Northern Chautauqua Community Foundation (NCCF), like many other groups, is slowly seeing a return to “normal.” After 2020 saw the pause of many programs, 2021 promises their return. One of the programs to look forward to in the coming months is NCCF’s BLOOM Front Yard Garden Recognition Project. Now in its second year, the project began in 2019 before being paused during the 2020 season as NCCF’s focus turned towards crisis relief in the face of the Covid-19 Pandemic.

BLOOM will recognize home gardeners who contribute to the curb appeal and vibrancy of their neighborhoods and our region. Groups representing three communities will participate in 2021: Citizens for a Better Cassadaga, Imagine Forestville-Fredonia Garden Club, and Lily Dale Environmental Committee. Committees met in April to begin plans to roll out the 2021 Bloom beautification project in their respective communities.

During the months of June and July, the local committees will canvass neighborhoods throughout the participating communities. Front yard garden landscapes will be selected by the committees for recognition through the project. BLOOM garden signs will be distributed to those gardens that have been acknowledged, and participants will be entered into a prize drawing. The project is meant to encourage community members to contribute to the beautification of their neighborhoods, and giving recognition to those that do.

The BLOOM Front Garden Recognition Project is a neighborhood revitalization project of the Northern Chautauqua Community Foundation. For more information on the BLOOM project visit: www.nccfoundation.org/bloom . You may also join the public NCCF Bloom Facebook group, facebook.com/nccfbloom for more details.

Since its incorporation in 1986, the NCCF has invested more than $17 million in northern Chautauqua County through strategic grantmaking, targeted scholarships, and community collaborations. The NCCF is a tax-exempt charitable organization inherently committed to enhancing the northern Chautauqua County community and encouraging local philanthropy. For more information on the NCCF, visit www.nccfoundation.org or call 716-366-4892.