Stella Wilson, Lauren Heil-Wilson, Cecilia Wilson and Brooks Landy participate in a Hands On Neighborhoods cleanup program last year in Jamestown. Submitted photo

Season two of a grassroots cleanup program will start next month.

The Hands On Neighborhoods program will be returning to Jamestown with three cleanup events planned between May and October.

The Chautauqua County Land Bank Corp., in partnership with the city of Jamestown and the Jamestown Renaissance Corp., are continuing to build a coalition of public, private and nonprofit volunteers who come together to help beautify neighborhoods in the city.

The first 2022 cleanup event will be held from 8 a.m. to noon Saturday, May 21. Community members and neighborhood residents are encouraged to register to volunteer for the Downtown Jamestown and Greater Jamestown Riverwalk cleanup event, which is replicating the Hands On Jamestown events of past years.

Volunteers will be provided T-shirts, masks and gloves and are encouraged to bring rakes or brooms if they have them, though tools will be supplied as needed. An information table will be available to share program and resource information to residents on various homeownership, city of Jamestown grant programs, healthy housing and community health topics. Pre-registration is encouraged at chqlandbank.org/handson and volunteers can register for one or more of the event dates.

“We are thrilled to kick off our second season of Hands On Neighborhoods in partnership with the city of Jamestown and really hope that residents of the neighborhoods will come out with us to help clean up the streets, and talk with us about their hopes and concerns for their blocks,” said Gina Paradis, land bank executive director. “Our intention is to be present with them, build a sense of community, share resources and empower them to work together to strengthen their neighborhoods.”

Last year during the program’s pilot year, seven cleanup events were held in Jamestown neighborhoods. Paradis said one lesson learned during the first year is there should be fewer cleanup events in Jamestown.

“It was an aggressive schedule to try and do seven events with our small group,” she said. “It was a challenge to find volunteers for all the events.”

Paradis said there will be fewer cleanup events this year, but each will be large and encompass more neighborhoods in the city.

Funding for the 2022 Hands On Neighborhoods Jamestown cleanup events is provided by the city’s Community Development Block Grant through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

“This is a terrific way for members of our community to unite around the new vision for our city, to make a positive impact and show each other the pride we have in and love we have for our city”, said Jamestown Mayor Eddie Sundquist.

Crystal Surdyk, city development director said the vision for the program is to build a shared sense of trust, foster civic pride and spark citizen action by hosting a series of cleanup events where city staff and community members can come together in a spirit of collaboration to improve the quality of life in our neighborhoods.

Paradis said the Hands On Neighborhoods program was such a success in Jamestown during its first year that it will be expanded into the Dunkirk area this summer.

Sponsorship opportunities are available for the cleanup events. Interested parties or businesses should contact the Department of Development at 716-483-7541 or the Land Bank at 716-969-7843 for more information.

For more information or to volunteer, visit the land bank’s website or Facebook page or the city of Jamestown Department of Development’s Facebook page.