Assemblyman William Colton (D—Gravesend, Bensonhurst, Bath Beach and Dyker Heights) and City Councilmember Susan Zhuang (D—Bensonhurst, Bath Beach, Gravesend, Dyker Heights, Boro Park and Sunset Park) led a community cleanup on Saturday, July 12.

During the cleanup, which was the first one in 2025, approximately 125 volunteers fanned out along 86^th Street, between 14^th and 20^th Avenues and Bath Avenue, between 16^th and 20^th Avenues, and went to Seth Low Park, sweeping, picking up trash and clearing catchbasins.

“This cleanup went really well,” said Assemblyman Colton. “I was delighted that so many local residents, including numerous students, took time out of their summer Saturday to join us in beautifying the neighborhood. As I have found over the past decade, doing cleanups on a regular basis pays so many dividends. The merchant strips, which are so important to our community, become more welcoming to shoppers from our neighborhood and beyond, and local residents take more pride in the area that they call home. And, for the youngest volunteers, participating in the effort teaches an important lesson – that you can make a difference in your neighborhood and that doing so is crucial to the quality of life that we all enjoy and benefit from.”

“I’m proud to partner with Assemblyman Colton and so many community organizations to make our community clean. Quality of life and public safety includes clean neighborhoods,” said Councilmember Zhuang. “I’ve worked hard to ensure DSNY consistently cleans our neighborhoods, and I’m committed to ensure our community does our part. Cleaning up our neighborhoods is an important part of educating each other on how we keep our neighborhoods clean. Everyone deserves a safe and clean district!”

Both Chinese American Social Services and Sharing Hearts sent teams of volunteers to the cleanup.

Assemblyman Colton has led community cleanups for over a decade; he and Councilmember Zhuang sponsor cleanups through the summer and fall. The next cleanup is scheduled for July 26.