By Eileen Buckley
Buffalo, NY – Long time East Side activist Rosa Gibson has died. Gibson was well-known in the Buffalo community for her many years of work to fight crime, blight and serve those in need.
For close to 30 years Gibson worked to set up crime watch groups, established community flower and vegetable gardens and ran a food bank on Wohlers Avenue.
In May of 2006, in a WBFO News story, produced by Eileen Buckley, Gibson was upset by vandalism to her community garden and the lack of action in her neighborhood.
"I want the East Side of Buffalo to be the best in the city of Buffalo," said Gibson in that 2006 interview.
Gibson was also the president and director of the Community Action Information Center on Wohlers.
Gibson wasn't afraid to speak out and said she was often forced to rely on politicians to help neighborhood for action and changes.
"They have to do before I believe, I have been deceived too many times before by politicians," said Gibson. Gibson was referring to what she believed was inaction in 2006 in her community with violence and drug houses.
"In my book, there is always room for improvement," said Gibson in 2006.
At the Community Action Information Center, Gibson would work each day to personally deliver items to almost 130 East Side senior citizens. She created flower and vegetable gardens on 13 vacant city lots to ease blight and offer vegetables to those in need.
In 2005, Gibson was named as one of Buffalo's Uncrowned Queens. In the 2006 WBFO News interview, then newly elected-Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown referred to Gibson as one of the city's jewels of the community. Gipson died Friday at the age of 78 after a battle with cancer.
In the 2006 interview Gibson told WBFO News "Rosa Gibson is one who is not satisfied until something is completed," said Gibson.