New York City is home to hundreds of parks, and the city depends on volunteer efforts to make sure they remain beautiful and accessible to everyone. This last Saturday, CCIP (www.theccip.com) exchange visitors were among those volunteers helping with the beautification efforts.

“We came to help out in whatever way they needed,” said Vaishnavi Salil Ghale, a student at Singapore Institute of Management, and one of the activity coordinators. “It was a good day to be out in the park, and none of the work was too hard. It was a lot of fun, actually.”

The exchange visitors are learning about American culture while they live here for the summer and intern with companies throughout New York City. One aspect of the culture they are learning about is the spirit of volunteerism. The visitors are taught that in America, volunteering is considered an important value and encouraged from a young age.

“Giving your time to help the greater society is a remarkable thing,” Pavendeep Kaur explained. Pavendeep also served as an activity coordinator for this day of volunteering and is a student at the City University of Hong Kong. “Even in the few hours we were out in the park, there was a clear difference thanks to the efforts of everyone working together.”

Cunningham Park was named in 1934 and ever since has been a gathering space for locals in Queens, as well as a tourist destination for visitors to the city. On any given day, people can be found playing football or basketball, barbecuing, or just lying out and enjoying the open space. At 358 acres, Cunningham Park is one of the largest parks in the entire borough.