City Awards First Round of Neighbors in Action Grants to 47 Projects

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Mayor Malik D. Evans on Thursday announced the first round of Neighbors in Action grant recipients, awarding more than $230,000 to support 47 resident-led projects across the city.

The announcement took place at The People’s Pantry on Avenue D and highlighted a range of grassroots initiatives aimed at strengthening Rochester neighborhoods. Funded projects include community gardens, public art installations, youth programs, neighborhood cleanups and block parties.

“These projects are proof that when neighbors come together with purpose, great things happen,” Evans said. “I’m incredibly proud of this first cohort of Neighbors in Action grantees and excited to see their ideas take shape and make a difference in every corner of our city.”

The grant program was launched in fall 2024 through a partnership between the City of Rochester, ESL Federal Credit Union and the Rochester Area Community Foundation. Each organization contributed $100,000 to create a $300,000 funding pool. The Community Foundation manages and distributes the funds, while the city’s Neighborhood Service Centers provide on-the-ground support.

“This is a civic engagement booster, and that’s important now more than ever,” said Simeon Banister, president and CEO of the Community Foundation. “Applications from every quadrant of the city show residents’ enthusiasm for putting dollars to work where they live.”

Grantees include the Rotary Club of Southwest Rochester, which will conduct a community needs assessment; Sassy in the South Wedge, which is organizing events to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community; and the Jay and Orchard Street Neighborhood Association, which is partnering with Charles House in Action on park restoration, cleanups and youth engagement activities.

The People’s Pantry, one of the grant recipients, plans to use the funding to create a vegetable garden and mural that will also serve as an educational space for nutrition classes led by Cornell Cooperative Extension.

“We’re excited to partner with the city and Community Foundation t

o drive neighborhood prosperity,” said John Paul Perez, executive director of community impact at ESL Federal Credit Union. “These projects will create meaningful connections and deepen community bonds.”

A second round of Neighbors in Action funding will open in early 2026, providing residents, block clubs and neighborhood associations another opportunity to propose community improvement projects.

A full list of grant recipients is available at cityofrochester.gov/NIA.