W.S. programs aim to help teenage refugees

By Kristin Ritch and Jasmine Willis
BengalNews Reporters

            When 14-year-old Nepali Hemanta Adhikari came to America three years ago, she was afraid, overwhelmed and didn’t know where to turn to for help.

            She is not alone. Just like her, many other refugees her age are stepping off a plane into a whole new life and culture.

            Like any other teenager, Adhikari was nervous to start high school. She had to start fresh, make new friends and prepare for a harder education.

            Programs are being formed to help these refugee teenagers in the West Side adjust to American higher education.

            The programs Making a Connection, Education Purpose Integrity and Courage, and the organization West Side Ministries all work with these refugees’ teens to help them keep up with Americans their age and adjust to the different lifestyle.

            The program Making a Connection  is led by Lead Youth Coach, Mindy Ramey. This program, with help from a $350,000 grant received from New York State, started up Sept. 1   and is going strong. 

Mindy Ramey, on the Making a Connection program:

            MAC, located in St. Lawrence Academy on Saint Lawrence Avenue, takes up a room that holds 24 students that represent nine different countries. The age ranges of these students are unlike American high school students. These students range anywhere from 16 to 21 years old.

            The lessons start at 9 a.m. and end at 2 p.m. with a one-hour lunch break. The students get five hours of  G.E.D. preparation, vocational training,  English language instruction, college preparation and community orientation training.

             “The great part of it is the freedom, Buffalo Public Schools are not telling them how much time they can spend on different subjects,” Ramey said. “We have the freedom of time, the freedom of time is the amazing part of the program.”

            Ramey said that none of the teachers are certified English as a second language (ESL) teachers. They are all just trying to get these teens up the academic level they need to be at for high school. One of the exercises at MAC to help these youths enhance their literacy involves journaling for 20 minutes about anything they want to write about in their own language. This is meant to teach them flow in writing, and will eventually get them to translate them into a basic essay.

            Another Program geared towards helping these youths is called EPIC. Education Purpose Integrity and Courage embodies the goals of the students. Claire Essley, director of education for Jericho Road Ministries, runs this program.

            To check out other refugee programs and opportunities offered through Jericho Road go to their website, http://www.jrm-buffalo.org/.

            This program is different from MAC because the participating students are not there to prepare for their G.E.D.s and are not there all day. This is an after school program that helps students adjust to the Buffalo Public High Schools. It helps them keep up with the American students so they don’t fall too far behind.

            “There are dozens of programs all over the city ranging from kids that have just stepped off the airplane and are completely shell shocked, and just helping them get acculturated,” Essley said. “This program is targeting students who have been in the country for two to five years.”

            West Side Ministries has bought many homes on the West Side to renovate for these programs.

            EPIC also teaches these youths creative arts. One example of that is a mural the students painted on the wall of the living room.

            These students have to find their own means of transportation there and currently there are only four students participating since the program began in October. The goal is to get at least 12 students soon.

          Adhikari can speak five different languages. She is learning Burmese right now, and can already speak Hindi, English, Nepali and a little Spanish. She misses her own country and hopes to go see her family there soon, but is learning to adjust to Buffalo with a little help from her friends at EPIC. 

         “I really like this program, they really help me a lot,” said Adhikari. “I make new friends and I learn about their society." Edited by Caitlin Waters

          

On the Job Ministries puts youth to work

Takara Owens sorts through clothing  at New To You

By Jessica Chetney
and Jessica Goodridge
BengalNews Reporters

         Many West Side organizations focus on helping residents find employment in today’s troubling economy.

And then there’s On the Job Ministries (OTJ)

This organization primarily focuses on providing jobs for young adults, ages 16-24.

"We have some students who are still in high school, who work after school and on Saturdays," said Rebecca Ballard, assistant director of OTJ Ministries. "We usually have between two to three after school positions. They often come from Lafayette, McKinley, and other local high schools."

The ministries have created three small local businesses to help lower unemployment rates. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Buffalo-Niagara region’s unemployment rate is at 8.4 percent.

These small local businesses are New To You, Soapworks, and Westside Wheels located at 289 Grant St.

" I think there’s a need for more organizations like this," Ballard said. "There’s definitely a need, not only for things to do, but I like that we are offering them a job and are actually paying them while they are training. There are some job organizations that give you the training, but you don’t necessarily get a paycheck."

They also work with social services through the Placing Individuals in Vital Opportunity Training program (PIVOT) to provide jobs for people who are on cash assistance as well.

Rebecca Ballard of On the Job Ministries discusses recruitment:

Soapworks, one of the businesses created by OTJ Ministries, is a natural blend of rich oils and aromatic fragrances produced on the West Side at the Lafayette Presbyterian Church.

"We work with the young women to teach them how to make the soap, how to package it, and how to market it," Ballard said. "We also go to craft fairs during the holidays to sell our soap. It gets our name out there."

Kierra Pierre, warehouse coordinator at the New To You shop, is just one example of how life changing this program is.

