“Reusey Lucy” is the name.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s a fully electric truck used by Materials for the Arts, also known as MFTA, named by third graders at P.S. 17 in Astoria. In particular, it was Anna Suarez who proposed the idea.\u00a0<\/p>\n
What You Need To Know<\/b><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI was trying to find a fun name that would be like a fun pun, so I thought of reusing, so I thought Reusey Lucy,\u201d said Suarez.<\/p>\n The students, led by classmate Sophia Santana, also named the MFTA fully electric van Buttercup. The vehicles are used to collect donated materials from across the city and make them available to arts nonprofits, public schools and city agencies for free.<\/p>\n MFTA, a city Department of Cultural Affairs program, has been doing this for nearly 50 years.<\/p>\n \u201cOur teachers and not-for-profits and any arts organization can sign up through our website, and then, from there, they get approved. Once approved, they become a member, and with that membership, they can schedule shopping appointments Tuesdays and Thursdays, and whatever you can take is yours to keep from the warehouse for free-99,\u201d said Miyah Harris, the education coordinator at MFTA.<\/p>\n The program ensures that materials are kept out of landfills and given another life in art projects and school plays. Items include fabric, paper, electronics, theater equipment and paint.<\/p>\n \u201cToday the artist uses everything, and that\u2019s the beauty of it, because we want everyone to know that everyone is an artist and all they have to do is look around and find those reused materials and just get started,\u201d said John Kaiser, the director of education and gallery director at MFTA.<\/p>\n The kids at P.S. 17 got to have some fun with their newly delivered materials and received swag bags to thank them for their participation in the naming process. Teachers said they are eager to reuse the donated items for projects in the next school year.<\/p>\n \u201cIn our building, we are so pro-arts that we have these programs, and our kids enjoy art, so let\u2019s continue to promote art so we can have it,\u201d said Jamila Christie, a teacher at the school.<\/p>\n The electric vehicles were acquired through the Department of Citywide Administrative Services, also known as DCAS. It\u2019s part of New York City\u2019s commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions.<\/p>\n Last year, MFTA collected more than 4.1 million pounds of materials valued at nearly $17 million, distributing them to 2,500 member organizations, schools and public agencies across the five boroughs.<\/p>\n\n