Seeds, seeds and also bulbs! Today Charlie is showing off what started as a simple project – “let’s give away 1000 sunflower seeds to people to beautify their yards because sunflowers make people happy” – to now giving away over 5000 sunflower seeds, plus over 1,500 packets of flower seeds and planting over 1,000 daffodil and tulip bulbs annually! These simple projects have brought lasting beauty to our community gardens, commercial streetscapes, and to residential neighborhoods. They are also great for attracting pollinators and providing food for birds.

The BRRAlliance – we do transformational things!

Today Charlie visited a favorite transformation – 1875 Niagara Street. The first floor windows and façade work was done with the assistance of the first Buffalo Main Street Initiative grant the BRRA received in 2018. The second and third floors were done with the help of our second BMSI grant and completed last year. This renovation helped to bring a new thriving business to Niagara Street and some exciting activity to this gateway area of the community. In total the BRRA has gotten about $500,000 to help property owners in the lower Black Rock Niagara Street area in fixing up their properties and we still have a few more to do to finish off this round of grant funding.

The BRRAlliance – we do transformational things!

Today Busy Bee Charlie took us to check out the “Lots of Clover” on Tonawanda St. which were once overgrown vacant lots that were infrequently cut and a regular eyesore to the neighborhood. Two years ago BRRA got permission from the city to create a pilot project called “Lots of Clover” to show the cost saving and environmental benefits planting clover in vacant lots can have for the city and the community. With the help of some high school students, the lot was seeded with clover and now only needs mowing a couple of times a year. Neighbors love seeing a field of clover rather than overgrown grass and garbage and the bees love it even more! Now to take this project to the next level and get more city lots planted with clover!

The BRRAlliance – we do transformational things!

Today Charlie took us into Black Rock to show off some of the investment the BRRA has made at the gateway to the community – Market Square Park.

This highly visible and beautiful greenspace is the perfect place for public art installations, the “We Are…” mural and the “People of Black Rock” sculptures both of which celebrate the beauty of the diversity of our community. Stay tuned for more on what has and is happening in this park.

The BRRAlliance – we do transformational things!

Today Charlie showed off one of the oldest and still ongoing transformations the BRRA has been doing – community gardens in our food desert neighborhoods. Currently, our community gardens provide over 800 pounds of produce annually, including fruits, vegetables and herbs. There are Little Free Libraries in each garden as well as some play elements and public art.

The BRRAlliance – we do transformational things!

At the BRRA when we’re asked “what do we do,” the immediate reaction is to share the quick summary of our mission which is to “improve the quality of life for those in the North District through environmental stewardship, beautification, and economic development initiatives.”

But since 2011, when the Black Rock Riverside Alliance was first formed, we have done so much that we often forget to show people specific examples of the things we have achieved.  That’s why our theme for Summer 2023 is “Transformative Tuesdays and Thursdays.”

We will be highlighting some of the transformations the BRRA has been instrumental in achieving to address some of the needs of our community.   To start off our first “Transformation Tuesday” it is our pleasure to introduce you to our favorite transformation – Charlie. Charlie was found as a hot-mess stray in our community in early February 2023 and turned over to the Buffalo City Animal Shelter by a wonderful resident who got him off the streets. Our Executive Director Anne fell in love with him before she even met him and was fortunate enough to be able to adopt him when he was never claimed, noting that she just felt like he needed to be part of our community.

Over the last four months Charlie has been a presence in the BRRA office, at community events and meetings and has in fact become “the community dog.” His human adds that when she shows up at meetings without him everyone asks “Where’s Charlie?” as their new way of greeting her. This sweet guy is one transformation we are all glad was done and that his easy, friendly, welcoming manner is part of the BRRA office on a regular basis.

Stop by the BRRA office and say hello to Charlie and any humans that might be there as well and do feel free to share our posts and the work we do with others.  And keep an eye out for more ways the BRRAlliance has helped transform Northwest Buffalo and reveal it as the gem we all knew it was all along.

The BRRAlliance – we do transformational things!