Do you want to make a difference in your community and support or care for a park near you? At this introductory workshop, learn how you and your neighbors can come together to support and improve your community green spaces! Meet staff members that can help you get started, network with other interested community members, and hear from experienced volunteers who are already doing inspiring work in their parks.

Topics will include:

• Why volunteers are so important for vibrant, thriving parks
• Who you need to know in NYC Parks
• How neighbors, coworkers, or community groups can spruce up a park with an “It’s My Park” project
• Ways to join together with neighbors who also care about your park
• Which resources are available to help you

Featured Speakers:

• Cheree Dillon, Co-Founder, Hamilton Heights Garden Group

Over the last year, Cheree Dillon and other Harlem-based volunteers banded together to create the Hamilton Heights Garden Group to highlight the vibrancy of neighborhood gardens. The group collaborates to build programs and outreach for Frank White Memorial Garden on 143rd, Maggie’s Garden on 149th, Wicked Friendship Garden on 150th, and Hope the Friendly Garden on the Hill on 152nd. Cheree and several other members graduated from the 2018 Partnerships Academy Fellowship program, where they planned and successfully hosted a garden tour for the community.  

• Kate Gluzberg, Volunteer Projects Manager, Partnerships for Parks

Yekaterina (Kate) Gluzberg is the volunteer projects manager for Partnerships for Parks. She manages the logistics for It’s My Park, PfP’s signature service program, and oversees volunteer projects for non-profit groups. Kate was an outreach coordinator in Northern Manhattan for 5 years before working in her current position. She began in NYC Parks as an urban park ranger, leading educational and recreational programs for park patrons in Inwood Hill and Queens parks.

• Kyle Mytelka, Outreach Coordinator, Partnerships for Parks

As an outreach coordinator in Manhattan, Kyle acts as the first point of contact for park groups and volunteers in his districts, helping them find the appropriate people and resources to transform their green spaces. Kyle first started working with park groups and volunteers as a planner for the City of Flint, Michigan before moving to NYC and joining Partnerships for Parks.

• Matt Symons, Northeast Queens Park Administrator, NYC Parks   

Matt Symons began his career with NYC Parks in 1995 as an urban park ranger. In 2009 he moved into Maintenance & Operations, serving as the deputy administrator of Flushing Meadows Corona Park, before being promoted to Northeast Queens parks administrator in 2015. Matt enjoys spending time outdoors & the opportunity to impact his park district with strong leadership, forward-thinking initiatives, and creative programming.

For more information or questions, please email relzinga@cityparksfoundation.org.