Valentina Shamoun was having a hard time adjusting to life in Canada after her family moved here eight years ago to avoid escalating civil strife back home in Syria. I didn t have anything to do after school,” she said. “Everybody had their volleyball teams and their soccer teams and their guitar lessons, and I didn t really have the financial ability to have these after-school extracurricular things.
The now 18-year-old mentioned her frustrations to a friend involved in the after-school program at their local Boys and Girls Club (since rebranded as BGC Canada) in Scarborough and that took me on a whole journey to where I am today, she said in an interview.
Spring Cleanup draws big turnout as volunteers clean up streets, parks and beaches Volunteers with the Riverhead High School Key Club at Saturdays cleanup. (Credit: Tim Gannon)
About 200 volunteers took part in Saturday’s “Spring Cleanup,” picking up litter along approximately 35 streets, parks and beaches in Riverhead Town.
Saturday’s turnout exceeded that of two prior cleanup efforts, done in the spring and fall of 2019. Deborah Wetzel, chair of the anti-litter committee, who spoke at last Thursday’s Town Board work session, said the last spring cleanup drew about 40 volunteers and the fall cleanup drew about 85 people. (There were no cleanup days in 2020 due to COVID-19).
With Spring Cleanup set for Saturday, organizer hopes for a more permanent solution to addressing litter problem timesreview.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from timesreview.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Fulford was determined to start a program that would empower young girls.
She wanted to give them the tools to assist in achieving emotionally stable and self-confident futures. In hopes of bringing forth a generation of women who are strong, independent, and knowledgeable. I think the meaning changes for me daily at times, said Fulford. To me, I m just this black girl who had a dream and acted on it. Every tear that I have shed to create a pool was to have somebody swim across to their next opportunity. If I can use all the bad things in me to promote positive things to somebody else then I really believe that s my calling and I m doing what I m supposed to be doing.