2022

St. Vartan Park Conservancy realized a host of accomplishments between its launch in the spring of 2022 and the end of the same year. Some of the charity’s achieved goals in 2022 appear below,

St. Vartan Park Conservancy volunteer Ken Adell paints on the north side of the St. Vartan Park building on November 22, 2022

  • Established the charity following a successful campaign that opened the St. Vartan Park garden to the general public after decades of closure

  • Authorized by IRS as a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization, to improve St. Vartan Park and provide further enhancements to the wider community

  • Started community engagement and public outreach with May event that included garden plantings with Conservancy officers and other St. Vartan Park supporters, including schoolchildren, NYC Parks leaders, and national, state and city elected officials

  • Supervised several volunteer groups and many individuals — more than 150 volunteers in all — who conducted extensive park-wide repairs and painting of benches, fencing, gates, lampposts, railings, exterior of park building, and storage chests

  • Started a garden committee and designated a Conservancy ecosystems advisor and Conservancy garden design consultant

  • Provided extensive garden stewardship, plants and supplies in coordination with NYC Parks and Partnerships for Parks

  • Enhanced the full park through plantings in the garden and flower beds, and through daily litter removal

  • Hosted several St. Vartan Park beautification sessions as part of Partnerships for Parks’ It’s My Park volunteer program

  • Started sports committee, which initiated an alliance between handball and pickleball players for more efficient use of the park’s westernmost sports courts

  • Secured various unique domain names, produced and maintained comprehensive website (stvartanpark.org) and established Conservancy public service address (team@stvartanpark.org)

  • Created and managed digital marketing campaign, including integrated email/online marketing/newsletter program that featured 18 issues of complimentary newsletter to fast-growing subscriber list

  • Designed and secured various brand assets, including Conservancy trademarks and other creative content

  • Started archival library of photography, video and other content from the park’s history

  • Built social media network (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter) with more than 20,000 total followers, with handle consistency (@stvartanpark)

  • Received positive comments about Conservancy progress from hundreds of community members, including about mental-health benefits realized through public access to the park garden

  • Managed the volunteer program Swish You Were Here, which places basketball nets on Manhattan public basketball rims with missing or damaged nets

  • Regularly advised NYC Parks on community needs and park upgrades, which led to approval of such permanent additions as garden benches and garden-entrance signage with hours

  • Regularly maintained and replenished books in Little Free Library kiosk in the east park, through book donations to Conservancy from individuals and private businesses

  • Started fundraising program that raised cash and in-kind donations, with no compensation paid to Conservancy officers

  • Established partnerships with multiple community organizations and private businesses, including hosting a public Conservancy tent at the annual Murray Hill Festival staged outside the park, and starting a volunteer program with corporation WTW

  • Served as advance and on-site park liaison for day-long Kids Foot Locker commercial shoot that kept session’s park space open to public and prompted a donation from the production team to Conservancy

  • Managed student program that provided school credits for volunteer hours

  • Educated park visitors and online audience on such topics as park wildlife, geography and history

  • Provided event and promotional support to other community organizations, including Mary Lindley Murray (P.S. 116), Murray Hill Neighborhood Association, Alliance for Kips Bay and The River School (P.S. 281)

  • Started a campaign to prompt ongoing public use of the park’s dormant NYC Parks building, with actions that included a public Conservancy presentation to Manhattan Community Board 6’s Land Use and Waterfront Committee

  • Initiated and maintained advocacy outreach for the park community, including with elected officials regarding Conservancy’s goal of public access to unused state-owned green space located near the park

  • Widely promoted NYC Parks’ programming in the park through Conservancy website, social media accounts and other media outlets

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