Among the Geneva Park District’s seven core values is customer commitment – an ever-present desire to serve our community.
This is reflected in various aspects of our operations – in the friendly smiles welcoming visitors as they walk through our doors, in the artful placement of plants and flowers that create a landscape of beauty, and in the many programs and special events that are held throughout the year. Each of these acts culminate in our goal to exceed customers’ expectations and inspire them to live their best life.
Trending now: Parks
Customer commitment includes implementing tools that help us gather and respond to the interests of the patrons we serve. Recently, for example, we learned from our website management tools that a trending search term online at the moment is “Parks near me.”
This trend seems logical, given the abundance of benefits these spaces can impart. Research tells us that parks provide a multitude of benefits for physical and mental health, as well as social functioning and youth development. According to a summary of research by the National Recreation and Park Association, “In addition to enhancing physical health, the presence of neighborhood parks … promotes psychological well-being.”
For example, NRPA cites that a study of elderly residents in Tokyo found those living in neighborhoods with walkable green spaces lived longer and reported better functional status. Another study summarized by NRPA finds that “people living adjacent to green spaces knew more of their neighbors, reported a stronger feeling of belonging and were more supportive of each other.”
Welcome to the parks
As part of our customer commitment, we strive to create welcoming opportunities built around this desire to visit the district’s nearly 50 parks.
If your household is looking to discover such an experience, Cookouts in the Park may be of interest to you. Each summer, the Geneva Park District invites residents to a handful of neighborhood parks to play on new equipment, connect with neighbors and enjoy the open, green spaces.
On Aug. 16, we invite you to Hathaway Park from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. to enjoy the new playground equipment that was installed in the spring. Hot dogs and refreshments will be served at no cost and there will be family-friendly tunes.
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Hidden gems year-round
If you are looking to discover additional parks and the trails, playgrounds and fishing spots they may offer, why not have some fun and select a park at random. Chances are there are some you didn’t even know existed! Our website provides an interactive online directory of all Geneva Park District parks at https://www.genevaparks.org/interactive-google-map/.
We hope this inspires you to plan a visit to Clover Hills, Elm or Mill Creek Community parks, just to name a few. Like our staff, they are waiting to welcome you!