Clean sweep for Brooklyn’s commercial strips

Some of Brooklyn’s busy commercial strips will be getting spruced up thanks to a new program called Project Sweep—a quality-of-life initiative that will enlist developmentally disabled adults to provide weekday cleaning services along busy commercial streets.

Senator Simcha Felder, the man behind the broom and facilitator of the initiative, kicked off the cleaning on December 29 and provided $100,000 worth of funding—administered by the Midwood Development Corporation—toward the project in hopes that it will benefit “the neighborhood as well as the participants.

A pristine, litter-free commercial area instills community pride and encourages more people to visit and shop,” said Felder, noting, “I’m pleased to be able to provide clean streets and at the same time provide an employment opportunity for adults who want to give back to the community.”

The Project Sweep workers will be on 13^th, 16^th and 18^th Avenues every Monday through Friday morning to tidy up the strips from McDonald Avenue to 60^th Street.

“We will make this neighborhood, clean, safe and beautiful. As everyone knows, a clean neighborhood is a safe neighborhood,” added Felder.

The 18th Avenue kick-off outside of Goldberg’s Supermarket saw a lot of support from local dignitaries including Assemblymember Dov Hikind, Councilmember David Greenfield, Community Board 12 District Manager Barry Spitzer and Community Board 12 Chairman Yidel Perlstein.

“This is an amazing program that will help the community in a very positive way,” said Hikind. “To keep a community clean is something very fundamental.”