Addabbo Hosts Successful Rain Barrel Giveaway This Past Weekend; Gears Up for Another One in July in Forest Hills

State Senator Joseph P. Addabbo, Jr. is partnering with the NYC Department of Environmental Protection (NYC DEP) to host free Rain Barrel Giveaways this summer. He gave away 100 barrels at an event on June 24th at Holy Child Jesus Catholic Academy in Richmond Hill. Now Senator Addabbo is gearing up for his next rain barrel giveaway to be held on Saturday, July 20, 2024, with Assemblymember Andrew Hevesi at Metropolitan Expeditionary Learning School (MELS), located at 91-30 Metropolitan Avenue in Forest Hills. 

Constituents must register in advance to reserve a barrel by calling Senator Addabbo’s Office at 718-738-1111 and live in either Senator Addabbo’s District or Assemblyman Hevesi’s district. Constituents must have their name, address and phone number put on the list. There is a limit of one barrel per household. 

At the event, registrants must show photo ID to confirm their name and address in order to claim their barrel. Distribution will be from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Any leftover barrels will be given to the public on a first-come first-served basis from noon to 1 p.m.

The 55-gallon plastic rain barrels attach to a rain gutter to collect and store excess water during periods of rainfall. That rainwater can then later be used to complete tasks around the house and outdoors, rather than using fresh water. The water collected in the rain barrels is not for drinking.

“Rain barrels are very useful tools that have a positive impact on residents,” Addabbo said. “With a quick and easy setup, the rain barrels can collect rainwater which can then be used for a wide range of tasks such as watering gardens, washing cars, cleaning windows and other chores. Residents with rain barrels attached to their homes not only preserve their drinking water, but they can also save some money on their water bills. I want to thank Assemblymember Hevesi, DEP and MELS for partnering on this important event.”

"Thanks to Senator Addabbo and his team for spearheading the effort and making sure these much sought-after resources are available for our community. These are proven to promote environmental resilience and are a great way for residents to save on water bills and have readily available water for household chores. Special shoutout to leadership at MELS for making this happen, and to DEP for their continued partnership," said Assemblymember Andrew Hevesi.