SAYA Youth Volunteer in Jackson Heights

On August 19th, 18 SAYA youth volunteered to help brighten an important new part of their community. With the onset of the pandemic, many neighborhoods in the heart of Queens and the small businesses that flourished there have been hit especially hard. In order to help those struggling, Council Member Daniel Dromm and the New York City Department of Transportation recently created a pedestrian-friendly, shared community space on 37th Road, directly across from Diversity Plaza - a designated area that provides space for residents and regularly hosts community events. This new communal street seating was recently installed and is an opportunity to help the businesses located there in this difficult time by encouraging new visitors.

Working with the Friends of Diversity Plaza, a small group of volunteers who care for the Plaza and organize the many events held there, our youth came together to paint this new seating with unique designs and original art under the guidance of lead artist Nitin Mukul. This is what one SAYA youth had to say about their experience:

“I loved volunteering with SAYA to support my community during these difficult times. I had a great time safely interacting with other students to work on this project together. The painting process was fun, I'm glad I could participate in such an amazing initiative!”

All of us at SAYA are so proud of our young people’s dedication to helping their community. We hope you will be able to visit the new seating area and Diversity Plaza soon to see our youth’s beautiful work!