52 THE QUEENS COURIER • BUZZ • NOVEMBER 23, 2017 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
buzz
Jamaica resident starts nonprofi t to
revitalize comm unities with little resources
BY EMILY DAVENPORT
edavenport@qns.com /@QNS
Being surrounded by concrete and
smog, it can take its toll on the environment.
Th ere are many neighborhoods in
Queens that may not have the resources
to improve the community’s condition.
However, Alicia White wasn’t going to
let that happen.
A native of Jamaica, White remembers
not having access to the kinds of community
development and environmental
programs that other neighborhoods had.
White started Project Petals in 2014 not
only as a way to give back to the community
that she grew up in, but to help other communities
around the city that are in need.
“In my area growing up we had a lack
of resources for community development
and aft er-school programs,” said White.
“I wanted to create programs and services
that I wish were available to me growing
up, but also resources that would help my
community in Queens overall.”
Project Petals is a community development
and an environmental organization
that focuses on revitalizing underserved,
low-income and under-resourced communities.
Th rough providing educational
workshops, partnerships and supplying
resources, Project Petals has been a vital
tool in creating programs that work with
communities in Queens to help them bring
awareness to environmental and urban
degradation issues that stunt development.
In addition to creating programs for
the betterment of the communities she
serves, White has also aimed to serve the
youth of the community through the creation
of the Project Petals Youth Builders
Program, which was launched earlier
this year. Th rough the Young Builders
Program, kids from fi ft h grade through
twelft h grade are connected to architects,
urban planners, engineers, and designers
through educational workshops so that
they can attain better futures and leadership
skills.
“Th e program prepares young people
for careers that are needed to develop
communities and make them more sustainable
in addition to helping youth in
my area mobilize through service to create
a lasting impact.” said White.
Within the last year, Project Petals has
grown locally into Harlem and internationally
to Uganda. Despite this tremendous
growth, White doesn’t plan on stopping
there.
“I plan on expanding Project Petals
throughout NYC in the next year, specifi
cally Brooklyn and the Bronx,” said
White. “I also hope to take on more international
projects in the next year as well.”
Th ose who are looking to volunteer for
Project Petals can sign up at www.projectpetals.
org/get-involved/. For more
information, visit projectpetals.org or follow
them on Facebook (Project Petals),
Twitter (@projectpetals) or Instagram (@
projectpetals).
Photos courtesy of Alicia White