440 Bergen St,  Brooklyn, New York 11217

Wasan's CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility)

Community Support Service: Introducing Street Cleanup Activity by Big Apple Beautifiers

Every 3rd Sunday of the month, 9AM-11AM

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Big Apple Beautifiers (BAB), a group of volunteers, sponsored by Wasan, hold a monthly street cleanup to create a prototype of a totally clean and safe environment in the neighborhood.  

All of this is done in the spirit of collaboration and community building.  

 

Purposes:

(1) WE CARE ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENT

The litter on the streets can cause sanitary problems, ocean pollution, and global warming. 

The BAB is committed to the beautification of neighborhoods and protection of the environment through this cleaning activity, 

in the attitude of asking what you can do for the society, not asking what the society can do for you. 

 

(2)  WE CARE ABOUT THE COMMUNITY

There have been studies about the correlation between cleanliness and reducing crime rates. There is also a connection with community cleanliness and serenity of mind of its inhabitants. 

The BAB is committed to creating a friendly atmosphere with a smile, restoring clean images of the city, 

and building a prototype of a peaceful community here to be spread worldwide.

 

(3)  WE CARE ABOUT WHO WE ARE

Cleaning is a great opportunity of rejuvenating your soul and mind, transforming your life for better to live a significant life according to Japanese traditional beliefs.  The BAB believes that it is a remarkable chance to seek self-improvement and personal growth, and to powerfully learn and nurture yourself for achieving the highest levels of awareness through this opportunity. 

 

For more details:

http://nysoujienglish.seesaa.net/

 

Our Story:  Impact on the community

Big Apple Beautifiers founded in 2006 with friends of Terry Sato, the founder of BAB, and originally started in West Village, Manhattan, New York.

They have been consecutively holding the activity up until now, and over 300 volunteers have participated by 2020, collecting more than 3600 gallons of litter on the streets.

 

The most typical reactions from people when Terry started this street cleanup 15 years ago were:
"Who the heck are you?"
"You are insane!"
“You are sick!”

But they never gave up, and continued their volunteer activity with a smile.  

After long years of practice, people's reception has been so different and changed to:
"Thank You"
And,
"Finally I found you, guys! I was looking for you because I heard a lot about you!"

Terry heard similar feedback not from just one, but from many people.

 

Celebrating the 14th anniversary of BAB's foundation in September, 2020, was a real turnout for them.
Coincidentally, the neighbors in West Village, 7th Avenue South Alliance, did the Cleanup on the same day as the BAB did.  Not just one, other twelve block associations around the area including West Midtown, Chelsea, held the same street cleaning day around the weekend.  This movement seemed to steadily spread around in NY.  That's awesome!!,

 

Supposedly, BAB's continuous effort was contagiously imprinted in people's minds, and,

then, it created the feeling of gratitude, and that motivated them to plan the projects, and clean their own areas.

 

After October, 2020, they moved the base to Brooklyn, and now work with Wasan.

 

For more details:

http://nysoujienglish.seesaa.net/