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Hello neighbors and growing Friends of Eckington Parks & Arts -
2020: A Year in Review
We kicked off our inaugural year as an organization charged primarily to maintain the new dog park at Tanner Park with much anticipated fanfare. We elected board members to advance our mission of activating all of Eckington’s green spaces, sidewalks and promote the arts as well!
Through the winter and spring months, as we awaited the grand opening of Tanner Park and the dog park, we promoted local happenings - from local businesses like Yang’s Market who started selling produce to regular neighborhood cleanups in partnership with the Eckington Civic Association. Though we weren’t able to count the number of trash bags collected over the year, it’s safe to say we’ve made quite an impact in keeping Eckington cleaner.
With a quiet opening of Tanner Park’s playground, lawn and dog park on June 25th, we’ve seen how those spaces organically thrived through the second part of the year. Regardless of the pandemic, Eckington’s residents and neighbors sought out new outdoor amenities in a safe and engaging manner. It has been such a pleasure to see neighbors and visitors alike enjoying the amenities - from kids doing gymnastics on the lawn; to people picnicking, strolling and pausing to appreciate the meadow; to people walking their dogs; to bicyclists and joggers passing by.
Throughout the summer and fall months, we focused on establishing Eckington Parks & Arts’ operations. We started regularly-scheduled maintenance of the dog park, continued to engage with members through our quarterly meetings, focused on our strategic plan, and formalized committees. A big success this year has been our fundraising effort to sell bandanas as well as engage with the community on who we are and what we strive to accomplish. Since our fundraising efforts in early September, we’ve sold approximately 70 bandanas and have seen a bump in donations too! We have a solid footing going into 2021 to continue with the maintenance of the dog park and hopefully sponsor some events.
We rounded out the year with a holiday celebration at Tanner Park. We were amazed at the turnout! We had a steady stream of people come to take part in a kids scavenger hunt, buy burgers and fries from the Swizzler food truck, and donate diapers, clothes, books and money to help young moms and dads in our DC high schools. The community raised over $300 to help purchase grocery gift cards.
 From left to right: Beth Perry of New Heights, Jessica Yurcheshen, President of EP&A, and a community member donating to a charitable cause. Photo credit: Paulo Couto
EP&A friends, neighbors and visitors alike donated diapers, clothes and books for the New Heights Program. Photo Credit: Paulo Couto
With Tanner Park breathing new life into the neighborhood , we look back on the year and are thankful for the support and enthusiasm from the community. Let’s continue to be thankful, humble and safe so we can look forward to what Eckington has to offer in 2021.
So What’s Next?
Annual Meeting and Elections: January 13, 2021 from 7 - 8 PM
Google Meet Link: (https://meet.google.com/jzs-mpat-vkr)
Elections: As we grow this new organization, we are seeking new board members to give new perspectives and ideas to help lead EP&A into 2021! The current EP&A board will help with a smooth transition to an exciting year ahead. Think of all the ways you can help shape the dog park, green spaces in Eckington, and promote arts and culture.
Positions include President, Vice President, Treasurer, Communications and Public Relations Director, and Secretary. Commitments include board meetings once a month, quarterly member meetings, fundraising, managing the dog park, advancing the mission, and shaping the strategic plan.
For self nominations and other questions, please email us at eckingtonparks@gmail.com.
Dog park cleaning and maintenance: Will continue every three weeks during the winter months. Next cleaning: January 4 @ 10 a.m.
Neighborhood Cleanup - Jan. 2 & Jan. 16
Join Eckington’s bi-monthly neighborhood cleanups on the first and third Saturdays of every month, 9 AM to 12 PM. If the weather fails to cooperate, we encourage you to find another time to help keep Eckington looking great.
Check out our social media feeds each month for neighborhood cleanup hotspots that could use a little extra love and attention. And be sure to tag us in before, during, and after photos so everyone can see the results of our neighborhood’s cleanup efforts: @EckingtonParks (#EckingtonGreenways) AND @eckingtoncivic (#EckingtonDC).
These scheduled cleanups will count towards volunteer hours to become a member of EP&A. Submit this Google Form after participating in the cleanup.
Spread the Word
Please forward this newsletter to your neighbors and friends to sign up. If you have anything to contribute, including park and public space photos for our social media accounts, please contact eckingtonparks@gmail.com.
Twitter: @EckingtonParks
Instagram: @EckingtonParks
Facebook: facebook.com/eckingtonparks
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