Shaker Lakes Garden Club Receives a Three-Year GCA Grant to Partner with Rid-All Green on an Urban Farm Project

Sustained Commitment, Lasting Community Impact in Cleveland, Ohio.

March 25, 2026

By: Shawn Spain

In 2024, Shaker Lakes Garden Club (SLGC) received a $10,000 Common Ground Collaborative (CGC) grant from The Garden Club of America to partner with the Rid-All Green. This funding supported a three-year collaborative effort centered at Rid-All’s 18-acre urban farm, located on a former illegal dumping site in Cleveland’s Kinsman neighborhood. Kinsman, a predominantly Black community, has long faced economic hardship and limited access to opportunity.

Throughout the spring and summer of 2025, SLGC volunteers continued to provide hands-on support across the Rid-All farm. Volunteers pruned, weeded, and watered potted trees, including young redbud trees, as well as assisted with general maintenance. Besides the impact of the collaboration, the work has been rewarding, fostering meaningful connections among volunteers, Rid-All staff, and community gardeners.

As Rid-All Co-Founder G. Keymah Durden III shared, the Rid-All Green partnership “thrives on collaboration with organizations that share our vision of community regeneration.” He noted that, alongside the CGC grant funding, SLGC’s dedication and horticultural expertise have strengthened many aspects of Rid-All’s work—from expanding the tree nursery and caring for young trees to providing critical resources that sustain daily operations. SLGC’s “members bring hands-on support that has helped us protect and grow trees that are critical to Cleveland’s urban canopy,” he said, adding that SLGC “embodies the spirit of true community engagement.”

Through this ongoing partnership, the GCA’s commitment to community engagement and environmental stewardship shines brightly through the work of the SLGC, demonstrating the lasting impact of thoughtful collaboration and shared responsibility.