PRESS RELEASE 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Saturday, April 21, 2012 

CONTACT: Gloria Chan, (415) 554-6926, gloria.chan@sfdpw.org

CITY CELEBRATES EARTH DAY WITH VOLUNTEER PROJECTS 

Clean Team to clean and green neighborhoods throughout the Tenderloin, SoMa, and Civic Center

SAN FRANCISCO, CA – In honor of Earth Day and National Volunteer Month, Mayor Edwin Lee, District Six Supervisor Jane Kim, the Department of Public Works, City agencies, and Community Clean Team, a citywide volunteer program, kicked off the third neighborhood cleanup event of 2012 on Saturday, April 21. Over 200 volunteers cleaned, beautified and restored neighborhoods in District Six including the Tenderloin, South of Market and Civic Center areas through activities such as landscaping and gardening projects, graffiti removal, public space and park restoration, and litter pickup.

“Earth Day is another reminder to keep our neighborhoods and our City clean and green,” said Mayor Edwin M. Lee. “This Earth Day, volunteers are demonstrating their commitment and stewardship for the environment and our communities through hard work and pride.”

In the spirit of Earth Day, the Department of Environment was on hand to provide information on sustainable living. Recology donated free compost at Fulton Street and Hyde Street near U.N. Plaza and through DPW’s partnership with the Clean City Coalition and Recology, residents living in Districts 6 properly disposed of unwanted household bulky items for free at Recology Golden Gate’s 7th Street facility. The Please Touch Community Garden also came to speak about the power of community gardens to change the urban landscape and provided opportunities for volunteers to exercise their green thumbs.

“As we celebrate Earth Day, we are reminded of the importance of caring and preserving our environment,,” said District 6 Supervisor Jane Kim, “The amount of work we accomplish together today is a testament to this community; one that I am extremely proud to represent.”

At the kickoff event, Mayor Edwin M. Lee and District 6 Supervisor Jane Kim paid a visit to inspire volunteers and engage with community members. Volunteers worked in 15 teams that included activities such as weeding landscaping, painting over graffiti, tree basin cleaning, and sweeping up litter along various locations in District Six including Hubbell at 7th and 16th Streets, 7th and Hooper, Geary, Golden Gate Avenue, Post, and Ellis Streets, 8th-10th Streets, Leavenworth & Jones, 5th & Clementina Streets, 16th & 8th (Showplace Square), Division, the Please Touch Community Garden on Grove near Van Ness, the Margaret Hayward Playground, and along Harrison between 6th & 7th Streets.

Volunteers worked until noon and were provided lunch and entertainment.

“Community Clean Team is a wonderful opportunity to bring volunteers, City agencies, businesses, and neighborhood organizations together to steward cleaning and greening activities in the community,” Mohammed Nuru, Director of the Department of Public Works. “This partnership with volunteers allows Public Works to maintain vital cleaning and greening services; while ensuring we continue to help make San Francisco a beautiful, vibrant, and sustainable city.”

DPW partnered with Hilton, Emerald Fund, Walgreens, Luxor Cabs, Recology, PG&E, Clean City, Academy of Art University, Local 261, Luxor Cab, Starbucks, San Francisco Housing Authority, SF Environment, San Francisco Parks Alliance, SF Unified School District, SF Recreation and Park Dept, and many others in addition to support from District 6 Supervisor Jane Kim and the Office of Mayor Ed Lee.

"I am pleased to represent the Please Touch Community Garden at this Earth Day event,” said Robert Joyce, Resource Coordinator of the Please Touch Community Garden, “and I welcome this opportunity to celebrate urban agriculture solutions that offer a healthy, vibrant transformation of marginalized spaces within our city."

April is also National Volunteer Month and the Community Clean Team event is one of six DPW supported volunteer opportunities this month including a large event next Saturday, April 28 with Starbucks. There are also eight Community Clean Team events in 2012. The remaining five events are organized on Saturdays on the following dates: May 19 (Public Works Week), June 9 (Summer Clean-Up), July 14 (Summer Youth Clean-Up), September 15 (Coastal Clean-Up), October 13 (Fleet Week). People can sign up to volunteer by emailing volunteer@sfdpw.org or calling (415) 641-2600 and 3-1-1. For more information, please visit www.sfdpw.org/earthday.

DPW is responsible for the care and maintenance of San Francisco’s streets and much of its infrastructure. The department cleans and resurfaces streets; plants and maintains City street trees; designs, constructs and maintains city-owned facilities; inspects streets and sidewalks; constructs curb ramps; removes graffiti from public property; and partners with the diverse neighborhoods in San Francisco to provide stellar cleaning and greening services.

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