Community Gardens Support
Helping Gardens Grow Stronger Across NYC
Community gardens are more than just green spaces, they’re places where neighbors grow food, connect with nature, build community, and take action for justice and sustainability. They serve as outdoor classrooms, gathering spaces, and sources of fresh food, especially in neighborhoods that have historically been underserved.
Since 1973, Green Guerillas has supported community gardeners across New York City as they cultivate thriving gardens that nourish both people and place. Through resources, hands-on support, and long-term partnerships, we work alongside gardeners to strengthen local leadership, protect community-controlled green spaces, and ensure gardens remain vibrant, accessible, and rooted in community needs.
Sharing What We Learn
We’re constantly listening to gardeners across the city to understand current needs, challenges, and priorities.
What we learn directly informs how we shape our programs, allocate resources, and strengthen community gardens over time.
Each year, gardeners are invited to share their input through our Needs Assessment, which helps us better understand what support is most needed for the upcoming growing season.
Share your garden’s needs, priorities, and challenges to help guide Green Guerillas’ support for the 2026 growing season.
Seedling & Seed Distributions
Each year, Green Guerillas reaches 250–300 community garden groups across New York City through seasonal seed and seedling distributions. These distributions help ensure gardens have access to healthy, high-quality plants and essential growing materials at the start of the growing season.
In addition to seedlings, gardeners receive practical resources such as soil amendments, tools, and growing supplies, reducing barriers to participation and supporting gardens at every stage, from early planting to harvest. Distribution days also create opportunities for gardeners to connect, share knowledge, and build relationships with one another and with Green Guerillas staff.
By meeting gardeners where they are and responding to their evolving needs, these distributions play a critical role in strengthening local food systems and sustaining community-led green spaces throughout the season.
Deeper Support for Garden Projects
Beyond seasonal seed and resource distributions, Green Guerillas provides hands-on, project-based support to 30–40 community garden groups each year. This deeper level of engagement is designed to help gardens tackle specific needs, strengthen infrastructure, and sustain long-term growth.
Tools and Supplies
We provide essential tools, materials, and growing supplies to help gardens build, maintain, and improve their spaces, supporting everything from planting and repairs to seasonal upkeep.
Volunteer Workdays
Youth interns and community volunteers come together to support hands-on garden projects, including bed builds, clean-ups, infrastructure improvements, and other labor-intensive needs identified by gardeners.
Guidance and Connection
We work alongside gardeners to navigate challenges by offering guidance, sharing knowledge, and connecting them with trusted partners, resources, and networks to support long-term sustainability.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are a few things to know about how Green Guerillas supports community gardens and what to expect after submitting a request or needs assessment.
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We are working to better understand the needs of community gardens across New York City by learning directly from gardeners. By gathering this information, we can identify priorities, respond to emerging challenges, and shape our support in ways that are most helpful and community-led.
If your garden has a project that could benefit from additional hands or other forms of support, we invite you to share more details with us.
During the growing season, Green Guerillas partners with several volunteer groups and more than 35 youth interns. When possible, we work to connect gardens with volunteers or youth intern teams to provide hands-on assistance during the 2026 growing season.
Please note that while our capacity continues to grow, we are only able to commit to a limited number of projects each season. We appreciate your understanding and encourage you to share your needs so we can plan our support as thoughtfully as possible.
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A Green Guerillas staff member will contact you within one week of receiving your request to acknowledge it and follow up if additional information is needed.
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No. While we do our best to support as many gardens as possible, we are not able to take on every project due to limited staff and budget capacity.
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Project timelines vary. Some projects may begin within 1–3 months, while others may take longer, up to a year. In some cases, we may not be able to assist with a project due to capacity or timing.
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During the growing season, Green Guerillas partners with several volunteer groups and more than 35 youth interns. When possible, we work to connect community gardens with volunteer or youth intern teams for hands-on support.
Beyond individual projects, this open call helps us better understand the range and scope of needs across community gardens citywide. This insight allows us to strengthen our programs, build capacity, and serve more gardens more effectively over time.
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If your garden has already completed the project either independently or with support from another organization, please let us know by emailing info@greenguerillas.org, and we’ll remove it from our list.
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If you have additional questions, you can reach us at info@greenguerillas.org.
Get Involved!
Community gardens thrive through shared care, collaboration, and collective action. Green Guerillas works alongside community gardeners, volunteers, and youth to support gardens across New York City.
Community gardeners can share their garden’s needs, access resources, and connect with support opportunities. Volunteers are invited to participate in garden workdays and seasonal projects that strengthen community spaces. Youth can gain hands-on experience through garden-based learning, leadership development, and opportunities to grow alongside their peers.
Together, we grow more than food, we strengthen communities.