Spend time in Hyattsville, MD, and it’s hard not to leave with a warm impression of the colorful, diverse, and welcoming community. It’s a town of artists, thinkers, and creators, and the Hyattsville Community Development Corp. exists to ensure that the vibrant nature of the area is preserved and nurtured. They develop the arts and public spaces in the area, making sure that there’s a plan and leadership in place to foster the economic development of Hyattsville at the same time as they grow the arts.
Inspired By People and Places
Asked what motivates their work, Stuart Eisenberg, Executive Director, says, “The revitalization of Hyattsville and its neighboring communities has so many inspiring facets. At the most basic, it’s the people, places, and things here that are truly amazing.”
He explains that their Hyattsville neighbors, whether they’re businesses, organizations, or individual residents, are all working and striving to realize the greatest potential of the community. “Those ceaseless efforts and their ongoing realization keep my team and I primed to perform,” says Eisenberg.
This work has included projects like traffic box art wrap installations, the restoration of Sis’s Tavern, and the annual celebration of Arts & Ales: the Downtown Hyattsville Arts Festival.
Giving This Community-Driven Work a Home
This hard work, of course, needs a home. And it’s only fitting that the Hyattsville Community Development Corp. would rescue and restore a historic building in the process. Through a Community Forklift Community Building Block (CBB) grant, they were able to further move along the restoration of their storied headquarters.
Using a 19-piece set of white painted kitchen cabinets, which the organization acquired using a CBB grant, the team was able to build out a kitchen. “This is part of our economic development programming. We intervened to prevent our current headquarters from being demolished, and we are restoring it to its former usefulness and glory,” says Eisenberg.
And, because there’s no limit to where you can incorporate historically accurate finds, Eisenberg laughs, “Frankly, every single time we use the restroom at our office, we thank Community Forklift for the period-matching 2-over-2 raised panel three-foot wide door for our historically appropriate privacy!”
Supporting Community Togetherness Through Community Building Blocks
Community Building Block grants empower organizations in our community, like the Hyattsville Community Development Corp., to continue their meaningful work. They use the warehouse credit to make an impact on their organization and the people they serve. We know there are so many groups doing incredible work in the DC area, and, if you believe your organization would benefit from a CBB grant, you can find more information and apply here.
“We intervened to prevent our current headquarters from being demolished, and we are restoring it to its former usefulness and glory.”
Every time you donate or shop at Community Forklift, you’re helping us lift up local communities through reuse. We turn the construction waste stream into a resource stream for communities in the DC region – by keeping perfectly good items out of the landfill, preserving historical materials, providing low-cost building supplies, and creating local green jobs.
