On Thursday, March 23 at 8 a.m., a group of community members, volunteers and Roanoke Parks and Recreation’s park management team gathered in Melrose Park‘s shelter. Mayor Lea welcomed the group with words of encouragement before the group broke out into smaller teams and quickly got to work. The volunteer work day, organized by Habitat for Humanity of the Roanoke Valley and funded by a Lowes grant, was an all-day event designed to revitalize the Melrose-Orange neighborhood.
Here is some Facebook Live coverage of the media event:
Organizers had a big list of tasks to achieve in just eight hours:
- Construct a new wheelchair ramp to Zion Church beside Melrose Park, making the popular community building more accessible.
- Remove and replace all of the bricks on the path that cuts through Melrose Park.
- Add landscaped flower gardens alongside the Melrose Park shelter.
MELROSE PARK BEFORE AND AFTER:
The pathway that cuts through Melrose Park’s sloping hill was not well-secured and needed to be replaced. The path’s armoring bricks splayed outward, allowing the bricks to spread apart and become uneven. By 8:30 in the morning, volunteers were eager to begin tearing up the path, brick by brick. This is what the path looked like before:
This is what the path looked like by the end of the day. Sitting a little deeper in the ground, the pathway will be more protected and sturdy.
At the top of the hill beside the picnic shelter, volunteers awaited a shipment of fresh flowers. Prepped by Roanoke’s Parks and Recreation staff beforehand, these empty dirt beds were ready to be filled with new soil and vibrant plant life.
By the end of the day, the concrete pathway leading to the shelter was transformed.
Thanks to the hard work of Habitat for Humanity, Lowes, our Park Management crews and the dozens of volunteers who helped, this neighborhood revitalization work day was certainly a success!
Looking for ways to get involved in Roanoke’s Parks?
From trail work or gardening on Mill Mountain to our Greenway Ambassador or Tree Steward programs, there are plenty of ways to give back to your community and enjoy the outdoors through Roanoke Parks and Recreation. If you’re looking for ways to get involved, please visit our Volunteer Page!
