Change You Can See

When it came to planning this year’s 1Day, the Bridge Events Team reached out to dozens of local organizations, businesses and other churches, asking how volunteers could lend a hand. The result is a still-growing list of nearly 25 projects that reach every corner of Hoboken.

There are projects for all ages and skill sets. After meeting at 301 Garden St. at 10 a.m. on Saturday, September 30th, volunteers will disperse across the city. Some will prep and cook a meal at the Hoboken Shelter, while others will do some cleaning at St. Matthew’s Lunchtime Ministry, help True Mentors with an organization project or spruce up a few of the city’s local parks.

In addition, many of this year’s volunteers – nearly 100, in fact – will work with the Hoboken Housing Authority, focusing on 11 projects in six different buildings. The projects include painting community rooms and railings, touching up doors and hallways, office cleaning and groundskeeping. And while such tasks may seem small, they make a huge difference for the staff and residents and save the Housing Authority thousands of dollars.

“In this time of drastically shrinking federal assistance for housing, these are areas that are difficult for us to find adequate funds to address,” said Marc Recko, the Housing Authority’s executive director. “Yet a clean hallway, a freshly painted community room and freshly painted railings can mean so much for the quality of life for HHA residents.”

Mr. Recko says one of the things he’s most looking forward to is seeing a fresh coat of paint in the Housing Authority’s community rooms. That includes the one at 221 Jackson St., where the Community Dinner is held each month.

“These rooms are often the focal point of activity for our residents, and are well overdue for a sprucing up,” he said.

And the fact that all 11 projects will be tackled in one day? It’s change you can see, said Mr. Recko. From cleaner grounds to fresh paint, residents will notice the change from one day to the next.

“It shows that the Hoboken community cares,” he added.

At its core, that’s what 1Day is all about – showing up for your neighbors and showing them you care. It’s a day completely devoted to service, and seeing just how much we can accomplish together.

If you haven’t signed up yet, we still need volunteers! Invite your friends and family, then register here. We can’t wait to see how much we can accomplish in just one day!

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