About Us
You see, since 1991, our member groups began the process which has now led thousands of residents to design the renovation of one-third of our City's 12 major community parks. In addition to historically appropriate architectural detail, and modern park functions, we've led neighbors in the designing, planting and maintenance of dozens of community gardens and many tens of thousands of trees, plants and flowers. We've added dozens of ongoing cultural events in the parks such as Spring plantings, Farmers' Markets, Shakespeare, and musical events. We keep expanding our fundraising to help pay for these developments which is now up to hundreds of thousands of dollars annually, from private individuals, corporations like Goldman-Sachs, Hudson County Open Space Funds, Greenacres Funds, just to name a few. This is all part of what we've created and call: the community empowerment approach to park planning and development. Really, though, we're upgrading the spiritual fabric of our city's neighborhoods and helping democracy take its next evolutionary step...but, perhaps we're getting a bit ahead of ourselves!
You can use our website in many exciting ways. If you want to see what interesting activities or events are happening across our City's park system and various public sites, our website has links to all our member groups and to some related other groups that can quickly give you these scheduled events and activities.
If you want to know how you can help build your City's park system through either volunteer work or donations, you can quickly learn the needs of each site, with contact information to offer help and paypal to make donations.
If you're a history buff who wants to learn about each park's development, in some cases going back to the Lenne Lanape Indians of the Delaware tribe, check out the history tab of some of our sites.
If you like looking over photographs of interesting park events and the sometimes intriguing stories that are attached to them, they're there for the looking, though it may take us time to transfer many of these images and stories which were documented before cyberspace was born.
This website is for your enjoyment and benefit. You can communicate with the general organization or any of its member groups by e-mailing those leaders at the addresses provided.
WHAT IS THE COMMUNITY EMPOWERMENT APPROACH OF THE JCPC?
The community empowerment approach to parks, public spaces and community development, first pioneered in Jersey City by Dr. Cliff Waldman and the Friends of Van Vorst Park (FVVP) drew attention and requests for assistance from other neighborhood park associations. Others wanted the same inspiring results they saw when the 1.8 acre VVP two million dollar renovation, planned by 551 residents over a three year period starting in 1992 was finally completed in late 1999. They knew that this was the first creative, successful Jersey City community park renovation in over a half-century. To accommodate these requests, in 2002, the FVVP extended the scope of their 501(c)(3) to that of an umbrella non-profit to include all the Jersey City parks and public spaces. That same year the FVVP began collaborating with the Communipaw Avenue Block Association (CABA), led by Rosalyn Browne, to lead 161 residents to design the renovation of the 4.6 acre Ercel Webb Park in the Lafayette Section of Jersey City. This partnership supervised a $2.6 million dollar project which was completed in 2004. That spring, the Pershing Field Garden Friends (PFGF), led by Laura Skolar, requested assistance in preparing a master plan for Pershing Field in the Jersey City Heights. In 2006 PFGF completed the community input process for Pershing Field that tapped the creative energies of over 300 residents, resulting in a creative, meticulously detailed Park Renovation Master Plan which was eventually incorporated into the city-wide Jersey City Parks and Recreation Master Plan adopted by the City in 2008.
On
As of September 2009, the JCPC's rapidly growing park group membership has grown to fourteen members who participate in the improvements of: (1) Van Vorst Park, (2) Ercel Webb Park, (3) Pershing Field, (4) Sgt. Anthony Park, (5) Arlington Park, (6) Lincoln Park, (7) Jersey City's Waterfront Park (8) First Street Park, (9) Izetta-McDuffy Park, (10) Speer Cemetery, (11) Cornelius Parker Park, (12) The Jersey City Reservoir (13) Harsimus Cemetery and (14) Washington Park.
THE MISSION OF THE JCPC
Our mission is to lead residents to develop, renovate, and maintain their community parks and public spaces of Jersey City; thereby revitalizing neighborhoods and lifting the communal spirit.
This includes acquiring new land to create new parks, adding many culturally-enriching uses of these parks and spaces, educating the public and city students regarding all related topics, extending democracy by empowering residents to bring about such changes, lifting the spirit, hope and harmony of neighborhoods and expanding fundraising for all of these functions.
THE VISION OF THE JCPC
The Coalition encourages advocacy through neighborhood empowerment that results in a resident guided and defined master plan for the design and use of individual parks and to foster a sense of community and reduction of neighborhood tensions, pollution, crime, and other social maladies around these open spaces.
The three major goals of the Jersey City Parks Coalition are:
1. Promote community empowerment and facilitate the democratic input of residents in the design and maintenance of their parks and public spaces.
2. Coordinate and implement community projects to enhance the natural beauty and functionality of the parks and public spaces.
3. Create, support, and promote a positive social environment and public events in which individuals, families, and groups of all ages can come to the parks and public spaces to relax or recreate in a manner that is uplifting and respects the neighborhood's cultural diversity.
The JCPC, because it has evolved from the Friends of Van Vorst Park, draws on a great deal of precedence and a successful base of experience in realizing its mission. This experience will serve as a model for the implementation of the following strategies and activities. The activities are grouped into four functional areas: Neighborhood Advocacy, Park Landscaping and Infrastructure, Fostering Community, Fundraising and Development.
NEIGHBORHOOD ADVOCACY
· To have a positive impact on improving the quality of life for all socio-economic groups and all cultural groups through community empowerment and a democratic decision-making process.
