GREENSBORO, N.C. — A community day was held in East Greensboro's Willow Oaks neighborhood.
At least 250 people gathered at the corner of Dunbar Street and Linda Jones Circle for the event.
An organizer tells WFMY News 2 they have had to host smaller events for years due to safety concerns at nearby Bingham Park.
Currently, the park entrances have metal gates and signs warning people to keep away due to contaminated soil.
Bingham Park was built on a former waste plant and landfill that operated in the 1920's and 1950's.
Some community members said the parks ongoing issues effects how the surrounding neighborhood hosts it's usual community events, but they aren't letting this keep them a part.
"It would be lovely to have Bingham Park as an opportunity to do large community events like this, but we've been doing this over the last three years," Tiarra Brown said.
She is the Director of Community Engagement with the Greensboro Housing Coalition.
Brown is an organizer for the Willow Oaks Community Day despite not having access to Bingham Park.
The family friendly event was a one-stop shop for resources on the east side.
"The theme of this year is we grow by working together," Brown recalled, " The thought is we are bringing all these people around Greensboro that can help those within this neighborhood grow."
Community members at the event told us they want a safe place to gather.
For years they have questioned the safety of Bingham Park, it sits about a mile away. Recent soil testing deems the park unsafe by new EPA standards. The park was built before rules were put in place for construction on landfills.
Now the surrounding neighborhood cannot use the park including the creek.
"It has saddened me that the 10-12 acres of Bingham Park is not being able to be utilized in any form," Resident Leader Community Advisor for New Hope Development Group Dale Hall said.
Saturday afternoon, organizers used the space around them to bring the community together despite the circumstances. Organizations from all over Greensboro flooded the neighborhood with resources residents may need. Economic and literacy development are just a few things that were made available to the The Willow Oaks neighborhood.
"The Family Success Center is really here to help connect the dots. We want to inform and educate you on what's available and get you where you need to be." United Way Director for the Family Success Center 2 at YWCA Greensboro Crystal King said.
The City of Greensboro said they are working to remediate Bingham Park, and estimate it could take up to five years to complete.
For those in the area, the city said drinking water is safe.