Some 25 NEFCU Cares volunteers rolled up their sleeves to lend a hand at the Teatro Yervavruja Downtown Performing Arts Center in Central Islip, NY.
The weekend project, part of the credit union's partnership with Sustainable Long Island to help beautify community areas and support various environmental inititatives, was timed to help prepare for an upcoming Hispanic Parade.
The grounds were in need of some sprucing. Volunteers took the lead in repainting murals, maintaiining the center's rain garden and community garden. Vegetables were planted in the community garden and the kids' play area and performance stage were repainted in preparation for the parade and other upcoming festivities. The center's community garden provides fresh produce to neighboring families.
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"These planting and beautification efforts will help further empower our local communities to be more environmentally sustainable, and help contribute to the continuing revitalization of a number of communities," Valerie Garguilo, vice president of marketing and community relations for NEFCU said. "All these projects add to betterment of the community and Long Island as a whole. We're proud to provide volunteer time and financial resources to these, literally, grassroots programs."
Reducing rainwater runoff is of particular importance to Long Islanders given the island gets its water from underground aquifers. The Westbury-based credit union donated $15,000 last month to Sustainable Long Island to help fund environmental programs in Nassau and Suffolk Counties.
"Communities greatly benefit from environmental programs that empower local residents with resources to build a sustainable future," Ann Fangmann, executive director, Sustainable Long Island said. "Our partnership with NEFCU will not only support community based projects, but offer meaningful opportunities for environmental stewardship through educational programming and volunteer work."
NEFCU Cares volunteers will next take on a beautification project with Sustainable Long Island in mid June at Cove Animal Rescue.
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