Seven neighborhood projects in Steuben, Chemung and Tioga counties received grants in September for work ranging from planting trees and starting an orchard to expanding library services and distributing children's books.
Sustainable Finger Lakes announced the first awards in its new three-county round of the Neighborhood Mini-Grant Program in an Oct. 28 news release.
Library storage, books and gardens in Chemung County
Big Flats Library Advocates received a grant for a storage shed that will allow Big Flats Library to expand its Library of Things beyond its indoor storage space. Chemung County's libraries jointly offer the lending service to Southern Tier Library System patrons, providing free access to items households may need only occasionally.
The Family Reading Partnership of Chemung Valley received funding to build an Outdoor Bright Red Bookshelf for a park in an underserved Elmira neighborhood. The weather-protected bookshelf will expand the organization's Bright Red Bookshelf children's book distribution program into a public outdoor space.
Hadiya Fuller and her grandfather, Charles Fuller, received a grant for seeds and a rainwater irrigation system for a proposed wildflower u-pick microfarm on a vacant lot in Elmira. Other family members will help with the project, which the organization described as both a business and a community attraction in a neighborhood with little green space.
Derek Ruth received money toward supplies for a neighborhood litter cleanup on and around Gray Street in Elmira. He will coordinate and lead the effort, which aims to reduce pollution and bring neighbors together.
Trees and a community orchard in Steuben County
The all-volunteer Corning Street Tree Project received a grant for two trees and grow bags for its spring 2027 plantings. The group has planted 147 trees in Corning's public rights of way and shared neighborhood spaces since 2017.
The trees are planted at property owners' requests, with a focus on places that have few trees or have historically been underserved.
Dakota Hughes, working with the town of Caton, received support for native fruit and hazelnut trees and bushes for a community orchard in Margaret Smyers Park. The grant will help pay for plants and barriers to protect them from deer. Hughes will create and maintain the orchard.
A storage shed for a Tioga County farmers market
The Spencer Van Etten Farmers Market received a grant to buy a year-round shed for its tents, tables, chairs and signs. The northern Tioga County market currently has no storage on site.
Several participants store the equipment and bring it to market each week during the season. Sustainable Finger Lakes said the shed will reduce that work and make the market easier to operate, helping sustain a source of local food and livelihoods.
The Neighborhood Mini-Grant Program has awarded more than $100,000 through more than 250 grants to Tompkins County initiatives since 2008, according to Sustainable Finger Lakes. The organization said the program is intended to help residents carry out small projects that improve neighborhood life and environmental stewardship.
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