The Corey McNair Foundation, an initiative established to facilitate community service projects, build community engagement and spark dialogue between law enforcement and city residents, has hosted its third community event in the North Ward on Sunday, August 23rd.

A newly established foundation that sets out to bridge the disconnect between the community and law enforcement in the greater Trenton area, the Corey McNair Foundation holds an advocacy component that aims to provide services to residents throughout the community in various ways. To continue bringing its mission to life, the foundation hosted its third event by setting up a community service project aimed to restore a senior’s backyard. 

Julie Lawrence, an 85-year-old senior located in the North Ward, was selected by community members to be the recipient of the third Corey McNair Foundation community service project. As part of this initiative, numerous groups and organizations throughout the city come together as one to revitalize and clean up a backyard that had been unkempt for many years. Present at the cleanup were County Commissioner Samuel Frisby, Trenton Councilman Joe Harrison, Trenton Board of Education member Jeannie Weakliem, along with individuals from Moms Demand Action, Union Baptist Church, the Trenton Police Department, the East Trenton committee, and Trenton volunteer organizations.

“We have so many people come out and I am humbled that people would get together to help me, and my mom,” says Patrica Stokes, the daughter of Lawrence. “When Corey called me, I was emotional because the day before he called me, I just said I had to pay somebody to come out and do my mother’s yard. This is remarkable, that people care especially for the older people that can’t take care of their homes anymore. I’m ready to go to the next house now and be apart of this because what they’re doing for me I have to give back.”

As many personal and difficult circumstances have impacted the senior and her family throughout the years, it had been very hard to keep up with backyard care, which is why the community service project was established as a way to give back and provide additional assistance to Trenton residents; especially to seniors in positions that make them unable to.

“My mother did a lot for a lot of people and you know what, she would continue to do it if she was able to do it physically,” says Jan Stokes, another son of Lawrence. “As long as she is satisfied, I’m cool.”

With the sweat and hard work of individuals within the Trenton and Mercer County area, the senior’s backyard had been revitalized and refreshed with the planting of new and beautiful flowers, laying down of mulch, cleaning, and staining of a deck that had been neglected for over 10 years, and a fresh painting of the rear of her home later making the yard even more beautiful. 

“I’m here because officer Corey put out a call for the community to come out and help Ms. Lawrence revitalize her home…any time I can help my elders I want to do that,” says Teska Frisby a community member involved with the cleanup. “Today we de-weeded a very old tree…put down some mulch and some beautiful rocks, and then we went to the front of the garden and put in some plants as well.”

“Respecting our elders and showing them that they paved the way, at the very least we should show our gratitude by coming out and helping them when and where we can.”

“This just gives me reassurance that God wants to deposit love and joy back into the lives of community members especially our seniors,” says Corey McNair Founder of the Foundation. 

An event that brought community figures and members together to achieve the prime mission of giving back signified what it means to continue blessing the lives of others which ended in bringing joy to the life of Ms.Lawrence and her family. 

For more information on getting involved visit the Corey McNair Foundation on Facebook, send an email to CoreyMcNairFoundation@gmail.com, or reach out via phone to 609-943-8701. If interested in donating, donate through Cash App with money tag $CoreyMcnairFD.

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