The Northeast and Caribbean Region supports a variety of community outreach endeavors.  In addition to small business programs which actively seek to engage local businesses in federal contracting opportunities, the region supports the following initiatives and programs that demonstrate GSA’s goal to carry out social, environmental, and other responsibilities:

Good Neighbor Program: The Region is an avid supporter of the PBS Good Neighbor Program. Public space at regional federal facilities is often made available for events and activities such as weekly greenmarkets and cultural activities. Federal building lobbies have hosted performances and art exhibits. The following are some specific examples of the Region’s neighborly activities:

-  A federal courthouse is “In the Pink” each year for Breast Cancer Awareness. Regional associates at the Alfonse M. D’Amato U.S. Courthouse in Islip, (NY) work with local breast cancer awareness groups to enable the D’Amato Courthouse to join famous structures around the world in the Estee Lauder Companies’ Global Landmarks Illumination Initiative. The initiative’s goal is to focus public attention on breast cancer awareness and research. During October, Breast Cancer Awareness Month, a number of internationally recognized structures, including the Empire State Building, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, the Vienna Rathous, and the Paris Obelisque, are illuminated in pink, the color signifying breast cancer awareness. 

- For the past several years the Syracuse federal building’s spacious plaza has been home to the summertime Parties in the Plaza, sponsored by the Updowntowners of Syracuse.  The group, which promotes downtown business, social, and cultural activities, holds annual grant lotteries to distribute the proceeds it raises from these popular weekly events that help to support downtown improvement efforts. Last year, in thanks for supporting the Updowntowners annual events, the group awarded a grant to the federal building’s child care center to apply to the purchase of a piano.

- To camouflage unsightly construction fencing, student art projects have been launched in conjunction with several major construction projects. The student artwork – painted on large wooden panels, is affixed to the regular fencing around the worksite. Students are encouraged to explore several specific themes, all of which involve some research and relate in some way to the local area or the specific project, in order to create their work. One of these projects, sponsored during the construction of the Ted Weiss Federal Building in lower Manhattan, was recognized with a GSA Design Award. Continuing its tradition of engaging local schools in its local major building projects, the Region also sponsored an essay contest in which students were asked to explore such civic minded topics as the meaning of good citizenship and the role of courts in our society

(Federal facilities are made available on a case by case basis and security is a key consideration. Any group interested in finding out if a local federal building plaza or lobby is available, should contact the building office. A link to a listing of significant regional buildings can be found on the left hand side of this screen).

Volunteerism Initiative: The Region has established a volunteer service corps in support of President Bush’s initiatives to give back to communities. GSA associates have adopted parks in local communities. Working with local parks department personnel, the associates periodically spend an afternoon raking out debris and undergrowth and working to make the park a cleaner, more enjoyable place for all. This initiative also supports the Good Neighbor Program. 

Combined Federal Campaign (CFC): The Northeast and Caribbean Region strongly supports the Combined Federal Campaign each year as regional associates contribute to raise tens of thousands of dollars through the CFC to benefit thousands of non-profit charities. Last year the Region was honored with one of the CFC’s Goal Buster Awards to recognize contributions of regional associates that exceeded the region’s goal. 

Holiday Toy and Food Drives: Under the auspices of the Region’s property management responsibilities, the Region hosts various toy and food drives in many of its federal facilities throughout the holiday and other seasons. Efforts range from adopt–a-family programs, in which GSA associates team up to provide all that is necessary for a happy holiday for a needy family, to the annual Red Cross of Greater New York Toy and Book Drive at the regional headquarters in NYC which the Red Cross has identified as their largest single New York City collection site. Seasonal food drive, held at federal facilities in lower Manhattan result in  donations of thousands of pounds of food annually that is collected by a local organization and redistributed to food banks and soup kitchens in the area.