On Saturday, April 18, 2026, more than 100 people gathered at Beach 86th Street in Rockaway Beach for a community cleanup organized by New York State Senator James Sanders Jr. and CISTA 4 Clean Water Inc. The event brought together families, students, seniors, and local organizations to mark Earth Day weekend.
TFFJ CEO Dr. Meghan Groome attended, along with Co-Founder and Co-Chair Tara Swibel, Board Member Ian Forster, and their family members. Far Rockaway is home to TFFJ’s growing Far Rockaway Farm Hub, which now operates farms at three schools, with two more underway. The cleanup offered a natural extension of that work, opening conversations with families in Far Rockaway and continuing to build relationships with community organizations working on environmental justice, youth development, and food security across the Rockaways.
The gathering drew remarks from elected officials and organizational leaders, each connecting the day’s cleanup to something larger. Dr. Groome spoke about the value of intergenerational work, pointing to the age range in attendance: toddlers, a large group of children, college students, and about a dozen seniors from a local senior center. Assembly Member Khaleel Anderson connected the cleanup to economic development, noting that Rockaway Beach is the only surf beach in New York City and a growing center for tourism in Far Rockaway. The beach looked “clean” at first glance, but volunteers still collected 30 bags of trash during the two-hour cleanup. Litter hides in sand, between rocks, and along the waterline. More than 25 organizations participated, including the Lions Club, a local Girl Scout troop, EcoRise, Venus EcoGirl, Rise the Tide, and QueensLink. The Campaign Against Hunger, a community partner of The Scholars’ Academy Farm that distributes TFFJ-grown produce to the broader Far Rockaway community, also joined the effort. ❦
Pamela Honey is the Communications & Content Coordinator at Teens For Food Justice.
