This month we’re proud to spotlight Tricia Pedro (MO#1272), a Schenectady-based community builder, social entrepreneur, and creative force who believes strong neighborhoods grow when people grow together. A natural collaborator and mother of eight, Tricia leads with cooperation, resilience, and heart. 

Tricia is the founder of Just a Little Bit of Love Inc., a nonprofit known for bringing families together through free, inclusive community celebrations like Easter on the Hill, Halloween on the Hill, and Holiday Lights on the Hill—transforming shared public spaces into places of joy, learning, and belonging.

Tricia is also the creator of Farley’s World, a children’s literacy and education project centered on kindness, confidence, and imagination brought to life through Farley—a lovable penguin with a heart-shaped tummy and a red mohawk. Through books, school visits, and live events, her storytelling helps children understand their emotions and their role in a caring community.

Deeply committed to neighborhood revitalization, Tricia has launched hands-on projects such as The Love Garden, which teaches families how to grow food together, and Lost Tools Workshop, introducing youth to practical skills and traditional trades. Most recently, she created a downtown pop-up market on State Street to support local entrepreneurs and strengthen Schenectady’s small-business ecosystem.

Wherever a little bit of love is needed, Tricia Pedro is committed to standing in the gap—building spaces, programs, and stories that leave lasting impact. Her work reflects a simple truth shared by cooperatives everywhere: when we invest in one another—especially our children and neighbors—everyone thrives.

What do you like about being part of the co-op community? 

I love the sense of community and belonging at the heart of our co-op – the way we are coming together, pooling our resources, and building for the greater good. Being part of the co-op feels like a natural extension of the work I’m already doing through The Love Garden and the downtown pop-up market.

This summer at The Love Garden by my home on Schenectady Street, children and families will be growing food together. I’m excited that children will be getting their hands in the dirt and getting to know where their food comes from. Just like they know McDonalds and Burger King, they’ll be able to identify healthy food and how to grow it.  And, just like the co-op will be a market to uplift local farmers and food producers, the pop-up market - just blocks away on State Street - will support start-up business owners, while also helping raise money for the nonprofit programming.

In short, what excites me most is that the co-op reflects the same values I’ve been building toward for years—mutual care, community ownership, and shared success.

What will having a downtown grocery mean to you?

As a mother of eight, I’m excited to finally have a convenient option for healthy food in the heart of our city. The corner stores just aren’t enough. Having a full grocery store downtown will bring healthier options right here in the city will make a real difference for families like mine. I especially love that the store will be community-owned, so we get to decide how we stock our shelves and which local businesses we support. Those choices matter, and it feels powerful to make them together.

What do you love about Schenectady?

 ​Where do I start? I love the people. Schenectady feels homey, in the best of ways. We’re friendly, we show up for each other, and we build community across our differences. Our diversity is real, and from that diversity comes creativity, resilience, and a strong sense of community. I love that we’re close to major cities, but when I come back home with my kids, it feels grounded and familiar in a way that really matters.

That same sense of mutual care and belonging in Schenectady is what shapes how I do my work. For a long time, I was leading Just a Little Bit of Love mostly on my own. I believed in it, and it was worth it—but it was hard, and I worried about burning out. What changed? I experienced real partnership. Working with organizations like Strong OWLS, Hamilton Hill Arts Center, and MDAM/MSAM, and being part of ONE Schenectady and the (R)evolutionary Love Train, helped me realize the power of cooperation. Instead of each of us struggling separately, we increasingly share ideas, resources, and responsibility. We plan together, support each other, and show up stronger. Before, people came out to events, but we were stretched thin. Now, we’re building together, and the work feels more sustainable and more joyful.

That spirit of cooperation is growing in Schenectady, and it’s what I love most about this city and our co-op. When we choose to work together—with care and intention—we all rise.