Allentown Residents and Community Organizations Turn Out to ‘Love Their Block’
On Friday, April 25, 2025, more than 100 kids from the Franklin Park neighborhood in Allentown gathered with purpose – and a whole lot of energy – for a post-Earth Day celebration that turned care for the planet into a celebration of community.
Organized by Franklin Park community members and supported by Love Your Block, a resident-led initiative managed by the City of Allentown, the event was a vibrant display of neighborhood pride, civic action and youth leadership. Under the direction of Avery Daniels, Allentown’s Love Your Block Project Manager, the day was more than just trash bags and gloves; it offered a vision of what happens when a community comes together. Key partners in the effort include Ripple Community Inc., Cohesion Network and Community Bike Works.
“What we saw in Franklin Park three days after Earth Day was a powerful example of the good that can happen when a neighborhood shares a common vision,” Daniels says. “That’s what Love Your Block is all about, building something beautiful together.
“We’ll continue to support and lead as many neighborhood efforts as it takes to keep that momentum going and engage more neighbors,” he adds.
The day also involved Community Bike Works, an organization dedicated to racial and economic justice and equality, and “teaching students life lessons through bicycles.” Youth from the area met in Franklin Park before fanning out across the surrounding blocks, collecting litter from sidewalks, streets and alleyways. In just one hour, participants collected a remarkable 512 pounds of trash – a clear reflection of both the need and the power of collective action.
But the cleanup was just the beginning of a more meaningful community effort.
After their hard work, volunteers returned to the park for an afternoon filled with food, games, music and connection. Franklin Park became more than just a gathering space; it became a site of renewal, joy and togetherness.
This event, as a celebration of Earth Day, was one of several community-led efforts supported by Love Your Block. In May 2024, Allentown was one of 16 cities awarded $100,000 to participate in the Bloomberg Center for Public Innovation’s Love Your Block grant program. The program funds resident-led neighborhood revitalization projects in U.S. cities. From transforming vacant lots into community gardens to repairing playground equipment to removing trash and debris from a public right-of-way, the program supports cities as it enables residents to design, develop and deliver programs and policies that improve communities.
At Leonard Parker Pool Institute for Health, we’re proud to support and partner with an array of initiatives that advance community wellness through action, collaboration and celebration, including ones like Love Your Block. The Earth Day recognition in Franklin Park was a testament to what’s possible when young people lead, neighbors support and a whole city says, “We love our block.”