Beautification Of Front St Last Week With GRACE Foundation, Natural Resources Protective Association, “Don’t Trash On Me”

Staten Island, NY – Borough President Vito Fossella’s Clean Team and the GRACE Foundation were able to remove 27 bags of litter and debris last week from a portion of Front Street in Stapleton. They were also joined by members of the Natural Resources Protective Association who provided assistance and education for the participants. This partnership supplements the umbrella initiative “Don’t Trash On Me” which the Borough President announced this past Spring. 

“Don’t Trash On Me” brings collaborative attention and effort to the fight in keeping Staten Island clean by encouraging residents to join a cleanup, organize their own, or report locations to our office. This long-term campaign also invites city agencies to work together to improve the standards of excellence in the Staten Island community when it comes to litter. It also complements DA McMahon’s litter efforts around the borough including the removal of illegal signs, graffiti cleanup, litter enforcement, and more. 

Since July, the Clean Team has removed litter from more than 70 locations across Staten Island – including roadways, street corners, sewer grates and residential neighborhoods – and have filled 233 large bags of debris since. Commonly found items include small liquor bottles, soda cans, coffee cups, potato chip bags, straws, bottle caps, and miscellaneous paper. The Clean Team then works with the NYC Department of Sanitation to pick up the bags, and we thank them for being supportive of this effort.

“We hope this partnership inspires other organizations to reach out to our office to work on this initiative together,” said Borough President Fossella. “There is a constant battle to keep Staten Island clean but it is well worthwhile. We want to thank the GRACE Foundation and NRPA for being proactive as they continue to serve our borough, and are pleased they joined our Clean Team today.” 

“We support our community in so many different ways and are proud to be part of the Clean Team, ” said Katherine Modena, Director of Day Hab Programs at The GRACE Foundation of New York. “Our growing Day Hab includes 32 participants always willing to volunteer and support community collaboration for a more inclusive Staten Island. We encourage all of our non-profit friends to be part of this partnership.”

“The GRACE Foundation team is proud to collaborate with The Borough President’s Office and the “Clean Team” Initiative,” said Cathy Del Priore, Executive Director “Part of our growing concern is keeping our participants relevant and empowered with partnerships within our various neighborhoods.  In keeping with the goal of creating opportunities, we thank our constituents for supporting all non-profits across the Island.”

The Clean Team also revealed their new attire so they can be easily recognizable during their travels. We ask all Staten Islanders to keep an eye out for the team and show your support if able. 

Organizations who are interested in a partnership can reach out to one of the office’s litter liaisons. Staten Islanders who participate in cleanups are encouraged to post before and after photos on social media with the hashtag #DontTrashOnMe to be re-posted. If you see an area that needs cleaning, please reach out to our litter liaisons, or report it through the BP Assist App which can be found in the App Store and Google Play. 

Before the cleanup

BP Fossella’s Litter Team

Litter cleanup truck

Litter cleanup crew

Picking up litter

Litter liaisons:

Tiffany Arguello at 718-816-2069 or [email protected]

Zsakee Lewis at 718-816-2147 or [email protected]

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All Images: Litter cleanup on Front Street. Images Credit – BP Fossella

BP Vito Fossella

The Office of the Borough President has a responsibility to advocate for the entire Borough of Staten Island and all its residents, and represents the Borough's interests within City government. The Borough President communicates directly with the Mayor and the City Council to emphasize Staten Island’s budget priorities. In addition, the Borough President is responsible for reviewing major land use decisions and proposing sites for city facilities within the Borough. As the chair of the Borough Board, the Borough President leads Staten Island’s City Council delegation and Community Board chairs in the process of reviewing and approving the transfer of public properties to private use. The Borough President’s Office houses the Borough's Topographical Bureau, which maintains the borough’s official maps and assigns street addresses. The Borough President monitors the delivery of city services on Staten Island, and acts as a liaison between residents and city agencies when problems arise to devise solutions. The Borough President is also responsible for appointing one member to the Panel for Educational Policy and one member to the City Planning Commission, as well as some 150 members to Staten Island’s three community boards.