Cris Van Grol
On a Thursday at Joe Bean
Interview No. 193
Interview by Emily Hessney Lynch.
Published August 9, 2019.
Where are you from? How did you end up in Rochester?
I grew up outside of Buffalo in North Tonawanda, and moved to Buffalo after. I met Rory while in AmeriCorps, then moved to Rochester after Rory bought a house there.
When I first got to Rochester, I worked at the Veterans Outreach Center as a VISTA. It was a great experience; I was doing capacity building work with our database, the volunteer program, and more. It was a good way to connect and learn about other organizations.
What are some of your favorite places around Rochester?
Libraries and playgrounds. We love the Winton Branch Library. We live in NEMNU and I think that’s a hidden gem. It’s eight streets off E. Main Street behind Culver. There are huge connected backyards lined with trees. When we’re upstairs on our second floor we can hear all these birds and wildlife. We’ve lived there for seven years now. The realtor said, “this neighborhood/street might not ever be that great,” but it’s improved a lot and we love it.
What are some of your favorite local nonprofits to support?
- The Healthy Baby Network — Their mission is to support you from pregnancy to postpartum. They’re a connector and a hub. It can be hard to navigate when you need services. I volunteer at special events with them.
- Parenting Village — Their Nurture Program provides in-home postpartum care. Families apply for the first year of life after baby, indicating what kind of support you may need, like helping with other kids, household tasks, etc. Volunteers match with a family for three months and go over weekly. It mimics other programs in the country that put peer support into homes.
- NeighborWorks — They do lots of of neighborhood programs and beautification. Our neighborhood was part of the Healthy Blocks program. They’re moving on to Beechwood now. They’re just making life easier for residents. Oftentimes, government doesn’t provide needed support or make things easy. I’m a fan of any organization that’s offering resources that make life easier, more enjoyable, and more sustainable.
If you had $100 and two hours to kill in Rochester, how would you spend the money/time?
We are a family that enjoys food and coffee places. We’d go to Just Juice first, then on to Owl House for lunch. If we had money leftover, we’d grab some sweets from Scratch.
What's your personal coping mechanism for cold/gray weather?
I try to make the house cheery with music. We’re homebodies in the winter. Just seeing people helps—like going to restaurants, coffee shops, and small business—and connecting.
What's one memory you have that perfectly captures Rochester for you?
The first time I came to Rochester with Rory. He was trying to make me fall in love with Rochester so I’d move here. We went to the Eastman House together. We have such history here in our city. It made me think about what was going on out on East Ave back in the day.
When I was really little, we had family in Rochester, and I remember being in Rochester during the crazy, wild ice storm in 1991. A tree fell on my grandma’s house!
What makes Rochester unique?
The people. It’s a place where you can be connected and support one another. There’s enough abundance that we can all thrive and succeed. You’re not a speck. You can have an impact. It’s all about connecting. It’s easy to walk into a place, start up a conversation, and begin a relationship.
How can we make Rochester a better place?
Connecting with others—including folks from all around the city. Addressing there being two Rochesters and move forward from that lens. We need to hear everyone’s voices. On the macro-level, it’s about having more connection about development and rebuilding. At Ugly Duck, we look out at a blank mud pile and we don’t know what the future holds. It would be great to see government making it easier to navigate and have an impact. These are not just meaningless buildings/projects. They’ll shape the city’s generations for years to come. We need to connect the dots when making these decisions that impact us all.
Cris Van Grol is a mom, photographer, and doula. She loves connecting with and supporting others. For more of her perspective, visit our Instagram.
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