Are you a park volunteer or supporter in the Bronx? Come to this workshop to meet other community members caring for local parks, and hear about the amazing work park groups are doing across the Bronx!

You will learn about ways to spruce up your neighborhood park, get funding, work with NYC Parks staff in your borough, and more. Enjoy a free dinner as you mingle and get plugged into the larger network of park volunteers & staff in your borough.

Topics Include:

• Navigating NYC Parks and the many resources available to you
• Updates on how to apply for special event and field permits
• How to speak “Parkie”, a guide to the common idioms and acronyms to know as a park volunteer
• Guidance and inspiration from other active community leaders in the Bronx

Featured Speakers: 

• Michelle Young, Bronx Permit Coordinator, NYC Parks

Michelle Young has worked with the Permits Office of NYC Parks for over 10 years. As the Bronx permit coordinator, her primary duties include coordinating permits for athletic fields and assisting the special event permit coordinators. Her favorite part about this job is being able to assist communities in the Bronx in utilizing their parkland to the fullest! 

• Cathy Mitchell, Deputy Center Manager at West Bronx Recreation Center, NYC Parks

Cathy Mitchell has been a devoted NYC Parks employee for over 35 years, currently serving as the deputy center manager at West Bronx Recreation Center. Additionally, Cathy oversees the borough’s extensive Volunteer Program and coordinates special events for Bronx Recreation. 

• Sonia Colon, Founder, Survivor I Am

Sonia Colon is a community child advocate and the founder of Survivor I Am, a group that seeks to inspire and educate communities in protecting children from adverse childhood experiences. Through their monthly “Take Back the Park” events in Bufano Park, neighbors can engage in important dialogue while children play safely in the park. Sonia believes it takes a village to raise a child and seeks to empower her community to be that village. 

• Debra Travis, Organizer, Jerome Park Friends and Neighbors

Debra Travis is the primary organizer for Jerome Park Friends and Neighbors, a community group formed in the spring of 2017 to tend to the green spaces in and around Jerome Park Reservoir. In just over a year, the group has already received a Capacity Fund Grant, participated in the Partnerships Academy Fellowship Program, and held weekly beautification projects to foster community engagement in the park. 

• Ismael Guzman & Carlos Acosta, Bronx Outreach Coordinators, Partnerships for Parks

Carlos and Ismael are two of the Partnerships for Parks outreach coordinators for the Bronx, acting as the first point of contact for park groups and volunteers in their respective districts. They each work to support and sustain existing community park groups, and to guide new groups by helping them find the appropriate people and resources to transform their green spaces. 

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