SALISBURY — Another block in Salisbury was beautified in the city’s 16th annual BlockWork.
The 500 and 600 blocks of West Liberty Street saw dozens of volunteers from around the city on Oct. 23 and 24 to help restore their block. With projects ranging from adding ramps to planting trees to painting houses, almost every house on the block got exterior renovations.
Peggy Streater from West Liberty Street has applied for the BlockWork program almost every year it has been offered. Streater watched as volunteers worked on the houses along the block.
“I’m just thankful for that program. I thank the Lord for that program, the program that comes together and works together,” Streater said.
Other neighbors like Michelle Bailey were thrilled to get some work done for herself and others on the street that could not do it themselves. Through the process, she met multiple of her neighbors for the first time.
“It shows me that the people that have my heart are still in this world. It’s really hard to find them when you’re just out here all by yourself, but when you come together with people like this, you can really make up some ground,” Bailey said.
The BlockWork program is sponsored by the City of Salisbury and works in conjunction with the Salisbury Housing Advocacy Commission and the Community Appearance Commission.
“It just warms my heart to see so many different people from different industries and professions come out and gather together to do a wonderful thing of improving our neighborhoods and continue to make Salisbury a wonderful place to live,” Rosalind Hines, chair of the Housing Advocacy Commission, said.
At 9 a.m. on Saturday after a welcome from City Council members and Mayor Tamara Sheffield, along with a ribbon cutting across the block, the volunteers set off to complete their work. By the end of the day, the bright new paint was left to dry,and newly planted trees and flowers to set roots on West Liberty Street.
