Sustaible South Bronx and Action team up for post Sandy cleanup

The aftermath of Hurricane Sandy is unfortunately still an issue for many New Yorkers and many New York businesses. Even though we consider ourselves lucky our largest facility on 132^nd St in the Bronx was hit by Sandy. Our transfer station is located right on the East River so the building was flooded by water and debris. We were able to get our transfer station up and running almost immediately but there was still a major clean up needed.

We contacted the Sustainable South Bronx, an organization that began out of a desire to advocate for parks and green development in the South Bronx and to promote environmental justice within the neighborhood, to help us restore the East River coast line at 132^nd St.

“SSBx’s work has evolved over the past decade and now reflects the belief that the environmental challenges facing the South Bronx cannot be separated from the neighborhood’s economic and social concerns. The South Bronx is part of New York’s 16th Congressional District, the poorest urban congressional district in the nation. Forty-seven percent of South Bronx residents live at or below the poverty line. The unemployment rate is 27 percent and many individuals work in the informal sector. Only thirty percent of the neighborhood’s adults have a high school diploma.

Today, the mission of SSBx is to address economic and environmental issues in the South Bronx – and throughout New York City – through a combination of green job training, community greening programs, and social enterprise. Over the last ten years, SSBx has broadened its focus by linking environmental restoration to the economic needs of low-income New Yorkers who are seeking a fresh start.”

Six individuals who are alumni of the B.E.S.T Academy (The Bronx Environmental Stewardship Training), a program dedicated to preparing low-income New York City residents for jobs in the growing green collar sector came to our facilities for the cleanup. For a total of seven days they cleaned the shore line removing debris from newspaper to wreckage.

We are not only proud to work with the Sustainable South Bronx but delighted by what a wonderful job they have done. We thank the organization in general and those individuals who came for the clean-up.