Buffalo Freedom Gardens was started in 2020 by the late Gail V. Wells as a rapid, community-led project to address the dual threats of systemic racism and the COVID19 pandemic in Black, Indigneous and People of Color (BIPOC) communities. Now we have to respond to the added trauma following the  mass shooting at TOPS on Jefferson by a white supremacist terrorist on May 14th. This hateful act  took 10 lives from our beloved community and shattered many more. TOPS on Jefferson was the only full-service supermarket serving our predominantly Black community on the east side. We have been living under food apartheid before the shooting and now we need to again summon our strength and resilience to make sure our people are fed, nourished, and loved while we heal.

The Food Forest at JFK Park broke ground in April 2023 as hybrid Food Forest, requiring regular community maintenance to keep it presentable. Our food forest project will expand on the achievements of Buffalo Freedom Gardens, enabling individuals to take control of their well-being, re-establish a connection to the land, access economical fresh produce, and cultivate freedom and resilience. A donation to the Food Forest continues our late founder's vision of providing direct access to residents in Buffalo's East Side with fresh, healthy fruits and vegetables in areas where food apartheid is rampant.