BUFFALO, N.Y (WKBW) — If you live in the Elmwood Village or take Elmwood Avenue on your morning commute, you may see a group of your neighbors outside with their garden tools.
"We’re basically taking care of all the tree beds in the Elmwood Village on Elmwood. So anywhere from Forest to North Street. We’ve got over 355 tree beds," Elmwood Village Association Board of Directors Member Greg Gima said.
Greg and three of his fellow Elmwood neighbors go out every morning starting at 6:30 a.m. until about 9 a.m. to clean up the tree beds along Elmwood Avenue. The project started last year in April. Since then, the group has planted over 3,500 plants on Elmwood Avenue. Greg has also installed tree benches on different block corners of the road, giving people more room to sit and more vibrance to the street.
"I’m kind of a guy once I hear a good idea, I’m kind of a doer, so let’s make it happen," Gita said.
The idea to start cleaning up the tree beds and put new plants in came from fellow Elmwood Village Association Board of Directors member Susan Faso. Faso, along with her husband, were the first two to start the clean-up project, originally just replacing the mulch. She brought up the idea to Greg about planting and the idea took off. Now a four-person team, Faso enjoys her morning routine with the crew.
"It’s a lot of fun and the four of us really enjoy each other’s company," Faso said. "If I have to miss a day, I feel bad. I kind of miss it."
Joining Greg, Susan and her husband on the project is Terry Algire, a former Washington D.C. resident who moved to Buffalo last November. Algire enjoys coming out with the crew since it has helped her get acclimated with Buffalo sooner and that the City of Good Neighbors is a one-of-a-kind place.
"I’ve traveled and lived in a lot of different places. In Florida, California, Mississippi, Virginia, Rhode Island," Algire said. "Buffalo is the only community that I come to that is this welcoming, this friendly and this concerned about their own community and the people that live in it".
For Greg and Susan, they hope the work they are doing inspires others to give back and help out their local community. If you'd like to help with the project, you can join them in the morning or donate directly to the Elmwood Village Association here.
