These teens say curb appeal is something they take seriously. 

"It really just affects how people look at the Island," said Akyra Cosey, our Staten Islander of the Week. "If you walk by a place and you know it's kind of rundown a bit rundown, it's like I really don't wanna go there." 

So, Cosey and other volunteers are lending a helping hand to help spruce up Staten Island streets. 

"Instead of walking by and seeing weeds and everything so we can take it out and make it look nice," said Lela Fluker, our Staten Islander of the Week. 

Several kids pitched-in for a beautification project Wednesday here outside the 120 precinct stationhouse. 

They say the effort plays a big role in making the community more inviting. 

"A lot of people think this is a bad neighborhood or something like that so we should try to make it nicer or more appealing to people," said Raymond Fuentes, our Staten Islander of the Week. 

The teens here are enrolled in the city's Summer Youth Employment Program. 

The initiative provides paid jobs for young residents throughout the summer. 

But they all chose to put in time off-the-clock to help mulch, weed and pickup litter. 

Local nonprofit H.E.A.L.T.H for Youths organized the project. 

"If young people start early and they start volunteering and giving back to the community then it just becomes part of who they are," said Heather Butts of H.E.A.L.T.H for Youths. 

That message is already ringing true with these volunteers.  

"It feels like I'm actually a part of something so when I come by I can say, 'hey I actually did that and I helped make it look the way it does,'" said Fluker.  

Members of this cleanup crew say they hope to inspire fellow youth to lend a hand in their neighborhood. 

"So they're not just sitting at home doing anything and they can go out and they can bring their friends with them and do it all together and have a fun time," said Cosey. 

And so, for doing their part to help their community blossom, these charitable teens are our Staten Islanders of the Week.