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A partnership between the the Buffalo Medical Campus (BNMC), Grassroots Gardens, the Massachusetts Avenue Project, and the Mulberry Street and Friends Block Club, has resulted in a new pergola addition at the Buffalo Federation of Neighborhood Centers (BFNC) Moot Senior Community Center. The site for this inspirational neighborhood project is in the heart of The Fruit Belt, where residents are now able to share in the healthy spoils of a garden, and the accompanying pergola.
This ongoing project is of utmost importance, because the East Side does not have access to readily accessible healthy foods – it is still considered a food desert at this point in time. But with the advent of community gardens, there are more and more people who have the ability to access the foods that they require to be healthy. This type of urban gardening and farming is considered to be “low hanging fruit” when talking about ways to empower the residents who are looking to access healthier food options. The prospect of a full fledge market is a heavy lift, which means that there needs to be an interim plan. These neighborhood gardens are part of that plan.
“Our seniors are proud of the garden that they planted and care for at the Buffalo Federation of Neighborhood Centers (BFNC) Moot Senior Community Center,” stated Daysi Ball, Assistant Director of Program Development & Senior Services Moot Community Center. “One thing that they always asked for was somewhere to sit and admire the natural beauty of the garden. Now the dream has come true. The seniors are looking forward to making the pergola beautiful and cozy.”