People participating in the Hands On Neighborhoods program in May during a clean up of the downtown business district in Jamestown. Submitted photo

A new grassroots community clean up program is nearly halfway through its first year.

The fourth of seven Hands On Neighborhoods community cleanups will take place Saturday, July 17, around North Main to Washington streets between 12th and 18th streets. The community cleanup program take place once a month on Saturday mornings from 8 a.m. to noon.

The Hands On Neighborhoods program was developed by the Chautauqua County Land Bank Corp. in collaboration with the city of Jamestown, Jamestown Renaissance Corp. and Zion Covenant Church.

Program sponsors include Lakeshore Savings Bank and Chautauqua County Industrial Development Agency, in addition to the Jamestown Tarp Skunks, ERA Real Estate and the Jim Cama family.

“We’re still looking to recruit volunteers,” Gina Paradis, land bank executive director, said last month. “We want more people on board to plan and execute events.”

Paradis said the new program strives to lift neighborhoods by bringing community members together to lend a helping hand. Community members and neighborhood residents are invited to give back to their city, come together and learn more about housing resources available in the city.

At each cleanup, volunteers have access to an informational booth filled with free resources from local organizations.

Volunteers are encouraged to preregister for an upcoming event by visiting the land bank website at CHQLandbank.org/HandsOn. Walk-in volunteers are also welcome. Details are updated on the website and the Facebook event page.

Donations and sponsorships are needed and appreciated. For more information on how to support the program, contact the land bank at 969-7843.