John Mister

After moving from Brooklyn to Oceanside in 1998 to raise a family, John quickly made this community his home. A general supervisor for a site work contractor in Queens, John isn’t a business owner—but he does proudly spread "monkey business" on local Facebook pages.

John’s role with the Oceanside Community Warriors is officially “Assistant to the Cleanup Crew”—but anyone who's seen him in action knows he’s one of the first to show up and get his hands dirty. He’s lent a hand at countless cleanups, including at Lou Alvarez Park, the triangle, Foxhurst Road, the hill near Costco, and the Schoolhouse Green, just to name a few.

Inspired by the very first Facebook post calling neighbors to clean up Long Beach Road, John jumped in and hasn’t stopped since. Oceanside gave him the opportunity to own a home and raise two kids who went through the local school system and worked in neighborhood businesses—so giving back is his way of showing thanks.

For John, the best part of volunteering is simple: connecting with fellow residents, sharing some laughs, and making Oceanside a cleaner, better place—one bag of trash at a time.