Micro grants start to make big improvement in Pittsburgh neighborhoods

As Cynthia Levy-Mendoza walks through the vacant, overgrown corner lot in her Observatory Hill neighborhood, she focuses on its potential.

A neighborhood vegetable garden could thrive in the sunny stretch along the lot’s far edge, a path could wind through the lot for dog walkers and a bench near the sidewalk could make waiting for the bus more comfortable, she said.

With grants from the Sprout Fund and Growth Through Energy and Community Health, Levy-Mendoza, 32, a ReClaim the Northside Ambassador, is working to realize her vision.