BLOOMFIELD, NJ -- More than 500 Bloomfield residents came together on Saturday for a day of volunteering to help further beautify the township. Mayor Venezia as well as members of the Town Council participated in the town-wide cleanup of neighborhoods in more than 70 locations throughout Bloomfield.
“What makes Bloomfield such a special place to live is our incredible neighbors and their willingness to come out for a day of giving back to our community speaks to that,” said Mayor Venezia. “I would like to thank our terrific volunteers in addition to the Bloomfield DPW, Beautification Committee and Division of Public Safety for helping us to make this day possible.”
“Last year, my daughter and I participated in Cleanup Day and she shared how great it felt to clean up our neighborhood,” said Candice Besson, who participated in the event with her daughter and other members of their Girl Scout troop at Clark's Pond. “This year, we are joined by members of her Girl Scout Troop 20342 hoping to make a bigger impact.”
The Bloomfield DPW provided all materials to the volunteers, including gloves, containers, masks, garbage pickers, bags and picked up materials, filled bags, and debris at the end of the cleanup.
“Events such as our town-wide cleanups are fantastic opportunities to both beautify and unify our community as we come together to help keep our neighborhoods clean,” said Councilwoman and liaison to the Beautification Committee, Jenny Mundell. “I am grateful that so many residents came out for this event and I am pleased that we were able to accomplish so much in one morning.”
While some residents gathered as individuals, many joined with community organizations to participate in the event. Some of these groups included multiple Girl Scout troops, Boy Scouts Troop 22, Bloomfield College, UNICO, Neighbor to Neighbor Network, Kiwanis of Bloomfield and Glen Ridge, the Bloomfield High School Key Club, and Bloomfield Middle School Builders Club, and Student Council.
“In my role as Board President for Neighbor to Neighbor Network (NTNN) - the volunteer arm of Bloomfield’s Department of Health and Human Services - I feel that it’s essential for Bloomfield residents to come together to show the pride we take in keeping our community clean,” said Rodney Cauthen, who joined other volunteers for the cleanup at Staples Plaza off of Bloomfield Avenue. “As a resident of nearly 17 years, I’ve been able to see firsthand how important volunteerism is and I’m glad that members of NTNN can participate in this wonderful project.”
“As educators it is so important to help students understand not only the importance of education but also the importance of a community,” said Gerard Roberto, Bloomfield Middle School Social Studies/Special Education teacher, who helped organize students to participate. “My fellow advisor (Erica Luongo), the student council, Builders Club, and I jumped on the opportunity to not only help make Bloomfield more beautiful but to do it as a community.”
To learn more about opportunities to get involved, sign up for the township of Bloomfield E-Buzz here.
