more than ten years, working on various activities, and supporting various education causes. Currently, she is a member of Community Board 13 and on the Queens Hospital Community Advisory Board.

Everyone involved with Friends of Brookville is focused on change. Volunteers donate their time endlessly to promote changes in their park as well as their community. They plant bulbs, repaint benches and clean and organize park events. They also encourage students to give their time for the betterment of their community. According the Ms. Moore, “Our youth volunteers learn about planting and keeping city parks clean. More important, they learn to respect the community by taking pride in seeing the fruits of their labor.” There is the hope that others will take notice and follow in the same direction.

The Daffodil Project has expanded over the years and will continue to do, as long as there are organizations like Friends of Brookville Park and volunteers who are willing to provide change not only for their parks, but for their community. Every neighborhood should be so lucky to have such a dedicated volunteer as Ms. Moore. She is truly an inspiration.

Written by Drupattie Bassant and Susan Friedman-Diaz

QUOTATION FOR THE DAY

“I have tried to know absolutely nothing about a great many things, and I have succeeded fairly well.”

Robert Benchley
(1889 – 1945)