Community Service Projects

Gardening

FYI maintains its own garden at one of our local elementary schools, P.S.128, located on 169th Street and Broadway. At this garden we have planted squash, carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes, strawberries, lettuce, and onions. The lettuce and carrots were given to clients at our food pantry and the rest of the produce has been donated to community members and our participants. Along with working in our own garden, we also do service at other community gardens including the Harris Garden, Jenny's Garden, Brotherhood Sister Sol` Garden, Dyckman Farmhouse, and Alianza Dominicana's Garden.

Painting Mailboxes & Mural Painting

Prompt graffiti removal sends a signal to the community and to taggers that graffiti is not tolerated and that someone is looking out for the neighborhood. At the same time, FYI recognizes the importance and benefit of street art and has created many colorful murals with positive social messages all around Washington Heights and Inwood. These projects encourage FYI youth to take pride in their environment and to be active participants in engineering positive change which benefits everyone.

Operation PB&J

All of our youth receive a home-made supper upon arrival at FYI – we love providing this meal in our cozy café and we know that learning happens best when one is properly nourished. FYI’s Operation PB&J gives our youth the chance to share this understanding with people in need ; our participants prepare, pack, and distribute sandwiches around Washington Heights and NYC. Often we combine this project with the Sleeping Bags project and distribute the sandwiches with the sleeping bags.

Park Clean Up

Public parks are important meeting places and social outlets for young and old alike. If our local parks are dirty and uncared for, then our neighbors are unable to socialize and enjoy the outdoors in a safe and pleasant way. At FYI, we keep the community parks clean for ourselves and our neighbors.

Sleeping Bags Project

FYI has been making and distributing sleeping bags for the homeless in NYC since 1995. The bags, hand- made from fleece, are packed with "I Care Kits" – basic toiletries. When each bag is finished, the youth make a wish and roll it into the bag. The bags are then distributed to the homeless population in Manhattan. This program year, FYI participants, staff and friends of the organization, made and distributed 110 bags. View our Sleeping Bag Manual!