Newark, New Jersey, USA – Throughout this USA project RYS partnered with numerous non-profit and government organizations including: Greater Newark Conservancy (landscaping), The Boys & Girls Club (playground renovations, outdoor mural, area clean-up, equipment donations, peace garden), Newark Housing Authority (Wynona Lipman Gardens landscaping), Newark Now (Super Summer), and WISOMMM (Women In Support of the Million Man March). Participants dedicated time to street/sidewalk clean up (Olivier Street area, Broad Street area, Avon Avenue area), filling over 50 trash bags, totaling over 2000 gallons of trash.
Under the supervision of a professional mosaic artist (Lois Ramunni), particapants completed three peace/diversity mosaics that were donated to the City of Newark. The mosaics were unveiled at a ceremony at City Hall and were hung at the Boylan and Rotunda Recreation Centers, and in the WISOMMM Cultural Center. The mosaics portrayed the City of Newark’s commitment to peace, harmony, diversity, and its hope to bring love and healing to all its residents.
The focus of this service project was to set precedence for future innovative community development initiatives in the United States. The vision of RYS, in conjunction with USPP (United Service Projects for Peace), is to address both national and international concerns by transcending perceived barriers and developing a unified community concerned with the welfare of the one human family.
Participants and staff also attended a Community Memorial Healing Vigil, The Fresh Anointing International Church, Spiritual Unity Day, and Community Neighborhood Concert Series (in Newark, NJ).
August 10-19, 2007