Thursday, August 25, 2022

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Philadelphia, PA — The Intl. WeLoveU Foundation (WeLoveU) and State Representative Jared Solomon hosted a Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for the new WeLoveU Park in Northeast Philadelphia. Prior to the revitalization project, the space was vacant for nearly a century and was victim to overgrown weeds and illegal dumping. After receiving the Greenways Grant from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to help fund the project, the WeLoveU volunteers rolled up their sleeves and began transforming the vacant lot into a green space for the community.

“Parks and green spaces have an enormously positive impact on our community,” said State Representative Jared Solomon. “It is amazing how far this project has come as a result of us working together. I thank WeLoveU for their help with this and look forward to continuing to work with them to make our neighborhoods a cleaner, better place for everyone.” 

According to the city’s official government website, there are approximately 40,000 vacant lots in Philadelphia, most of which become an eyesore for the community and a home for litter. A new study, conducted by Columbia University’s School of Public Health, revealed that revitalizing vacant lots into safe green spaces can drastically reduce neighborhood crime by nearly a third. Studies also prove that “cleaning and greening” urban lots in Philadelphia improve the overall mental health of residents.

“We are thrilled to see the new beginning for the WeLoveU Park and our hope is that it brings the community and its residents closer together,” said Duane Ford, Executive Director of WeLoveU. “Families and children have already begun to play and enjoy the new park. Seeing their joy and hearing them express their gratitude for the new green space has been the greatest reward for WeLoveU.”

The once vacant lot, now includes a butterfly sensory path, vegetable garden beds, newly planted flowers, bushes, and more. The effort speaks to WeLoveU’s growing passion for serving the City of Philadelphia and its residents through environmentalism. Since 2017, WeLoveU volunteers carried out numerous cleanups with State Representative Jared Solomon to remove thousands of pounds of trash from streets and parks in the community. The WeLoveU Park is the nonprofit’s idea to provide more long-term benefits to the City of Philadelphia by developing a larger, sustainable, and more anchored project.

The Clean and Green Project is also part of WeLoveU’s Clean WORLD Movement, an environmental initiative the foundation has led since 2009. Volunteers clean polluted cities, parks, mountains, rivers, and seas to promote a clean world for present and future generations. Since its inception, WeLoveU’s Clean WORLD Movement has reached 58 countries, with over 1,600 cleanups and more than 250,000 participants.

About the Intl. WeLoveU Foundation

Founder and Chairwoman Zahng Gil-jah established the International WeLoveU Foundation in 2001 — which is associated with the United Nations Department of Global Communications (UN DGC) — as a vehicle to deliver a mother’s love to neighbors in need. The Chairwoman took a grassroots approach by personally interacting with and caring for the needs of the global village. Through the initiatives of emergency relief, education, health, environmental programs, and community well-being, the Chairwoman’s example of giving a mother’s love has spread from the east to the west and planted itself in more than 50 countries to inspire a healthy and hopeful future for many. For more information, visit weloveuusa.org.

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