Biking can be beneficial for personal health and environmental sustainability, yet simple inconveniences – like a flat tire – can easily discourage people from getting out on two wheels. In 2021, Claire Dehm recognized this barrier and saw an opportunity to empower women cyclists with practical skills. With the help of the Neighborhood Mini-Grant Program run by Sustainable Finger Lakes (SFLX), she hosted a workshop designed not just to teach women how to fix a flat tire, but to foster self-sufficiency and community.
“It was a really great way for me to connect with other female cyclists in the area and build confidence in those women,” Claire shared.
Building on this success, Claire recently received a second grant to address another common challenge to biking: a comfortable seat! In partnership with Bike Walk Tompkins, she aims to create a “bike seat library” that will let community members borrow and test different seats before making a purchase.
This evolving project is one of many made possible by SFLX, which has been empowering community members to bring their ideas to life through their Neighborhood Mini-Grant program since 2008.
October 2024 Mini-Grant Awardees
Including Claire’s bike seat library, five more inspiring initiatives are joining the SFLX gallery of sustainability projects. In their fall round, the Neighborhood Mini-Grant Council awarded over $3,000 to support these efforts.
Bike Repair Station at Groton Public Library
The Groton Public Library is also fostering a more bicycle-friendly community with a public bike repair station for use and education.
Vegetable Garden for Caroline Elementary School
At Caroline Elementary, TC3 student Austin Gaffey is collaborating with teacher Jenny Emerson to revitalize the school’s vegetable garden with new soil and mulch after two years without updates. This project will be an important precursor for the longer-term goals of the garden, such as incorporating food waste composting.
Air Pollution Monitoring
Ithaca High School senior, Claudia Carillo, seeks to develop a network of air pollution sensors to monitor PM10 particulate matter on both sides of Cayuga Lake, which will highlight pollution sources and inform city planning.
Textile Repair & Care Workshops
Zoë Van Nostrand seeks to build local resilience and reduce waste with beginner textile care and repair workshops in rural Tompkins County. Zoë’s workshops will cover skills like leather care, felting, and basic mending skills, empowering participants to extend the life of their belongings.
Shade Sails for Danby Food and Drink
Danby Food and Drink, a new café and grocery that has attracted a large local fan base, is enhancing their gathering space by adding six shade sails in their outdoor area so that community members can linger and connect with each other, rain or sun. This grant will fund shade sails and locally-sourced locust posts, with plans to transition to more permanent shading in the future.
Updates on Last Year’s Projects
As part of the MiniGrant program, grant applicants also receive feedback to help strengthen their applications and project plans, supporting their success. Here are some examples from last April’s grantees who are making a lasting impact:
Reusable Utensils at Dryden High School
Dryden High School introduced reusable cutlery in their cafeteria, successfully reducing the number of plastic single-use utensils to zero from about 8,060 per month and saving approximately $242 monthly.
Bike Racks in Dryden
Kate McKee installed four bike racks in the village of Dryden. The racks are now in regular use, encouraging more residents to choose bikes over cars for their daily commutes.
Marshy Garden at the Soil Factory
Ash Ferlito and Brandon Hoak expanded their marshy garden at the Soil Factory using native seeds from the Finger Lakes Native Plant Society. Now in its second year, the garden has brought more biodiversity, attracting native species like green frogs and elderberry plants.
Foster Sustainability and Take Action this Giving Tuesday
SFLX thanks all of these inspiring community members and organizations for creating change in our area for a more sustainable future. This Giving Tuesday on December 3, 2024, please consider donating to SFLX to help fund even more transformative projects for their Spring 2025 grant cycle. Visit SustainableFingerLakes.org to learn more about their programs and make a donation.
