​For hundreds of people in all walks of life, the Ithaca Community Gardens between Route 13 and the Cayuga Inlet provide a place to affordably grow food, learn gardening skills, and connect with diverse members of their community. In 2015, the gardens became more user-friendly for everyone with the first-time rental of a handicapped-accessible portable toilet funded by a $500 Neighborhood Mini-grant from Sustainable Tompkins.  The toilet was welcomed by all and the membership made finding permanent funding for it their #2 priority for 2016.  Some were especially appreciative of the time-saving convenience — “As a pregnant mom with a squirrel bladder, gardening at the community gardens would have been virtually impossible for me without a toilet during summer 2015!!”

The Neighborhood Mini-grant Program provides seed money to diverse initiatives to build environmental, economic, and social resilience and well-being in Tompkins County. In turn, we need your support! Please donate today and help us support more wonderful citizen-driven projects to improve life in our community.