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Fighting the food desert in East Buffalo with a community garden

Buffalo gardener credits community help like the Lunenfeld Beautification Grants. That's help him grow his garden and share it with others. Now you can apply too.

BUFFALO, N.Y. — It's that time of year again where gardens are already planning for the upcoming season. Garden Buffalo Niagara wants to step in to help community gardens grow in hopes of bringing the city together.

March 15th is the last day to apply for the Gardens Buffalo Niagara's Lunenfeld Beautification Grant.

Last year, the organization gave out about 25 grants to Buffalo community gardens. One of those who got a grant last year was Dwlight Lowe.

He created Home Beneath Our Feet's Sensory Garden. This garden was a way for him to bring his community together as a result of the Tops mass shooting on May 14th.

Most of the people who live around this garden are wheelchair-bound and many are seniors. With that in mind, he's raised the flower beds and added spaces for wheelchairs.

He also wanted to make sure his garden provided fresh vegetables to neighbors at no cost, because this area is historically known as a food desert.

Lowe credits community help like the Lunenfeld Beautification Grants. That's helped him grow his garden and share it with others.

"One time I came here just to relax and a neighbor was here with their younger child. She was just saying it's just a place for her to relax and she loved to come here in the morning. And it just warms my heart that our intentions of implementing this garden truly came into flourishen," Dwight Lowe, executive director at Home Beneath Our Feet.

He plans to reapply this year to add herbs, which is the most recommended vegetable in the neighborhood. This garden is located on Ellicott Street across from Health Science Charter School in Buffalo.

In order to apply for the Luenfeld Beaitification grant, your garden must be accessible to the public and visible from the sidewalk. It should be designed to bring neighbors together and be located in Buffalo. The award is up to $1,000. The project must be completed by July 15th.

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