Restoring Beauty To
Van Houten Avenue In
The Athenia Section of Clifton
- PostEagle
- October 3, 2017
- Uncategorized
- Featured
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CLIFTON, NJ – On September 29, 2017, Kim Castellano of Power of One Coaching and Outreach Ministries hosted a Beautification Day on Van Houten Avenue in the Athenia section of Clifton, NJ. Beautification day was established in conjunction with ImageFIRST’s Community Giving Day which is held nationwide on Friday, September 29. The Athenia Business Association was the beneficiary of the 2017 Beautification Day.
ImageFIRST Community Giving Day is an annual event designed to mobilize the different offices on one specific day and give ImageFIRST associates the opportunity to help achieve this part of their purpose.
Early September, Jim Kennedy, the Mid-Atlantic Vice President of ImageFIRST, reached out to Kim Castellano, Mission Director of Power of One, requesting an opportunity to collaborate with their organization to impact the City of Clifton. Castellano then looked for an opportunity in the community that could use the attention of 60 volunteers for 2 hours for one day.
During the planning stages of the Van Houten Ave Street Fair held in September, Castellano spoke with Ray Grabowski, President of the Athenia Business Association, and asked if the 80 decorative street lamp poles along Van Houten Avenue in the Athenia section of Clifton needed to be re-painted due to graffiti removal. Knowing there was no funds or manpower available to repaint them, Castellano thought it would be a great way for ImageFIRST to give back to the community.
After speaking with Jim Kennedy of ImageFIRST and Ray Grabowski of the ABA, all agreed this would be a great “give back” to the community and proceeded with approvals for the project. ImageFIRST supported the efforts by supplying the manpower and the supplies needed to paint the 80 decorative street lamp poles on Van Houten Avenue.
Teams of 5-6 scoured the street in an effort to beautify Van Houten Avenue. Afterwards, a catered lunch was provided by ImageFIRST for everyone at their Clifton facility.
Power of One Outreach mission is to identify needs in the community, research and secure funds, along with volunteer manpower to support a need. The Back2School Outreach and School Pantry are among the many projects that further this mission. Power of One Coaching and Outreach Ministries, Inc. is a 501c3 charity located in Clifton, NJ and can be contacted at 862- 239-5905 or by email at kim@powerofoneccom.org.
In photo: Chris Witmyer, Laurie Kirwin, Ray Grabowski, City Manager Nick Villano, Jim Kennedy of ImageFIRST, Kim Castellano, and Kelly Keil.
