Earlier this year Grace and Queen, residents of Elmwood in South West Philadelphia, were strangers. Fast forward six months, and they’re not only friends, but co-founders of the Friends of Elmwood Park. Elmwood Park is located at 71st and Buist Avenue, tucked into the Elmwood neighborhood

Grace and Queen knew their neighborhood park needed some love—but where to begin? A local park group didn’t exist, so Grace and Queen established their own: Friends of Elmwood Park.

Queen felt a strong connection with Elmwood Park, which motivated her to volunteer.

“For me, when I moved to the area, I immediately fell in love with Elmwood Park. It’s peaceful, especially at nighttime when you can hear all the crickets. During the day, I saw lots of people walking and realized, oh, I can do my morning walks here! I can also bring my grandkids here for a picnic. I love it.”

Grace agrees.  “I see a beautiful, green, peaceful spot. It’s a good spot to go to clear your thoughts and take a break. This is a place we actually need to keep up and make sure it stays beautiful and clean,” she said.

Why should you volunteer at your local park?

“We need to dedicate time to taking care of our parks, to preserve local parks for the next generation to enjoy,” Queen said.

“It’s so much fun to be a member of a parks friends group! It’s so important to keep the parks clean in your neighborhood. Parks play a pivotal role in the lives of community members,” Grace said.

You can make an impact at your neighborhood park, too!  A good park friend:

• Works with neighbors.
• Cleans and greens.
• Loves their community.
• Advocates for green space.

You can join your local Park Friends group to care for a park near you.