BUFFALO, N.Y. — The granddaughter of the eldest victim of the 5/14 Buffalo mass shooting is sowing the seeds of social justice by planning to open a grocery store in the food desert of East Buffalo.

"When you eat healthy, it doesn’t just impact your physical. There’s mental implications to eating unhealthy foods," said Kamilah Whitfield, whose grandmother was Ruth Whitfield.

Kamilah said her grandmother was devoted to caring for others.

"She was such a sweet, sweet nurturing woman…she always had a garden," Kamilah said.

One day in the wake of the shooting, Kamilah said she and her family were admiring the garden when she noticed a pepper growing. That moment inspired her to carry on Ruth’s legacy by way of access to fresh, healthy food, an issue that is known to have aided the ease with which the shooter carried out his racist act. There is only one grocery store on the East side and that was where Ruth went on Saturday, May 14 to get seeds for her garden.

Now Kamilah wants people to have more than one option for groceries, as well as food education, at a store she would call "My Grandmother’s Garden."

"I don’t have an exact location, but I do in my heart have an exact location that I would really love," she said.

She is keeping her cards close to her chest as she has discussions with developers, but knows she wants to put it in the Delavan-Grider area.

The ambitious endeavor could cost several million dollars, and despite not having experience as a business owner, Kamilah is seeking an advisory board and external programs to help guide her through the process.

"It’s a lot of money out here. So it’s just about going about finding it," she explained.