The Trenton Times published the following opinion piece on December 7, 2013. To read the full article, click here.
Opinion: I Am Trenton Community Foundation nurtures programs that benefit residents
By Times of Trenton guest opinion column
on December 07, 2013 at 5:30 AM, updated December 07, 2013 at 5:35 AMBy Dan Fatton
There is no shortage of abandoned properties and buildings in the city of Trenton. So many of these structures have sat empty for too long, falling to disrepair, negatively affecting our neighborhoods. Often, residents suffer while the city does little to address the deterioration of former homes and factories. A boarded-up window here, a collapsed roof there — it is hard to ignore the magnitude of vacancy, and if you’re just a visitor passing through, vacant properties might be the only thing you see.
Yet, if you make your home here, you’d know about the incredibly tenacious efforts of the proud citizens, eager volunteers, ambitious community leaders and amazing artists who work tirelessly at restoring, revitalizing and reclaiming the heart of the city. As president of the I Am Trenton Community Foundation, I’m particularly proud to highlight a few community programs and collaborations that we have helped fund.
In November, on America Recycles Day, Colleen Attara Studios completed an installation for the Trenton Blooms project, which included the creation of three-dimensional flower-box gardens made of recycled materials, for display from a visible vacant building in the city. The artist, one of our 2012 grantees, worked with Trenton’s planning and inspection divisions to choose an appropriate building. Several clean-ups were coordinated for the derelict property. In October, CARE Trenton helped coordinate the removal of 20 bags of garbage and the painting of the façade, bringing in volunteers from Rider University. On installation day, Future Signs donated time and a bucket truck to install the flower boxes on second-story windows of a building at the corner of Calhoun and Wilson streets. Meanwhile, volunteers planted donated shrubs and tulip bulbs so the yard will bloom next spring