On Friday, June 15th, Cliff’s Natural Resources hosted a day of service called Cliff’s Cares Day to help clean and spruce up Ohio City.  Hubbed at Fairview Park between West 32nd and West 38th Street, nearly 120 Cliff’s employees volunteered at six service locations set up throughout the neighborhood.  The projects included removing barbed wire from and painting the Kentucky Gardens fence, weeding and mulching the Fairview Park rain garden, sprucing up the Fairview Park baseball diamond, building and planting flowers in new planters at Fulton Foods and Vantage Place, and painting a house on West 50th Street.

Jim Bartolomucci, Vice President and Chief Risk Officer stated, “Cliffs' employees are committed to fostering community service projects across the Greater Cleveland area. We are delighted to collaborate with Ohio City Incorporated and help preserve a thriving community.”

Cliffs’ corporate office in Cleveland initiated a Community Outreach Committee in an effort to expand its volunteerism and outreach in the Greater Cleveland Area. The Committee identifies and organizes volunteer opportunities for employee community involvement and initiated the first Cliffs’ Cares Day in 2010.

“We were thrilled to host Cliffs Natural Resources to help beautify and maintain six sites in the neighborhood,” said Eric Wobser, Executive Director for Ohio City Incorporated. “Cliffs made a significant impact in the core of the community.”

After having expensive lead paint removal inside his historic home because of his small children, Dennis Quinones of West 50th Street had extensive repair and painting to do on the outside of his home.  Hearing that the City of Cleveland’s Paint Program was no longer available, Dennis contacted Ohio City Incorporated to see if there were any other options.  That’s when Cliff’s stepped in.

“All of the volunteers were like a breath of fresh air,” Dennis said.  “The project motivated me and got me excited about my house like I was 10 years ago when I first bought it.”

Cliff’s Cares Day not only made visible improvements throughout the neighborhood, but also empowered residents by showing how much work can get done in a small amount of time by working together.