Neighbors come out to help neighbors in New London
New London — Residents in the Freedom Trail neighborhood of New London have performed cleanups in the past, picking up garbage and working to beautify an area marred by blight.
Saturday’s cleanup, in the neighborhoods surrounding Hempstead Street, was something more.
Dozens of volunteers met early Saturday morning to coordinate what city employee Judi Cox said was a targeted effort to support the neighbors and “let them know we care.”
Roads were closed down as groups picked up garbage, tore out overgrown weeds, pruned, cut and mulched islands that in other places might be maintained by the city. One crew of volunteers roamed the neighborhoods on Mountain Avenue, Garvin, Hope and Home streets, heaving mattresses, tires and other bulky waste items into the bed of a pickup. The items filled two Dumpsters parked on Home Street by Serluca Dumpster and Land Service. The city no longer has free bulk waste pickups but had agreed to empty the Dumpsters.
“We’re trying to take care of our neighborhood,” Home Street resident Lisa Cygan said between pulling weeds and digging a hole for a roadside hosta plant.
“The more community we can create," she said, "the better life is for people.”
The Neighbors Helping Neighbors Day was a joint effort by the city, United Way of Southeastern Connecticut and Freedom Trail Neighborhood Association as part of the United Way’s Day of Caring. The Freedom Trail group was formed in 1996 by families from 13 different neighborhoods, to tackle crime and blight in the area and has continued beautification efforts.
Cox, the city’s housing and community outreach coordinator, had contacted neighbors ahead of time to ask about bulky waste items and surveyed people about which homes might need some repairs. She said the focus was on seniors and low-income households.
Contractors were enlisted to adopt a home and perform free home repairs for those in need. A crew from Yankee Remodeler worked on a rotted deck on Mountain Avenue. The Window People visited a home at 34 Mercer St., where owner Winifred Bellefluer was ecstatic.
“This is a great program for somebody that is retired and low income and doesn’t have anybody around with a tool belt,” Bellefluer said. “It’s nice to see people coming together like this. It says a lot about New London.”
Bellefluer said contractors, a father and son team, were working to repair a rotted door jamb, clean her gutter and perform some repairs to rotted steps on her back deck.
Meanwhile, Shineika Fareus joined with 9-year-olds Jordynn Fitch and Joshua Moore, to help fill 5-gallon buckets with litter.
“I’m trying to help the community,” Moore said.
Among the volunteers on Saturday was Kathleen Barrett, a member of the Freedom Trail Association, who said the effort to clean up the area received a boost last month when the city was awarded a $615,000 grant to cleanup the contaminated vacant parcel at 43 Hempstead St., at the corner of Home Street.
The city, which purchased the property from Shiloh Development Corporation in 2020, is spending about $123,000 to match the federal grant with plans to turn it into a neighborhood park.
For residents looking to organize a neighborhood cleanup, contact Keishla Moro-Santos at (860) 437-6394 or (860) 710-8647.
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