Adopt-A-Block
Since 2020 COVID-19 has reduced the function of essential services in New York City, resulting in a blight that made neighborhoods and business districts unattractive and inaccessible. In partnership with Bridge Street Development Corporation (BSDC), Children of Promise, NYC, and local businesses, Foot Soldiers led a 6-month campaign sweeping our #dirtystreets through our Adopt-a-Block initiative, which began Thursday, September 9th, 2021, and ended on March 18th, 2022.
Adopt-a-Block staff focused on sweeping sidewalks and curbs and catch basins primarily in Bed-Stuy and some surrounding communities. This campaign created over 60 full-time jobs addressed the community shared cleaning concerns and is a community engagement initiative for local businesses to come together. Learn more about how we can adopt your block or blocks you may have in mind—post photos of #dirtystreets to our Facebook or Instagram page. We want to help.
If you're part of a block association in any of the areas we serve and have a #dirtystreets problem. We have a sweeping-only plan available now for block associations; your block can be cleaned on a one-time or recurring basis.
Local Business Partners
Fellow business owners,
Due to the impact of COVID-19, our streets have had a drastic uptick in litter, dumping, and graffiti, affecting our businesses and quality of life. This shift has caused widespread anxiety; #dirtystreets are creating trash havens that increase rodent populations. In addition, some of our streets are becoming eyesores. A letter by the Partnership for New York City (PNYC) and over 150 business leaders highlighted the importance of essential services and urged Mayor De Blasio to take action. The city has responded, so we are doing our part and need your business’s help to be part of the solution.
Join the Foot Soldiers as we adopt blocks in and around Bed-Stuy through NYC’s new City Cleanup Corps (CCC) initiative. We need neighboring restaurants or businesses with storefronts to partner with us.
Current & Recent Partners
Here's what the Foot Soldiers bring to the table and provide for partners:
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Sweeping-only services to your store each day we service your neighborhood (typically 3-6 days per week).
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10% discount on our snow removal services.
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We will notify hundreds of our local home and commercial property owners of your involvement.
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Provide linkage on our website to help increase visibility to your website.
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We bring almost 20 years of experience managing the logistics to clean blocks and properties year-round and shovel snow in central Brooklyn communities.
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We will provide the Adopt-a-Block community program’s management, planning, logistics, oversight, and operations.
Sponsor
Corporations, foundations, Are you seeking to do good and enhance visibility in Brooklyn, NY? Our sponsorship opportunity is called Adopt-A-Block, and it focuses on litter removal on targeted residential throughways. Managed and executed by the Foot Soldiers, a certified Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) that specializes in supplemental sanitation services and partnership with Bridge Street Development Corporation (BSDC), a 501(c)3 nonprofit, this opportunity provides brand visibility on approximately 50 3'x6' banners installed on street lights on three throughways targeting 26 street blocks. These throughways are on bus routes that run 24/7; the target areas are prominent streets in Bedford Stuyvesant, Brooklyn. The streets are home to more than 300 residential buildings, restaurants, and unique small businesses that attract patrons daily. Foot Soldiers will sweep and remove litter from the sidewalks, curbs, and catch basins four days each week for twelve weeks with your sponsorship.
BSDC and Foot Soldiers coordinate with the Department of Transportation and local community associations to acquire permits to install branded street-light banners. The three throughways we selected have one active merchant association. They typically attract various patrons, causing trash buildup with limited or no organized sanitation options. In addition, supplemental sanitation services, typical in Business Improvement Districts, are not coordinated on these blocks. We want Adopt-A-Block to encourage partnerships that inspire ongoing auxiliary sanitation services. To learn more and get involved, email us at services@myfootsoldiers.com.
Purchase a Sweeping/Trash Removal Plan
Homeowners and property managers in our service area can help keep the community clean by purchasing a sweeping/trash plan for their property(s). Hundreds of your neighbors love our reliability and service. They receive regular sidewalk, yard, stairs, and 18" out into the curb sweeping; garbage and recycling are bagged and placed on the curb for sanitation collection. We even handle their dreaded snow shoveling duties.
Special Offer!
Get Sweeping for Your Block
Our sweeping block plan is as low as $4.95 per building on your block. We will sweep your entire sidewalk corner-corner, curb-to-curb (both sides of the street). Associations, residents, BID's, good samaritans, elected officials, and sponsors can signup for weekly or one-time sweeps. For a consistently clean street, we recommend scheduling sweepings twice each week.
Check Out Our Work!