Mission
The mission of Family and Friends of Abner Clay Park is to continue with the protection and improvement of our beloved park through community collaboration, support, and love. It is not about the ‘I’ or the ‘me’ it is about the ‘We’. We are family and friends working through compassion and love as supporters of the park.
Recognizing that Volunteers are our most important resource.
Establishing partnerships within the community is another key factor. Our community is unique with residents, Engine Company 5, served by the 4th Police Precinct, under the 2nd District, Parks and Recreation is our umbrella, Historic Jackson Ward Association, bordered on one side by a parking lot and Richmond Success Academy, filled with faith-based churches (Ebenezer, Lux, Third Street Bethal, Mt. Moriah Baptist and others), Club 533, Elegba Folklore Society, numerous businesses, surrounded by hotels, Virginia Commonwealth University, and soon to be within a couple of years -Ronald McDonald House.
It takes a community to raise up a community.
Cities and public parks in our nation face many challenges. In public parks, all people are welcome to recreate, relax, and rest while following park rules and park hours (5 a.m. - 11 p.m.)
Many challenges do not deserve a quick fix, but a long term solution. We want to address each challenge as humanly as possible.
We need to approach the unhoused with compassion, dignity, and respect while looking at the barriers and challenges that they currently face.
Taggers/Graffiti/Street Artis the markings, etching, and painting that we commonly see. We need to look at the why in order to determine the most effective measures.
Litter is a social, economic, and environmental challenge. With cigarette butts being the number one item thrown. We will look at trash bin placement, and how often trash is picked up by the city.
Crime/Disorder in a park is realistically difficult to police and patrol; however, the more active a park is the more ‘eyes we have on the street’. We want to address the lighting, natural vegetation (landscaping) that might inhibit surveillance, and tailored safety measures during peak park usage times.