The city of Rochester and its partners have awarded grants to 49 grass-roots organizations through the Neighbors in Action initiative.
The city joined with ESL Federal Credit Union and the Rochester Area Community Foundation to launch the program this past October and this is the first round of grants.
Officials said the initiative was designed to empower residents to come together and take action towards beautifying and strengthening their neighborhoods.
“You put some resources in the hands of people... just enough resources to move a project forward, and they will make magic happen,” said Miguel Melendez, president of Rochester City Council. He was also on the committee that helped launched Neighbors in Action (NIA).
“Community residents can do more than any of us in government can dream of,” Melendez said. “They know their neighbors, they're connected in their community, and they are ear to the ground on what's most important at a street-by-street level.”
A total of $230,000 was divided among the businesses and organizations dedicated to improving their neighborhoods. The People’s Pantry located on Avenue D was one of those recipients.
“Bringing community together through food is just one of the best ways to do it,” said Mike Durfee, executive director of The People’s Pantry. “Also teaching people how to grow their own food and create that self-sufficiency is a great feature for us.”
The pantry received roughly $5,000 dollars from the Neighbors in Action grant, Durfee said. He said the additional money will be used to further enhance their space with more garden beds, a compost bin and a mural.
“It's going to be a community input to determine the mural on the wall,” he said.
The Lyell Otis Community Association was also awarded some of the grant money.
Its president Evelyn Irons said the association will be using its cut to add some technology to its gardens. She envisioned a space where children could use their phone, or push a button, that will activate “some type of audio recording” to tell them about the garden they’re in.
“People come to our gardens all the time just to have a conversation,” Irons said. “I think we need to highlight how important technology is.”
Irons said the association also wants to make its gardens more inclusive and accessible for people with disabilities.
Officials said the plan for NIA is to award grant money each year to businesses that apply.
