Committed to Opportunities for Personal and Community Uplift

By Solita Alexander | In my quiet moments, I reflect on my life and how I’ve gotten to where I am. There have been a multitude of moments, of experiences, of people, and they all contribute to my firm commitment to service and social justice. Whether I am in my hometown or in some faraway place, the struggle up from poverty always calls me. There’s no telling where that call comes from, or why my response to it is so automatic. It is just there, beckoning me to create opportunities for personal and community uplift.

And so, my latest response involves NYC Parks. It is a likely place for a metropolis-dweller heeding the call of the outdoors and a desire to serve. Here I gratefully cultivate rich, human soil. I assist in the effort forward from poverty, in the objective to sow and reap opportunity for self-sufficiency. Here, I engage in public service, through the Parks Opportunity Program.

The Parks Opportunity Program (POP), which is operated by NYC Parks, is the nation’s longest-running transitional employment program. Each year, POP serves thousands of New York City residents who receive public assistance. Program trainees are employed as Job Training Participants (JTPs) and earn a salary through seasonal positions at the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation. Trainees work four days in various capacities within the agency, many serving to beautify and maintain New York’s most iconic parks (think Central Park) and beaches (Coney Island anyone?). One day is spent working with POP staff to increase their employment marketability through a combination of on-the-job training, supportive services, and skill development.

At Parks facilities throughout the five boroughs of NYC, trainees enroll in a host of services. Trainees meet regularly with POP staff to hone interviewing skills and to learn of job opportunities. Some members participate in GED and Adult Basic Education classes, while others engage in horticulture and weatherization training. Yet other members enroll in certificate-granting courses in nursing, food service, or security. Meanwhile, designated Parks staff provide training for New York state driver’s and commercial driver’s license. Members also meet with staff at Parks Computer Resource Centers to search for jobs online and build tech savvy. These efforts increase job prospects and propel folks forward, up from poverty.

As the Director of Employment Counseling, I get to know our program trainees, both through site visits and staff reports. I also mentor members weekly, and, because of my counseling psychology background, meet with members who have additional needs. I am always touched by our members’ profound investment in parks facilities and tremendous resilience in spite of personal adversity. Some are challenged by the responsibilities of being single parents, some live in shelters or face eviction, and quite a few are in need of professional attire. Through it all, there is a strong commitment to moving forward.

Today I reflect on Betty, who came to me in tears because she and her family had lost their room at the shelter and she was separated from her pregnant teenage daughter. Hoping to afford an apartment for her family, she found a room to rent, enrolled in a program to help her manage her finances, and visited a POP program partner to obtain interview attire. With POP’s support, she is now pounding the pavement in search of housekeeping positions at hotels in Manhattan. And, as she moves forward, she takes pleasure and pride in maintaining the environment.

Each day, with my staff, with POP members, and with the local government of New York City, I am involved in helping people with the amazing struggle up from poverty. Each day brings some version of heartache—a member’s personal difficulty, devastating weather events or budget crises. Yet each day also brings some version of triumph—a new organization wants to hire our members or someone earns a GED or gets a job. For me, each day brings growth, promise, and fulfillment. Each day, there is the call. And each day, I renew my commitment and respond—creating opportunities for personal and community uplift.

If you are in the New York City area and are looking to hire wonderful and devoted employees, please email us at pop@parks.nyc.gov to learn more. Listen to your call.

Solita Alexander (1993 Scholar) has been involved in national and international service teams—from teaching in Boston and Chicago to building homes in New Orleans and Guatemala to community development efforts in India and Ghana. Currently, she lives and gardens in New York City, not far from her hometown of White Plains. This summer she will travel to Guyana and then will return to prepare for two exciting events: the New York City Marathon and her wedding!