Annual Report 2021

View the complete PDF of our 2021 Annual Report

From Our Executive Director

The past two years in our beloved city have felt anything but stable. Life under COVID has been incredibly disruptive for us all, but when I have moments of doubt or despair, I remember what grounds me. I try to focus on what is solid and reliable.

The work we do at New York Restoration Project is one of those things.

Throughout the pandemic, we have welcomed record numbers of people to our 80+ acres of parks and 52 gardens. Some garden memberships have even grown by almost 150 percent! We’ve also received a steady stream of applications to our Gardens for the City program, which builds new gardens for partner organizations including schools, NYCHA properties, harm reduction centers, and houses of worship. All told, we built nearly two dozen new green spaces this past year alone.

I have been especially proud to welcome our first staff members uniquely dedicated to supporting urban agriculture citywide. As food production experts, our urban agriculture team has dived headfirst into assisting our 700+ community gardeners cultivate over 18,000 sq. ft. of raised beds across the city. They have also expanded their reach by advising our current and past Gardens for the City partners.

One of the greatest advancements we made over the past year was returning to safe in-person gatherings. Although we pushed back the start of the season out of an abundance of caution, we still rounded out the year by hosting almost 80 public programs for more than 2,500 community members including food distributions, poetry readings, bookbinding workshops, mural unveilings, and movie nights. In October, we also threw our annual Hulaween gala in-person and fully vaccinated. It was a thrill to see so many of our supporters in one place sporting disco glam for the night’s Boogie Frights theme!

While it’s impossible to know what the pandemic might present next, at NYRP, there’s no question that New Yorkers continue to need our parks, gardens, and services more than ever before. Safe spaces to get outside and breathe fresh air couldn’t be more vital than they have been over the past two years and we owe it to our gardeners, staff, volunteers, board, and supporters like you for making this work possible.

Thank you for your dedication to New York Restoration Project, and by extension, our city. I look forward to working with you in 2022.

With gratitude,

Lynn B. Kelly, Executive Director

From Our Board Co-Chairs

We have seen over the past two years how our resilient city has adapted to its new normal, and at New York Restoration Project, we are proud to be part of positive change.

In 2020, we witnessed how food insecurity ravaged our city and how isolation and social distancing negatively affected the mental health of many New Yorkers. Adapting our work to these growing needs, this year we were proud to offer an abundance of fresh fruit and vegetables from our spaces. As ever, we continued to steward accessible green space for New York City residents to safely connect with their community.

As it became safer to gather this past spring, NYRP returned to hosting community workshops and events. And, with COVID-19 safety measures in place, we were even able to host our annual Hulaween gala in-person after moving the event online last year.

In addition to a busy year of in-person programming, we also:

• Removed 105,000 pounds of trash from parks
• Composted 85,000 pounds of organic materials
• Planted 4,000 perennials and shrubs
• Planted 250 trees
• Worked with over 700 urban gardeners to cultivate nearly 18,000 sq. feet of raised beds full of fresh fruits and vegetables
• Hosted 78 public programs for over 2,500 community members
• Built 22 new green spaces at schools, community organizations, and public housing campuses around the city

NYRP has succeeded this year thanks to our strong leadership, passionate staff and volunteers, and dedicated donors. As our city continues to heal and adjust, NYRP is committed to working with our communities to tackle issues of environmental and social injustice and do our part to aid in New York City’s recovery.

Thank you for championing our mission to ensure that all New Yorkers have access to clean and enriching green space. Despite the challenges we have faced, your support has continued to make a difference in our communities around this beautiful city.

With gratitude,

Helena Durst and Darcy Stacom
Board of Trustees Co-Chairs

2021 Leadership

Supporters

We are grateful for our generous donors who ensure that we can serve our city when it needs us most.

This alphabetical list includes donors who gave $1,000 or more between October 1, 2020 and September 30, 2021. This list has been prepared with care but if there is an error, please notify us at [email protected].