City Awards First Round of Neighbors In Action Grants to 47 Resident-Led Projects

Mayor Malik D. Evans on Thursday announced the first round of Neighbors In Action (NIA) grant recipients, with 47 resident-led projects receiving more than $230,000 to support community-building initiatives across the city.

The announcement, held at The People’s Pantry on Avenue D, highlighted a variety of grassroots efforts to improve Rochester neighborhoods. Projects funded through NIA 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 NIA 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 by the City of Rochester in partnership with 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 offer on-the-ground support to grantees.

“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 (JOSANA), which will collaborate with Charles House in Action on park restoration, cleanups and youth engagement activities.

The People’s Pantry, one of the funded organizations, will use its grant 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 to 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.”

The NIA grant program will open another application round in early 2026, offering residents, block clubs, and neighborhood associations an opportunity to propose new community improvement projects.

A full list of grantees is available at www.cityofrochester.gov/NIA.