Forest City Ratner volunteers partner on Red Hook Revitalization Day

June 11, 2015 Brooklyn Daily Eagle

As part of Forest City Ratner’s Brooklyn day of service, more than 115 volunteers lent a hand in landscaping and painting the New York Housing’s Authority Miccio Community Center, installed organizational shelving and painted at Red Hook Initiative’s main office and installed raised planting beds and needed landscaping at Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary church. Photo credit: Mike Rapfogel

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More than 115 Forest City Ratner Company (FCRC) volunteers on Thursday joined forces with Rebuilding Together New York City (RT NYC), Red Hook Initiative (RHI) and Good Shepherd Services to provide on-the-ground improvements to Brooklyn’s Red Hook neighborhood.

“We are so excited to join with local community organizations to enhance the storied Red Hook neighborhood,” said Bruce Ratner, executive chairman of Forest City Ratner Companies. “Forest City Ratner Companies is not only in the business of creating new dynamic neighborhood destinations, we are deeply committed to supporting and amplifying the existing city fabric by making important investments in local communities.”

As part of Forest City Ratner’s Brooklyn day of service, more than115 volunteers lent a hand in landscaping and painting the New York Housing’s Authority Miccio Community Center, installed organizational shelving and painted at Red Hook Initiative’s main office and installed raised planting beds and needed landscaping at Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary church. In addition to improving these community spaces, volunteers also installed solar-powered, motion-detecting security lights on the exterior of residential homes, a neighborhood safety feature popularized by RT NYC’s “Light It Up” program. Volunteers also painted 40 fire hydrants to help maintain the neighborhood’s streets.

“Now in our 11th year of running a day of service in Brooklyn, we know that creating such tangible results would not be possible without our fantastic partners,” said MaryAnne Gilmartin, president and CEO of Forest City Ratner Companies. “Their everyday contributions are what truly enable Red Hook to thrive and we are so thankful to them for consistently giving back.”

“Rebuilding Together NYC is thrilled to be working with Forest City Ratner Companies on one of our signature neighborhood revitalization events,” said Kimberly George, executive director of Rebuilding Together NYC. “We organize these events a few times a year in order to bring all of our different program areas — including critical home repairs, accessibility modifications, community center renovations, and security light installations to one geographic location. We are thrilled that our partnership with FCRC enabled us to bring a neighborhood revitalization event to Red Hook, Brooklyn.”