Bronx Politicians and Volunteers Mark Earth Day With Street Cleanup

Political leaders and community members in the Bronx marked Earth Day on April 22 with a cleanup of some of the borough’s streets.

Assemblymember Chantel Jackson, representing New York’s 79th District, organized the event with the help of the New York City Department of Sanitation, which provided shovels, trash pickers, and bags.

Jackson posted video on Twitter showing garbage bags piling up as volunteers continued picking up litter at Concourse Village East and East 156th Street in the South Bronx.

“Happy Earth Day! This is what we collected in just 2 hours of our community cleanup. Thank you to all my partners in government and the community for coming out,” Jackson tweeted.

Among those who joined Jackson were Althea Stevens, a candidate for New York City Council District 16, and State Senator Luis Sepúlveda, who thanked Jackson for bringing the “community together for this important cause.”

“This is our neighborhood. No one’s going to take care of it like us,” Sepúlveda told volunteers.

Jackson also scheduled a cleanup of another area, around St Paul’s Place and Park Avenue in Claremont Village, for Saturday, April 24. Credit: Chantel Jackson, LMSW via Storyful