Greater & Greener Gives Back!
At each Greater & Greener conference, attendees, and local organizations come together for Volunteer Service Day, an opportunity to make a difference in a city park in the conference host city.
Volunteer Service Day 2024
T.T. Minor Playground, Seattle
Lend a hand in making a lasting difference for children of all ages at the T.T. Minor Playground during Greater & Greener’s Volunteer Service Day.
T.T. Minor Playground, which includes a children’s play area, a sports field, and a jogging/walking path, is a small neighborhood park in a highly dense community. Nearly 14,800 people live within a 10-minute walk of the park, and 1,735 of those residents are under the age of 21. The park is adjacent to the Seattle World School, a culturally and linguistically diverse school for newcomer secondary students ages 11-20. The students represent nearly 30 countries and speak almost 40 different languages.
Seattle Public Schools owns the site, but it is maintained and operated by Seattle Parks and Recreation, representing a true example of the “One Seattle” approach to parks and open space. T.T. Minor Playground was one of the first projects for the City’s “Grey to Green Initiative,” a program charging the Parks Department to convert asphalt surfaces to green space for park use at selected school sites throughout the city.
The park was renovated in 1999, and the play equipment is over 20 years old. Greater & Greener’s Volunteer Service Day includes a renovation of the play area and other maintenance-related projects. The project will significantly increase the play value for the Capitol Hill community and beyond as the nearby school attracts kids from all over the Seattle region.
LEAD SPONSOR:
Past Volunteer Service Days
Norris Square Park
2022 | Philadelphia
Volunteer Service Day participants upgraded the Norris Square Park playground and surrounding areas. Norris Square Park, a beloved North Philadelphia landmark, builds upon the city’s rich history of public parks. Located in the Kensington area of North Philadelphia, the land for this 5.8-acre square was donated by the family of Isaac Norris to be used as a “public green and walk forever.” The surrounding neighborhood (also called Norris Square) and the park declined in the latter part of the twentieth century as nearby mills and factories closed. Today, dedicated community groups help upkeep the park and retain its historic character.
Lead Sponsor: Landscape Structures, Inc.
St. Charles Place Park, Inc.
2019 | Denver
Volunteer Service Day participants installed new playground equipment and performed general park cleanup at St. Charles Place Park. The project was led by the St. Charles Ambassadors, a volunteer group of youth formed to represent the interest of the Cole community and assist with the redesign of the park.
Lead Sponsor: Landscape Structures, Inc.
Supporting Sponsors: University of Denver, Xcel Energy
Central Village Park
2017 | Saint Paul
Saint Paul Parks & Recreation hosted the 2017 Twin Cities Volunteer Service Day where conference attendees rolled up their sleeves to install new play structures, plant flowers, and spread mulch in Central Village Park in Saint Paul.
Lead Sponsor: Landscape Structures, Inc.
Supporting Sponsor: Greater MSP (Minneapolis Saint Paul Regional Economic Development Partnership)
Mountain Lake, Presidio, Golden Gate National Recreation Area
2015 | San Francisco
Local host partners San Francisco Recreation & Parks, Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy, National Park Service, and Presidio Trust organized a day of clean up and renovation activities including invasive species removal, new plantings, and playground/tennis court clean up at the Presidio.
Lead Sponsor: FedEx
Supporting Sponsor: San Francisco Foundation
East River Park
2012 | New York City
Hosted by our local partners New York City Parks & Recreation and City Parks Foundation, more than 50 volunteers—including a strong showing from the Student Conservation Association—came out to paint fence railings, pull weeds, and rake leaves in Manhattan’s East River Park.
Lead Sponsor: REI
Supporting Sponsor: Con Edison
