Friends Of Grand Rapids Parks

The mission of Friends of Grand Rapids Parks is to empower people to cultivate vibrant parks, trees, and green spaces in the Grand Rapids community. Our vision is thriving parks and a sustainable urban forest that actively support our community's economic, environmental, and cultural health. Our organization was founded in 2008 with the belief that all kids in our community are entitled to experiences in parks and opportunities to connect with nature. For some children in our community, their neighborhood park is their backyard; a place to discover their hidden talents and a place to build confidence in trying new things. Great cities have great parks and FGRP asserts that every resident in our community deserves to live within walking distance of a safe and beautiful public green space. Friends of Grand Rapids Parks works in partnership with the Grand Rapids Parks Department to meet the goals of the City of Grand Rapids Master Plan by working with community members to create stewards for parks and trees. Our volunteer program connects thousands of residents with opportunities to beautify a park or plant a tree each year. We accomplish this through park events that bring people together. At many events, our staff gathers input from residents to elevate their voice in community revitalization, change misconceptions about green spaces and community parks, and to build healthy and active communities in the communal space that the park provides. In the past 10 years, contributions to FGRP have mobilized 14,000 volunteer hours for tree planting and park beautification, trained 90 volunteer citizen foresters, and activated 64 park and tree focused events every year.