Before and After

Before 

After 

After yesterdays posting highlighting the positive efforts in Newburgh, it is with pleasure we present to you another great community effort to clean up parts of the City. Mothers and Others for a Better Newburgh (MO’Betta) and Mothers for Upward Movement (MUM) partnered with the City of Newburgh Department of Public Works (DPW) to clean up the back half of a city-owned vacant lot located at Johnston St. and Broadway on Mothers Day weekend.

Between the three organizations they removed large debris, cut overgrown trees and grass. They also picked up and bagged smaller garbage, raked cut grass, and sorted recyclable items that had been dumped on the site. What is left now is a clean lot that looks safe and is no longer an eyesore to the community.

Ariyike Diggs, co-founder and board member of MO’Betta said,“We believe the key to changing the City of Newburgh is a willingness on the part of all groups and parties to abandon preconceived notions, set aside differences and work together towards a common goal, and we hope this partnership is the first of many such collaborations.”

Mothers and Others for a Better Newburgh is a research-based organization that aims to use data and communications to help raise the standard at which the City of Newburgh operates for the betterment of the citizens of Newburgh and the community as a whole. The group can be reached on Facebook or at mobettanewburgh@gmail.com. For more information, contact Merridith Ingram at (845) 674-3103.

Mothers for Upward Movement (MUM) is a group of mothers who have come together to try to improve the quality of life for the youth of Newburgh through nurturing, caring, and education. For more information on MUM, call (845)-787-0569.

If you have your own project that you would like to share, feel free to email me with before and after photos at NewburghRestoration{at}gmail{dot}com. It doesn’t have to be anything of a large scale or some expensive contruction project. It could be as simple as sharing the new flowers you have planted on your front porch. Showcasing everyone’s efforts shows how much of a desirable place Newburgh can be!

Now that Polonia is no longer in charge of the Foundry Condominiums down on Johnes Street, it is up to tenants to upkeep the grounds. The building was an iron foundry that housed four different businesses in the late 1800’s. Now the Foundry is a complex of lofts and apartments, whose owners take pride in their residence. Proof of their pride was shown in the work done on April 24th to beautify the grounds by mulching, planting, and cleaning up.

Unit owners, board members and tenants all worked together to improve the community plus add curb appeal. Rachel Andrews and Roy Spells, President and Vice President of The Foundry Board of Managers respectively, were encouraged by the sense of commitment toward the community that was present in the owners and tenants who came to roll up their sleeves. They also considered local business, Mary’s Cheesecake Headquarters, when purchasing snacks and goodies to feed volunteers….giving back to the community by buying locally, I love it! If a couple of houses on each block would take the time to clean up and maintain their residences, the quality of life on each block could change greatly. It takes small steps first to start change. Why not try getting some of your neighbors together and try something similar? Enjoy the rest of the photos. Thank you Rachel!