On Sunday, September 15, 2024, more than 50 ASEZ volunteers cleaned along Paterson’s Warren Street and Keen Street to promote a clean and safe community. The cleanup is part of a social welfare initiative entitled “Reduce Crime Together,” which university students are carrying out worldwide. With this in mind, ASEZ volunteers took to the streets of Paterson to promote peace and happiness in the community, as well as concern for their neighbors.
Cleaning Paterson with the Love of a Mother
In total, the volunteers collected over 40 bags of trash. They made piles of discarded household furniture, such as couches and mattresses, to be collected by the Department of Public Works. Volunteers, who came from various parts of New Jersey, including Ridgewood, Wayne, Dumont, and Cranford, considered this community their own. With the heart of a mother, they contributed to establishing a safe environment to “reduce crime together.”
Bergen County Community College student Jonathan Blanco has been joining cleanups with ASEZ since he was in high school. He expressed, “I’m happy to have ASEZ as a platform to set a good example as a young adult in the community, especially now that I’m in college. We, as ASEZ volunteers, want to continue to build good relationships with towns such as Paterson and help in any way that we can.”
Past Cleanups at Paterson’s Parks
Over the years, ASEZ students have carried out other cleanups in Paterson, including at Wrigley Park and Roberto Clemente Park. Volunteers from various universities collected 50 bags of trash at Wrigley Park and 500 at Roberto Clemente Park.
ASEZ volunteers will continue to help their neighbors in need. Student volunteers will do their part to make a positive impact so that no community feels neglected. To view more ASEZ volunteer events in New Jersey, please click here.
