By Gabriella Dragone
Published April 22, 2026
PATERSON, NJ - Mayor Andre Sayegh led a community cleanup effort in downtown Paterson on Wednesday as part of the city’s observance of Earth Day, calling on residents to take an active role in improving their neighborhoods.
Volunteers gathered at City Hall before spreading out through the downtown area, joining city officials, students and community organizations in a hands-on effort to remove litter and promote environmental awareness.
“Happy Earth Day,” Sayegh said. “We are celebrating the 56th anniversary of this day of awareness, this day of action.” Sayegh reflected on the origins of Earth Day, noting its beginnings on April 22, 1970, when environmental awareness gained national attention.
“In this country, people became more cognizant of the fact that we have to protect our environment, and college students played a major role in it,” he said. “So to those students, those pioneers, we salute you.”
He emphasized that the city’s cleanup initiative is part of a broader effort to improve conditions across Paterson.
“This is not only a day of awareness, but a day of action,” Sayegh said. “We’ve hosted a series of community cleanups throughout the years, and today we’ve designated downtown as the area that we are going to clean up, and we need all hands on deck.”
The effort is tied to the city’s “Paterson is picking up” initiative, which Sayegh said aims to lead by example.
“We want to send a strong message that we’re not only leading by example, but cleaning by example as well,” he said. “If you left a mess, we’re going to clean it up, but you’ve got to leave it the way we left it: clean.”
Fifth Ward Councilman Luis Velez urged residents to take personal responsibility for maintaining their communities.
“If you are proud of your home, if you are proud of your business, come out and clean in front of your business and clean in front of your home,” Velez said. “We cannot do it by ourselves.”
Velez praised the city’s Department of Public Works for its ongoing efforts, noting that crews work “24 hours, seven days a week” to maintain cleanliness.
“No government can do it by itself if you don’t take the initiative to start doing it yourself,” he said. “Let’s keep working together and send a message to the world that Paterson is on the map for the right reasons.”
Students from John P. Holland Charter School also participated in the cleanup, marking their third time taking part in the initiative.
“We want to set an example for all of the young people around the city,” said Dr. Heru Keonte, who attended with students. “A lot of people complain about the trash, but they don’t do anything about it. Our students put their actions where their mouth is.”
Community organization City Green used the event to highlight environmental challenges facing urban areas, including rising temperatures linked to the urban heat island effect.
“Cities can be up to eight degrees hotter than surrounding areas,” said Jasmine Moriano of City Green. “One of the ways we combat that is by planting trees and expanding green spaces.”
Moriano announced that the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities has allocated $5 million statewide to address urban heat islands, with $60,000 awarded to support projects in Paterson.
The funding will be used to restore tree canopy at Eastside Park, expand community gardens and support greening initiatives in libraries and youth programs, she said.
“New Jersey is one of the fastest-warming states in the country,” Moriano added. “It’s important that we invest in projects that keep our communities safe, cool and environmentally sustainable.”
As the event concluded, Sayegh reiterated the importance of shared responsibility in maintaining the city’s cleanliness.
“Keeping Paterson clean starts with you,” he said. “Let’s stop pointing fingers, put our hands together and get to work.”