Nilka Martell

Nilka Martell, a lifelong Latina born and raised in the Bronx, is the creator of Getting Involved Virginia Avenue Efforts (G.I.V.E.), an organization founded after Ms. Martell became aware of the deep socioeconomic issues facing her community.

G.I.V.E. volunteers engaged in park cleanups where they collected bags of trash, planted flower bulbs and seeds, and invited local artists to help paint murals. The organization also brought in theatre groups to perform for Bronx residents.

As G.I.V.E.’s involvement within the Bronx grew, the group began receiving assistance from other Bronx not-for-profits, such as: Youth Ministries for Peace and Justice; Bronx River Alliance; Bronx Alliance for Parks and Green Spaces; and countless other community-based organizations. Thus, a Bronx-wide coalition of community and park advocates founded Loving the Bronx.

Loving the Bronx spearheaded the campaign to get Virginia Park, located in the Parkchester section of the Bronx, designated as a park in need of an upgrade as it had not received one since 1956. After many years of advocacy, Virginia Park was chosen by the NYC Parks and Recreation Department for a $10 million upgrade, and was newly designed as “a park without walls.”

Ms. Martell and Loving the Bronx have worked with researchers from Columbia University, who are studying the feasibility of capping sections of the Cross Bronx. The goal is to create green space in an effort to mitigate the constant pollution that emanates from the highway. This is a goal for many in the Bronx, as the community has one of the highest asthma rates in the country.

Moreover, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused Bronx residents to fall deeper into food insecurity. Ms. Martell and Loving the Bronx provided a vital network of food distribution and maintained a community refrigerator with the help of local merchants.

In addition to Loving the Bronx, Ms. Martell currently serves as President of the Friends of Pelham Bay Park, as a Board Member of the Bronx River Alliance, Co-Chair of Parks Green Spaces, and as a Board Member of the Bronx Council for Environmental Quality.