Air Force JROTC students remove a large pane of glass from the abandoned lot
BRONX, NY – It’s a sight nobody really wants to see in their own neighborhood – an abandoned property that has been neglected and left to fill with litter. In March, the Truman Air Force JROTC unit put on their work gloves and got out into the community to help take care of one such lot.
According to Matt Malina, the Director and Founder of NYC H20, the cadets removed over 3,000 pounds of garbage from the an abandoned lot at Tillotson Ave and Boller Ave.
“(they) transformed it from a dump to a beautiful green space,” Malina said in an email to NYC Sanitation Department Commissioner Jessica Tisch. “This included 15 tires, 4 flat-screen televisions, 2 shelving units and a bed.”
TSGT Govia, the teacher of the JROTC program at Truman says the project was part of a larger effort to earn service credit hours for the program.
“It’s really the cadets who run the corps,” TSGT Govia said. “We are trying to get as many community service hours in to earn the ‘Distinguished Unit Award’ from the Air Force.”
Govia went on to credit the student leaders in the program for making the event a success.
“The unit is blessed to have individuals like Cadets Fatima Ahmed and Crystal Ramirez to encourage and motivate everyone,” TSGT Govia said.
In his email, Malina recommended that the Department of Sanitation issue a citation to the ROTC program in recognition of their efforts.
