On September 13th, WSPC welcomed a new member to the team! Margaret (Maggie) Dymes is an NYC Civic Corps member, who will be serving in the role of Volunteer Programs Manager. She’ll be working with volunteers in the Park over the next 10 months.

NYC Civic Corps, an AmeriCorps program launched in 2009 by NYC Service, recruits and places AmeriCorps members to serve full-time from September 2021 to July 2022 at select nonprofit organizations. NYC Civic Corps members build, develop, and grow volunteer programs by recruiting, managing, and engaging volunteers to make a positive impact in New York City and the communities they serve.

“I applied to AmeriCorps because I wanted to get more involved in the city,” says Maggie. “My family is from here —my grandparents are from Harlem and my mom grew up in the Bronx. I’ve always felt like I’m part of the community here even though I grew up in Westchester. The city has always been such a big part of my life, and I want to give back.”

It won’t take long for Maggie to start making an impact in the Park. She’ll be coordinating volunteer efforts, working with everyone from one-time volunteers at the monthly clean ups to our committed volunteers who come on a regular basis to help with trash pick up, gardening, interacting with Park users, and taking photos. She’ll be getting hands-on experience running the application and orientation process and managing in-Park programs, sometimes with dozens of volunteers to coordinate!

“I’m really looking forward to spending more time in Washington Square Park. It’s such a beautiful space, and I find the contrast between this being a pocket of nature in the middle of such a dense urban landscape really interesting.”

Keep an eye out for Maggie as you spend time in the Park and be sure to say hello to help welcome her into her new role!