Though it certainly doesn’t feel like it, spring has arrived in
Boston. In just more than three weeks, Mayor Thomas M. Menino will
kick off the 11th Annual Boston Shines Citywide Neighborhood Clean
Up and Community Service Volunteer Program. During the weekend of
April 26-27, thousands of volunteers across all Boston neighborhoods
will come together to volunteer in the City’s public spaces. Several
new projects are being planned for this year, and volunteers are
needed in all areas of the City.
“Boston Shines is a great way for residents and local businesses to
give back to their community,” Mayor Menino said. “Our goal this
year is to have more
volunteers, repaint more crosswalks, repair more signs, and plant
more flowers than ever before to get our City ready for the spring
and summer.”
Organized by the Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Services, the Boston
Shines 365 Program provides individuals and neighborhood groups with
tools and
materials to clean parks, recreational spaces and business districts
in order to prepare Boston for the spring and summer.
Last year’s landmark 10th Anniversary of Boston Shines saw a
record-breaking 6,506 volunteers, comprising 329 groups,
volunteering in 806 project sites citywide. The Boston
Transportation Department removed 19 abandoned cars, repainted 340
crosswalks, and
repaired/replaced 361 signs. The Public Works Department removed 92
tons of debris from the various project sites.
The Office of Neighborhood Services
was able to provide more than 800 flowers to groups across the
neighborhoods for planting. Major park cleanups were
coordinated by the Parks Department at the Boston Common, Franklin
Park, Dorchester Park, and the East Boston Greenway. The event
involved a dozen City
departments and partners from many State agencies as well as several
dozen private institutional partners.
Planning for this year’s program is well underway. Individuals and
groups can register online at the Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood
Services website: http://www.cityofboston.gov/ons/bostonshi
nes/2013.asp. You can find out more information and ways to get
involved by calling the Office of Neighborhood Services at
617-635-3485, or the Mayor’s
24 Hour Hotline (617-635-4500) on weekends and after-hours. This
year, the City will ask volunteer groups to submit their photos and
stories via social media
using #BostonShines.
