About ERF
The Eden’s Rose Foundation (ERF) is a community-first nonprofit rooted in compassion, hands-on service, and practical solutions. Founded and led by Gregory (Greg) Sheldon, ERF grew from a personal commitment to turn grief into action after the loss of a close friend — a turning point that set Greg on a lifelong path of community development, international relief, and local neighborhood renewal.
Greg Sheldon serves as ERF’s Executive Director and project lead, known in the Capital Region for mobilizing volunteers, converting vacant lots into productive green space, and creating pathways to work and wellness for newcomers and youth. His leadership and the Foundation’s programming have supported asylum seekers, job-training activities, and neighborhood food access initiatives.
Jodi Sheldon brings operational leadership as National Project Director, helping turn bold ideas into replicable programs that serve families, young people, and neighbors across Albany and beyond. Together Greg and Jodi combine grassroots organizing with program design to deliver immediate relief and long-term opportunities.
What we do — projects that turn intention into action
We build community assets that feed people, teach skills, create work, and restore local ecosystems. Current programs include:
- Albany Victory Gardens — transforming vacant lots into thriving community gardens and teaching spaces where youth and neighbors grow food and skills.
- Urban Farmers Training Program — hands-on training in urban agriculture, land stewardship, and small-scale food enterprise.
- Produce Pick-Up Project — weekly distributions that put fresh, locally grown produce directly into the hands of families.
- Normanskill Pollinator Sanctuary & Urban Apiary — habitat restoration and beekeeping projects that support pollinators and teach ecological stewardship.
- Youth Blueberry Orchard — a multi-year youth employment and ecological education orchard project that builds ownership and long-term food assets.
- Home Again — supportive services and practical help for newcomers, refugees, and people rebuilding stability.
- Wheels Up — provides bicycles to youth along with STEM-powered programs teaching bike mechanics, mobility access, and environmental science skills
- Collaborative Kitchen — a community production kitchen where culinary training, culturally specific meals, and small business incubation meet.
- Community Corner — neighborhood engagement hubs for events, learning, and distribution.
- The Macramé Project, SEVA Chocolate & Guayusa Tea, Lama Chodpa Incense — artisan and direct-trade product lines that create fair work, fund programs, and connect local markets to global makers.
Join us — many ways to help
We welcome volunteers, neighbors with land or skills to share, partners who can expand program reach, and donors who want to seed long-term community change. Your time, connections, or gifts turn into meals, jobs, mentorship, and safe green spaces.
To connect: visit our Facebook page or official site to learn about volunteer days, upcoming community events, and ways to give. For press, partnerships, or to discuss a donation or in-kind support, reach out through the contact info on our site or send a message via our social pages.
We’re driven by a simple belief: when neighbors grow food, skills, and mutual aid together, whole communities get stronger. If you’d like to help—whether by volunteering a morning at the garden, sharing land, mentoring a young farmer, or making a gift—please reach out. Let’s build resilience, one plot, one job, and one shared meal at a time.