Proud to Be From Pittsburgh

Proud to be from Pittsburgh: 'Grandma Bev' builds Homewood park

Grandma Bev is bringing new life to her street in Homewood. She took a look at the vacant lot next to her home and decided it could be so much more.

With help from the nonprofit Grounded Strategies and Phipps Conservatory, she leased the lot and turned it into a community garden and playspace for children in the neighborhood. We talked to Grounded's Project Manager about what the nonprofit does.

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"We work with residents and organizations to reclaim vacant spaces," Anna Archer said. "We help them connect with resources, network, tools that they need in order to transform a vacant lot into a community asset."

Grounded says it is people like Beverly Howell that help transform communities.  Grandma Bev told us she saw too many children spending all their time in front of technology. She wanted to give them a space where they could enjoy nature, relax, and learn responsibility.

"I'm teaching them how to be organized and how when you give your word to do something, you have to do it," Beverly Howell said.

They recently hosted a community party on the lot. Grandma Bev hopes it helps change the reputation of her community.

"I never realized how much of an impact it was making," she told Channel 11. "I walk up the street going to the store and the kids will just holler 'Grandma Bev!' They know who I am, who I represent, what I do."

To find out more about Grounded Strategies and how to transform a vacant lot, click on this link: https://groundedpgh.org/