Operation Watts Is Worth It

Great Streets | June 23, 2018

We kicked off our first of five project days on a central corridor in the heart of Watts. Veterans, community members and Target volunteers fanned out across four blocks branching off from 103rd Street. The area is part of Mayor Eric Garcetti’s Great Streets Initiative, a city-wide program that aims to re-imagine neighborhood centers by activating streets as public spaces. Our mission: to help restore and revitalize the blocks with an overhaul of color, greenery and activities. A local mural artist guided volunteers in their painting of butterflies, wrapping block after block of cement planters which were cleared of debris and filled with sustainable plants. Within the corridor, we added sidewalk games and chess tables for all ages to engage in together. The project’s high-traffic location at Great Streets set the tone for the coming week’s service projects in the Watts community, and the beautification of a local shared space for passerby to enjoy.

What We Accomplished

Landscaped & Pruned:

• Native plants in 80 cement planters

Built:

• 1 outdoor seating, trash cans, 2 lending libraries, and 2 outdoor chess tables

Painted:

• 4 city blocks and sidewalk games

Nickerson Gardens | June 24, 2018

For project day two, we set up camp in the recreational area of Nickerson Gardens, one of four public housing developments in Watts. With over 1,000 units, the development is home to many families and youth who lack access to safe outdoor play areas. Our mission: to create more outdoor opportunities for positive community engagement and well-being. The veterans along with scores of VoluntEARS from The Walt Disney Company joined in the efforts, along with mural artists and local youth excited to help. A concrete skate park and handball courts were transformed with colorful murals and the grounds were landscaped with sustainable plants and walking paths. To support team activities, the softball field and blacktop received a complete overhaul. Throughout the day, children came out by the dozens to pitch in, marvel at the work and best of all, enjoy their new play spaces.

What We Accomplished

Landscaped:

• 1 Boys and Girls Club entrance and installed 1 new walking trail

Rebuilt:

• 1 basketball court in preparation for resurfacing and built 1 set of outdoor seating

Painted:

• 2 murals and 1 public skate park

Jordan High School | June 25, 2019

Jordan High School has undergone an incredible renovation in the past few years. For project day three, we joined in the efforts to lend an extra group of capable hands. The school serves local youth from the neighboring four public housing developments. Our mission: veterans and community members serving together to create a positive example of civic engagement. Volunteers from Kaiser Permanente Downey Medical Center supported the service along with former players from the Los Angeles Dodgers. We built dugouts at the softball field, repainted the basketball court, installed an indoor gym and more. Students attending summer school were excited to see the mass of volunteers making a visible difference across their campus. This project is another step forward in our continued investment in Jordan High School.

What We Accomplished

Built:

• 1 outdoor classroom with 1 chicken coop

Re-painted:

• The school’s iconic “love” mural

Overhauled:

• 2 courtyards with trash cleanup, new landscaping, and outdoor seating

99th Street Elementary | June 26, 2018

What a difference a group of volunteers can make! Project day four was a major overhaul at 99th Street Elementary School. Joined by our partners from CarMax, we divided and conquered throughout the learning center, schoolyard and an overgrown garden. In 2008, the school entered the Partnership for Los Angeles Schools as one of their original 10 schools.

Since joining the Partnership, they’ve seen an influx of returning students and community engagement. Our mission: set the stage to further the ongoing efforts by the school to foster a connection with students and their families. Among the many projects, volunteers brought a neglected garden back to life by clearing the brush, landscaping and building outdoor teaching and gardening areas. Students returning in the fall will be greeted with a beautiful new outdoor space to learn and play.

What We Accomplished

Created:

• 1 sensory garden that includes 1 outdoor classroom, 1 rainbow river and 1 wishing well

Built:

• 21+ new seating areas, including tree benches and adirondack chairs

Painted:

• 1 playground area and 1 large mural

Joyner Elementary | June 27, 2018

Florence Griffith-Joyner Elementary School serves nearly 700 students in the Watts community. Through its participation in Turnaround Arts: California, the school is making strides to support its students with an educational focus on the arts. Our final project day provided an added boost, with the help of volunteers from CarMax and the LA Galaxy, in achieving the academic goals of Florence Griffith Joyner Elementary. Our mission: to elevate the emphasis on the arts while infusing energy through service to create appealing and safe areas for students. Three outdoor classrooms were built, complete with bleacher seating and mobile chalkboards. An old classroom was transformed into a dance studio, outdoor murals elevating the arts covered the handball courts and a soccer field was painted in the schoolyard. Local youth decorated rocks for a garden built in the atrium, so they could leave a lasting impression of their individual impact on the school’s beautification.

What We Accomplished

Built:

• 3 outdoor classrooms

Repainted:

• 25,000 sq feet of asphalt to create a full-sized soccer field, and 4 large murals

Transformed:

• 1 old classroom into a dance studio