North Greenwood On the Rise, But It’s not Crime

CLEARWATER, Fla., April 14, 2016 -- North Greenwood residents and volunteers from groups such as: The Way to Happiness Association Tampa Bay; the Church of Scientology; and the Foundation for a Drug Free World, will band together for an environmental cleanup this Sunday, 17 April from 1 to 3pm. The cleanup will kick off from the Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center and volunteers will target specific areas in the neighborhood in the name of environmental beautification, fellowship and safety for the community.

North Greenwood, a municipal zone located half a mile from Coachman Park housing over 7,000 residents, known as a cultural hub decades ago had in recent years become designated as a high-crime, low-income neighborhood. With a peak in crime in July 2015, a recent report released from the Pinellas County government, showed a 56% drop in the crime rate since.

Per the National Crime Prevention Council, there are twenty techniques that one can use to reduce crime in a community. These include having a neighborhood watch, educational presentations by the police, directories of services, celebrating neighborhood accomplishments and promoting environmental clean-ups.

From a survey conducted, Greenwood has seen all of the above recently, such as community sports events providing scholarships, community centers with educational programs for youth and adults, a City of Clearwater Neighborhood Patrol Substation, and neighborhood beautification projects.

One group that focuses on beautification projects is The Way to Happiness Association which has been carrying out environmental clean-ups throughout Pinellas County and beyond. Based on the common-sense guide to better living, written by humanitarian L. Ron Hubbard, the group has engaged in three community cleanups since beginning of 2016. “The good Lord said we should help our neighbor, and that’s exactly what we’re out to do,” stated Bob Kenne, cleanup coordinator. The cleanups rally at the Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center where volunteers go out to targeted zones and clean up foliage, trash, even old tires.

“I live in the neighborhood and have met some very good people while here,” stated Joe Creek, a volunteer with the group, “I plan to continue helping and working together with residents to make our community even safer for all.”

If you would like to join in on the next cleanup or find out more about The Way to Happiness Association Tampa Bay, please visit the center on 33 N. Fort Harrison Avenue, call 727-467-6961, or visit www.thewaytohappiness.org.

The Way to Happiness:
The Way to Happiness book was written and published by L. Ron Hubbard in 1981, with 21 moral principles comprising a common-sense guide to better living. Its purpose is to help arrest the current moral decline in society and restore integrity and trust to humankind. The campaign to distribute the book has been embraced by more than 257,000 groups and individuals, with some 115 million copies given out in 186 nations.

Pat Harney
727-467-6860