2021-2023 Mini-Grant Projects

The FY 2021-2023 Love Your Block Mini-Grant application cycle closed on February 25, 2022. Congratulations to our 9 mini-grant recipients! Our grantees will be implementing projects between July 1, 2022 and April 30, 2023.

Mini-Grant RecipientProject Summary
Bay Area Girls ClubBay Area Girls Club will beautify and revitalize their backyard by creating a communal open space with a gazebo and seating. Volunteers will help design, prepare, and clean-up the space. The space will be accessible to the public at no cost during regular hours of operation of the Multicultural Bookstore. The transformation will be celebrated with a community event during the organization's 47th anniversary, with the help of volunteers.
Boys and Girls Club of Contra CostaThe Boys and Girls Club of Contra Costa, in partnership with Rosie the Riveter Trust Foundation and Yellow Heart Committee, will serve the Parchester neighborhood by revitalizing the Mary "Peace" Head Memorial Garden, restoring the Parchester Touches the World mural, repainting a basketball court, and installing a Little Free Library with volunteers. They will also lead volunteer community clean-ups at Unity Park on the Richmond Greenway in collaboration with Urban Tilth. At both locations, there will be mental health components that will cover the importance of self- and community care.
Friends of Dirt WorldFriends of Dirt World Bike Park will keep their Adopt-a-Spot on the Richmond Greenway clean, green, and safe! At least 3 volunteer clean-up events will be hosted to remove trash, weeds, and large debris dumped illegally. Additionally, they will renovate track surfaces to allow for safe daily use of the park for all skill levels. 
Greenbriar Neighborhood CouncilGreenbriar Neighborhood Council will host two sidewalk beautification and clean-up events to help create a beautiful walkway to school for children and families living near Olinda School.  They will combine their beautification efforts with wildfire prevention outreach activities, such as training residents on how to prepare their homes for firewise "hardening".
Groundwork RichmondGroundwork Richmond, in collaboration with 3 Beans on a Board, will beautify the skatepark area of Nicholl Park with volunteers by restoring and protecting vandalized trees through education and art. Educational events will bridge the environmental justice and skateboarding worlds, teaching participants how crucial trees are in addressing climate change. Volunteers will also learn how to crochet as an alternative to spray painting trees and create yarn sweaters to put on trees. Groundwork Richmond will also work with volunteers to create an art wall and signage as well as install trash cans.
Iron Triangle Neighborhood CouncilIron Triangle Neighborhood Council will host two volunteer beautification days to spruce up the visible corridor along Macdonald Ave, including Nevin Park. Volunteers will collect garbage and remove weeds, and new garbage cans and signage will be installed to deter illegal dumping.
Richmond LANDRichmond LAND will host a community workshop event at Shields-Reid Park and a temporary art installation event on the San Francisco Bay Trail to amplify the voices of Richmond. Individuals and families will record their stories and messages on wood slats in different colors, with ribbons attached showing which way the wind blows, together forming a collective monument of resilience. The temporary art installation will be displayed for two weeks.
Richmond Main Street InitiativeRichmond Main Street Initiative will partner with ten local artists from NIAD to create 18 wooden heart shaped pieces of art that tell the rich history of Richmond. The art will be exhibited in the Community Green Space Garden on Harbour Way and Macdonald Ave, as well as the NIAD art windows, for six months. During this time, 3 volunteer community beautification events will also take place that will include trash pickup and maintenance at the green space.
The Watershed ProjectThe Watershed Project will host two volunteer service events to revitalize the bioswales in Richmond’s public parks prior to the 2022-2023 rainy season: a fall stewardship event at Booker T. Anderson Community Center and a Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service event on the Richmond Greenway. Volunteers will receive education about the function of bioswales and participate in a variety of service activities including weed and trash removal, mulching, and planting.