Craig Riecke has been a dedicated donor of the Sustainable Finger Lakes (SFLX) Neighborhood Mini-Grant Program for over a decade. He first came to Central New York as a VISTA volunteer and immediately fell in love with the region’s natural beauty and diverse landscapes. “People usually think of New York as just the city, but it’s so much more than that,” he reflects.
A Personal Commitment to Sustainability
Craig’s concern for climate change was sparked by a defining moment in 2007. On his way to work, sitting in his car, he looked around and realized that 75% of the space inside wasn’t being used. The thought struck him: “Maybe I’m the problem.” That realization led him to trade his car for a bike as his primary mode of commuting.
At first, he worried that biking would be difficult and inconvenient. However, his initial dread quickly faded as he realized he enjoyed it. “If climate change magically disappeared overnight, I would still be biking,” he says. What began as a sustainable choice soon became a fundamental part of his lifestyle, one that fosters both personal well-being and collective environmental responsibility.
For some, the weight of individual responsibility in addressing climate change can feel overwhelming. However, Craig takes a different perspective. “You start making little changes, then you start appreciating them for what they are, not just because it’s for sustainability”.
Craig was initially drawn to SFLX for its community-focused, grassroots approach. Wanting to give back to the Earth and his local community, he was directed to this program which shares his goal of promoting sustainability by making small but meaningful changes in the local community.
Innovative Approaches to Sustainability
One of his favorite features of the program is that it tackles climate change and sustainability issues from many different angles. SFLX encourages creative solutions to sustainability challenges by supporting a wide range of projects. Even if the idea doesn’t work as intended, it is helpful because it informs community members what to try next. Indeed, the SFLX staff also provides feedback for grant applicants to strengthen their ideas and implementation. One of Craig’s favorite projects, Dish Truck, was one whose formula was tweaked over the years. Dish Truck is a veteran-owned business that provides clean durable dishes for people to use for events in place of disposable dishware.
Another recent project that excites him is the Bike Seat Library, which allows community members to try out different types of bike seats before they buy one. After all, comfort is one of the main factors that determine whether people enjoy biking. “It’s a great idea,” he says. “Why didn’t someone think of this before?” Looking ahead, Craig hopes to see more support for projects beyond their first year, allowing promising initiatives to continue growing and evolving.
Small Habits, Big Changes
Ultimately, what makes this program really valuable to the community is the ability to inspire small, yet impactful, changes in people’s daily lives. It may be one small behavioral change in their routine, but it culminates and gets people to think differently. People start becoming mindful about what they do on a daily basis. For Craig, it was the normalization of sitting in a car, and how he never thought about doing something different. Now, he can’t imagine himself not biking to work (except in the Winter when the roads are slick). As he says, these small changes add up.
Since 2008, the Neighborhood Mini-Grant Program has awarded nearly $96,000 to support 235 sustainability-related projects in Tompkins County. To learn more about how to bring the program to your community, visit our website or contact gay@sustainablefingerlakes.org.
