Rochester, NY is a small industrial city along Lake Ontario in western, NY. Our roots go back to a blue collar way of life where everyone knows the difference between a MIG and a TIG, and the favorite food is called a garbage plate. We’re known for Kodak and bone chilling winters. Triple-A baseball and White Hots. The only thing that’s saltier than the salt mines just south of the city are the people who live here, and that’s just the way we like it.

Despite our hard reputation, there are a lot of people who are working to do good for the world we live in. Rochester leads the nation in nonprofits per capita. This is a city of giving. Though Philadelphia has the title ‘City of Brotherly Love’, Rochester is the city who truly lives up to that name.

Now, Rochester has a new task at hand. Rochester wants to be the city known for environmental and economic sustainability. We are stepping up to the plate to take full responsibility for the well being of the city and the people who live here. Though we have seen hard times in the past, Rochester has a backbone made of steel.

Yesterday I took a walk around a small portion of our city. Though there are still ghosts of a troubled past that can be seen nearly everywhere you look, there are countless positives. There are signs of growth. There are signs of independence. Small locally owned business and community gardens. People have dreams and a strong will to make them come true. Soon, many of the neighborhood farmers markets will be alive with locally grown produce and meats. It’s happening…