FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 27, 2025

Brooklyn, NY — Parks offer a space for sports, exercise, walks, and relaxing with friends and family. They are an important part of our community, which is why keeping them clean is essential. On July 27th, 2025, volunteers came together for a park cleanup at Leif Erickson Park, which aimed to remove litter and organize fallen leaves. From 10 A.M. to 12 P.M., volunteers worked tirelessly to clean up the park. 

Many groups and organizations partnered up and cooperated together to remove litter and scattered leaves from the park. Amongst these groups were interns from Assemblyman Lester Chang’s office and Senator Steve Chan’s office. People from the offices, including their respective officials, scattered across the park and spared no effort in removing wastes from the park. Another honorable group present were people from the World Mission Society Church of God University Student Volunteer Group or more simply, ASEZ,“Save the Earth from A to Z.”  The ASEZ group is an international volunteer group who has 7,500 Church of God locations across 175 countries. The group consists of university students whose mission is to make an impact in their community through crime prevention, environment preservation, community service, and emergency relief. 

Our fellow intern, Nihan, stated, “It was an insightful experience, learning the necessary duty of a citizen to clean up after themselves, especially in a park.” The work of the volunteers provides an excellent example of what citizens should do, to keep the community clean and safe.

It was a group effort. My interns, along with assemblyman Chang's office and ASEZ, did a little cleaning up.”

— Senator Stephen T. Chan

The park was filled with litter, including water balloons, plastic bags, food, wrappers, glass, and more. This litter endangers the local wildlife as consuming these materials may cause injury, restricted movement, or even death. Furthermore, the glass shards can create an unsafe space for the people of the community. A well cleaned park benefits the community as a whole, giving the community one more thing to take pride in.

The park provides a place for people where they can meet up, partake in activities, or simply a place to relax. It is an important part of a community just as stores and houses are. However, many people tend to take it for granted and destroy the peaceful atmosphere of the area. This is why it is important to clean up after yourself and keep the community clean and welcoming.