Adopt-A-Park Program

Adopt-A-Park Program The Adopt-a-Park program is based on the premise that citizens make a difference in ensuring that every neighborhood park and every lakefront beach is clean, safe and well maintained. By adopting a park in your neighborhood, you can make a difference in the way your park looks and operates. Adopting groups work with Friends of the Parks, the Chicago Park District and the City of Chicago by working a minimum of four days a year on park enhancement projects. The work days could include:

• removing litter and recycling
• sweeping and picking up up glass
• mulching trees
• planting flowers, shrub and tree
• pruning
• watering grass
• painting and minor repairing of equipment
• spreading woodchips around play equipment
• removing graffiti

The Steps to Adopt-A-Park:

1. Select a park (or a portion of a larger park), beach, or children’s playground. Fill out the Adopt-A-Park form and send it to the Friends of the Parks office.
2. Download Adopt A Park Form
3. Notify the park supervisor that you would like to adopt the park.
4. Conduct a park assessment survey to identify projects that you can do at the park (i.e. graffiti removal, fixing lights, planting or mulching trees, cleaning up litter.)
5. Identify an Adopt-a-Park Coordinator to serve as Friends of the Parks’ contact.

Coordinators Responsibilities include:

1. Recruiting volunteers for the Adopt-a-Park group.
2. Scheduling the park workdays. Adopting groups agree to complete four workdays during the year. Schedule workdays when the majority of your group is available. Inform your volunteers and Friends of the Parks at least a week before the designated park workday.
3. Obtaining necessary materials and tools from Friends of the Parks and the Chicago Park District: After assessing the needs of your park, you may need to obtain materials (i.e. garbage bags, paint, paint brushes, rakes, trowels, work gloves, hammers). Friends of the Parks and the Chicago Park District will supply these materials.

Friends of the Parks, the Chicago Park District and the City of Chicago appreciate your involvement and your commitment to improve your park. As an Adopt-a-Park group you will receive:

• Acknowledgment You’ll be recognized in Friends of the Parks’ newsletter, which is distributed to more than 4,000 active Chicago-area environmentalists.
• Recognition Adopt-a-Park groups will be awarded a special Friends of the Parks’ Adopt-a-Park certificate. They will also receive Friends of the Parks’ quarterly Volunteers in Parks newsletter and mailings on volunteer events.
• Service Learning Hours Students participating in the Adopt-a-Park program will receive service learning hours for being part of the program.
• Partnership Partnership with Friends of the Parks, a well-respected nonprofit organization that is visible throughout Chicago, the Chicago Park District and the City of Chicago.
• Invitations Invitations to Friends of the Parks’ annual Volunteer Appreciation Party and the Chicago Park District’s Recognition Reception and Neighborhood Assembly.
• Pride As an Adopt-a-Park group, you will have pride knowing that you care enough about your park or beach to make a personal commitment to improve and protect it.

Who to Contact
Mary Eileen Sullivan
312-857-2757
sullivanme@fotp.org

Friends of The Parks FOTP is the public’s strongest and most effective advocate for preserving, protecting and improving all of Chicago’s treasured parks. Please help us Continue this tradition by Adopting a park Today!