Letter: Port Parks Alliance has been formed
Letter to the Editor | The Daily News | February 3, 2023
To the editor:
We would like to introduce the Port Parks Alliance formed by a group of Newburyport residents who wish to make positive and tangible contributions to help ensure the success of our parks far into the future. The PPA is a newly formed non-profit, 501©(3) organization whose mission is to collaborate with the city of Newburyport and its stakeholders to support the care, preservation, and enhancement of Newburyport parks.
More specifically, we plan to bolster the missions of the Newburyport Parks Department and Parks Commission, as set out in the commission’s 10-year strategic plan adopted on Jan. 23, through independent fundraising for capital improvements; organizing of volunteers; and education and advocacy.
Note that PPA operations will include policies to ensure the full transparency and proper procedures for donations, encompassing acceptance and use of funds, and reporting to city staff.
By way of background, as founding board members we have each contributed to the parks over the years through serving on the Bartlett Mall Commission; grant writing and planning for interpretive sign installation; volunteering for cleanups, planting trees, and watering throughout drought periods; planning and conducting fundraisers and educational events; and contributing to the recent Parks Commission visioning sessions. Although we have all contributed in the past, we know our parks require constant care and consideration. Our parks don’t function on a “once and done” basis.
We are excited to get going in earnest over the coming months. We need your help to make this a success. Whether you have volunteered in the parks for years or would like to learn about opportunities to help us get started, please get in touch. You can reach us at: info@portparksalliance.com.
Andrea Eigerman,
PPA President Jim McCarthy, PPA Treasurer Stacey Macmillan,
PPA Secretary
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