Done-in-A-Day: Rotary Unites Partners in an Alleyway Beautification Project
When service unites people across the community on a project, the results can be beautiful. An East Cesar Chavez Street alleyway got a beauty lift when Rotary Club of Austin members joined with local partners to remove pounds of debris and create new gardening spaces for one neighborhood during a March 28th Rotary Service Texas Day.
This done-in-a-day project took a lot of planning and outreach. Rotary Club of Austin’s newest cohort of members first teamed up with non-profit Something Good Initiative as part of the East Cesar Chavez Activation Project, which had an alleyway identified for transformation into a more inviting, relaxing space for the neighborhood. Something Good Founders Kristin and Luis Argulo offered use of their art community studio space near the alleyway, Something Cool Studio, as the host HQ for the day.
Rotary arranged donation and delivery of 20 cubic yards of compost from City of Austin’s “Dillo Dirt” program. More than two dozen volunteer members of Rotary’s service club showed up from all over Austin and went to work, including members from Westlake Rotary.
They raked grass borders, removed and bagged a dozen heavy bags and carts full of trash. Compost was trucked in and unloaded for plantings along the gravel roadways edges. Curious neighbors and local business owners biked in and walked by to cheer and participate.
Meanwhile, a cohort constructed two large heavy-duty garden beds on the spot. Native flower seeds and paddle cactus were planted in the fresh compost. Keep Austin Beautiful loaned tools and provided pickup of the trash bags.
Service Texas Day was created by Rotary District 5870 to involve its 2,000 members and 60 clubs in community projects for the betterment of Central Texas.