· To foster a dialog with the stakeholders which affects the development and maintenance of Jersey City's community parks and public spaces to determine areas of opportunity or of critical need.
· To encourage collaboration and solidarity among neighborhood associations to develop a holistic perspective on the city's community parks and public spaces.
· To draw from the new and scientific models for democratic community input we've successfully used in the Van Vorst Park and Ercel Webb Park renovations.
· To continue to develop a more progressive type of city-community working relationship and methodology which ensures the unprecedented, creative results accomplished thus far.
· To ensure that the actions and activities of the JCPC are not political and do not support specific candidates for any political office.
PARK LANDSCAPING AND INFRASTRUCTURE BUILDING
· To develop more creative designs for new and for renovated Jersey City community parks and public spaces based on the collective wisdom of residents using our unique community empowerment input methodology.
· To continue to build on the historic legacy of the city and its parks so that future generations will understand the history of Jersey City and its role as a major city in our nation's expansion, as perhaps the largest urban city of diversity and in New Jersey's history.
· To identify commercial resources that can provide expertise in the areas of landscaping, design, computerized watering systems, and other technical needs for park associations.
· To identify grants and other revenue sources available to non-profits that would help fund needed projects.
· To continue to coordinate volunteer teams to improve the parks through community plantings, maintenance and watering, security monitoring, and the installation of new equipment.
FOSTERING COMMUNITY
· To work with the City's and private arts and cultural organizations to develop events in the parks and public spaces to bring the City together to celebrate its cultural diversity and relationship to the environment.
· To work with elementary, middle schools, high schools, and colleges to inspire and engage students to work as volunteers and/or for course credits; to seek their input on the use of parks and public spaces; to develop their sense of community responsibility and commitment, to encourage involvement in positive interactions with other young people and older community residents, and to provide them valuable educational experiences ranging from community organization and democratic processes to skills such as gardening, landscape architecture, business and leadership skills, and how to creatively engage the public. These skills and experiences could contribute towards students' career choices.
· To coordinate events in the park which serve the local community in a practical manner as well as the broader community at large, such as a Farmers' Market, Shakespearean plays, movies, and musical events.
· To work with the City's minority communities to ensure they are fully engaged and part of the community dialog and process.
· To develop an outreach and communications plan to keep the residents of Jersey City informed on development and events in their parks and what role they can play in directing the future use of their parks and public spaces, and to educate the public regarding: urban gardening, community revitalization & restoring Nature to urban parks and public spaces, and ecology.
FUNDRAISING AND DEVELOPMENT
· From 1991 through 2005, the FVVP and the JCPC raised over $80,000 through corporate funding, in-kind materials, donor gifts, fundraisers such as art auctions, and individual donations. These funds were used both for park improvements as well as community social events.
· From 2006 through 2009, the JCPC's fundraising rose to over $300,000 including: $50,000 for the restoration of Pershing Field's America Triumphant Statute and the historic 4th Regiment Arch (Hudson County Open Space Trust Fund), over $70,000 for the planting and landscaping of several of our member parks (Goldman Sachs and The NY Community Trust) and $25,000 towards the restoration of Speer Cemetery (Hudson County Open Space Trust Fund). Our 2009 funding includes an $80,000 Green Acres Grant & two Hudson County Open Space Trust grants, $40,000 for the Van Vorst Park Sprayground and $25,000 for Harsimus Cemetery. Our individual park groups have additionally raised over $200,000 for park improvements & development including $100,000 in private donations raised by the Waterfront Parks Conservancy for Connect the Parks, $31,000 for Ercel Webb Park's computerized garden irrigation system (Hudson County Open Space Funds), $10,000 for the Reservoir Preservation Alliance recreation programs and maintenance (HSBC), $14,500 for the Ercel Webb Park "History Trail" (Provident Bank, Jersey City First, Sandra Bolden Cunningham, Landmark Developers, Goldman Sachs) and $33,000 for the Van Vorst Park Dog Run raised through public fundraising events. The Coalition has been fortunate to have the support of local vendors who have contributed thousands of dollars in food, beverages, and refreshments for our volunteer events. This year the Cedar Grove Garden Center and the Hudson Farmers Market donated thousands of dollars worth of rose bushes and evergreens to our parks.
· The JCPC is developing a comprehensive grant plan that will pursue funding for its member park groups. The JCPC has turned its focus on grant development to supplement the shortfall in City funds since Jersey City simply cannot afford to adequately develop and maintain its parks and open spaces including the cost of the brick and mortar work needed to properly restore old parks and public spaces and to create new ones.
· To continue to develop relationships with local corporations such as Goldman-Sachs & Provident Bank and local, county & state government to seek funding and corporate volunteers to assist in park projects such as landscaping, brick and mortar work, land acquisition, maintenance, student education and involvement, publicity and fundraising, and cultural events.
The JCPC has always been and remains a volunteer driven organization. The concept of community empowerment ties directly to the act of volunteering which gives the individual a sense of active responsibility and achievement regarding his neighborhood and his neighbors. Volunteers "take charge" of their parks, and their neighborhoods, creating personal involvement in shaping the way they want to see their communities and in the way they and their children relate to their neighbors. Since 1991, volunteers have donated hundreds of thousands of dollars in volunteer labor..