Volunteers Needed to Install Community Rain Garden and Paint a Mural

The Northern New Jersey Community Foundation (NNJCF) is seeking volunteers to install a community rain garden and paint a community mural at Boost the Block Goes Green on Saturday, June 1, with the rain date scheduled for June 8. The event takes place at Hackensack High School, located at 135 First St. in Hackensack, New Jersey.

Volunteers are needed to help with the following activities:

• Work with landscape artist Dave Chalek, owner of Sprout Farms and Gardens, to plant or move plants. No gardening experience is needed.
• Provide information about green infrastructure or environmental justice. Volunteers will be provided with the details to disseminate to the public.
• Assist artist Amrisa Niranjan with painting a mural.
• Support other volunteers.
• Take photos.

The installation of the rain garden will take place from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and the painting of the mural will run from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Children under age 14 are welcome to volunteer. They must be accompanied by an older guardian. Volunteers may sign up here to participate in the installation of the rain garden and/or to paint the mural.

The rain garden is produced by the NNJCF and the Hackensack Public Schools. Boost the Block Goes Green is produced by Greater Bergen Community Action, in partnership with the NNJCF. For further information about the rain garden installation and the painting of the mural, contact Leonardo Vazquez at leo@nnjcf.org or 201-568-5608, x2.

Green Infrastructure for Environmental Justice

The development and installation of the rain garden are a part of the NNJCF's Green Infrastructure for Environmental Justice program. The program seeks to reduce flooding and improve environmental conditions for residents in central Hackensack and other parts of the city affected by flooding. M

Donations Appreciated

The NNJCF seeks the public’s support to create and install the rain garden. To date, sponsors of the rain garden include Champion Sponsor Suburban Consulting Engineers and Booster Sponsor The Jefferson/Garden Communities. Funders and supporters of the project include TD Charitable Foundation, M&T Charitable Foundation, The Funders Network, PSE&G, Columbia Bank Foundation and individual donors.

Donations of any size may be made online Contributions may also be sent by check and made out to 'The Northern N.J. Community Foundation', with ‘Hackensack Schools Rain Garden’ entered in the memo line. Send checks to the Northern New Jersey Community Foundation, 1 University Plaza, Suite 128, Hackensack, New Jersey 07601. For further information about the NNJCF, call 201-568-5608 or send an e-mail to nnjcf@nnjcf.org.