Events

Gardens Buffalo Niagara History - GBN's mission is to create more vibrant and beautiful communities by sharing gardens. It began in 1995 when Marvin Lunenfeld and Gail McCarthy organized the first Garden Walk Buffalo in their Norwood/West Utica neighborhood. Over the past three decades, GBN has grown to include Garden Walk Buffalo, Open Gardens, East Side Garden Walk, and Urban Farm Day, celebrating the creativity and passion of gardeners. Engaging homeowners, artists, and community groups, GBN fosters self-expression and placemaking through gardens, serving local residents, regional visitors, and garden enthusiasts alike.

Audrey Clark - Audrey is Gardens Buffalo Niagara’s first Executive Director, previously serving as its administrative coordinator. Prior to joining GBN full-time, she was the Curator of Exhibits and Interpretive Programming for the Michigan Street African American Heritage Corridor Commission. She has a BA from Niagara University and an MA from SUNY Buffalo State College. 

Grace Karambizi is a dedicated community leader and advocate with a strong commitment to empowering immigrant and refugee communities in Buffalo, NY. As the Executive Director and Lead Organizer for the Buffalo Immigrant Leadership Team (BILT), she builds leadership among community members and leads initiatives that promote social justice. Grace is a former refugee and is dedicated to the cause of immigrants and refugees, mainly those causes that bring systematic changes to allow children, youth and women to have access to equitable education and health. Grace has successfully led campaigns to address the graduation rate, language access, and better parental involvement for parents with limited English proficiency. Grace has led multiple trainings, including building relationships, self-interest etc. She holds an MA in Biology, an MS in Medicinal Chemistry, and dual BAs in Chemistry (Biochemistry) and French Literature from SUNY Buffalo State and SUNY at Buffalo. Her dedication has been recognized through multiple awards, including the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence: Special Award for Overcoming the Odds, and the SUNY Graduate Diversity Fellowship. Fluent in three other languages, French, Kinyarwanda, and Kirundi, Grace brings cultural insight, compassion, and a tireless commitment to bridging gaps between communities and promoting social justice.

Buffalo Immigrant and Leadership Team (BILT) 

Buffalo Immigrant and Leadership Team (BILT) is the only grassroots organization in Buffalo led by immigrants and former refugees—the very people directly impacted by the issues they are fighting to change. Since 2003, more than 16,500 refugees have resettled in Buffalo, seeking safety, dignity, and opportunity after surviving war, displacement, and unspeakable atrocities. Immigrants and refugees are driving Buffalo’s population growth and economic revitalization. They are taxpayers, homeowners, business owners, and essential members of this community. Yet, despite their contributions, they continue to be sidelined when it comes to decisions that shape their lives. Policies are made about them without their voices at the table. BILT was founded in 2015 in direct response to this injustice. We are a powerful collective of immigrant and refugee leaders from Burma, Rwanda, Congo, Pakistan, Somalia, and beyond. Our mission is clear and unapologetic: to equip and mobilize immigrants and refugees to take their rightful place in decision-making spaces through community organizing. BILT trains leaders in strategic community organizing, building grassroots power to address the most pressing issues in education, health, housing, and civic engagement. We are not waiting for change—we are demanding it and driving it forward. Our goal is non-negotiable: immigrants and refugees must have a seat at every table where decisions about their lives are made. We are building a future where our communities are not just surviving but thriving—where immigrant and refugee voices lead the charge for justice, equity, and lasting systemic change.