Pierre started her journey with OTJ Ministries as a high school student working at Soapworks.

" It was a struggle for sure," said Rose Gandy, her co-worker and store manager at New To You. " It is really difficult in this neighborhood honestly, because they have so many friends. It was interesting to see how she stood up and said, ‘I need to do this for myself’. " 

Pierre has been working with OTJ Ministries for four years now and is making plans for a bright future.

"She’s very talented. She has matured astronomically," Gandy said.

          "It’s a great program to help develop your skills," Pierre said. "I want to go to college for business management and hopefully open my own business."

         Pierre also said that working with the program has given her a sense of faith.

         OTJ Ministries hopes to see more young adults develop life long skills to be used in the professional world.

         "She has taught me a lot. She has been here so she knows the functions, where I might have a different area that I may be okay in, but she knows everything all around," Gandy said. "She is irreplaceable."

        

        

PUSH mural to brighten Grant St. offices

Brittney McClain outside PUSH and MAP offices

By Sara O'Brien and James Wright
BengalNews Reporters

PUSH Buffalo’s plain, sterile exterior at the Grant Street location will soon be given a fresh and new artistic look.

            The dark brick and intimidating façade is not the best impression placed upon people within the community.

            This building which PUSH and the Massachusetts Avenue Project currently call home, was originally built in the 1960s as a library. After decades of use in the community, the library was forced to close due to budget cuts around the area.

Many people in the community were upset about the closings, but it was a blessing in disguise for both PUSH and MAP  Since both organizations were looking for a building to call their own, they looked to the closing as an opportunity.  

In 2005 shortly after the closing, the two organizations moved in and discovered that the building was not in good condition.

When she started in 2009, community center Director  Janice Li, recalls an atmosphere of broken windows, peeling paint, and lack of work being completed toward renovations.  With hard work and funding from Councilman David Rivera, Li and others from the Grant Street location, were able to make enough improvements to the building which generated positive attention and lead to the rise of the community center. 

Janice Li discusses the steps taken to get a mural to grace PUSH and MAP offices:

During the first few months, Li explained how the community center was not getting more than five visitors a day. Slowly as improvements were being made, more funding lead to the addition of computers, board games and organization of book shelves that were left behind.

Britney McClain, development director, agrees on the issue of the building’s appearance.

“Personally when I was first interviewed and hired, I sort of passed it myself,” she said.

With some of the funds left over from the “Street Scape” program which allocated $60,000 to improve streets along Grant Street, a professional mural has been decided to replace the cold brick façade of the PUSH building.

The housing director presented the mural idea to three local artists who were all given a chance to make their proposal for the project. Max Collins, who is known for his invigorating and wall based murals, was the chosen artist to take on the task.

 According to Li, “The money is all there, the artist is there, and the approval has been made. We are just waiting for the final consent.”

Overall the goal for this new project is to generate more uplifting attention to the area.

 On a busy day according to Li and McClain, there can be a range of 30 to 50 visitors coming to the center. By adding this mural, they hope this will increase the awareness and bring a more positive outlook toward the Grant Street community.

An expert on advertising and professor of Journalism and Media Studies at Buffalo State College, Dr. Michael I. Niman focuses on the way propaganda impacts consumer culture.

“The mural will help the business stand out visually. Also, something like that will raise community spirit,” he said. Edited by Chanice Johnson

West Side takes action to prevent violence

By Chanice Johnson and Jennine Taberski
BengalNews Reporters

According to Sean Mulligan, legislative aide to Councilman David Rivera, the Niagara District has been working with the Buffalo Police Department to ensure that arrests are being made and the affects of gangs on the West Side are decreasing.

“We work directly with residents who will call about high levels of violence in the area and this information is then passed on to the police department in order for them to start conducting investigations,” said Mulligan.

The Niagara District also works with the Department of Citizen Services through a program called Save Our Streets. Within that program, Operation Clean-Sweeps holds day projects where people are involved to clean up particular streets where violence, poverty  and housing code violations are prevalent.

“So far we have done three clean sweeps in the Niagara District this year to make the West Side a safer and more appealing area to live,” said Mulligan.

“We sponsor the Grant Street Neighborhood Center and other programs that provide safe places for children with an effort to keep them off of the streets and away from the violence,” said Mulligan.

Six organizations including Stop the Violence Coalition collaborated to form the Peacemakers Gang Intervention Program. This program is aimed to uplift the city and put a halt to the chaos and violence that has placed Buffalo in the rankings for being one of the most dangerous cities in the nation.

  

Pastor James Giles of Back to Basics Outreach Ministries Inc. on changing the attitudes about violence on the West Side:

 

According to Murray Holman, executive director of Stop the Violence Coalition, out of the 41 homicides reported this year, half of them occurred on the West Side.

The diverse backgrounds and mixed cultures within the West Side bring a very different and complex form of violence. As a result, certain gang members who come to America are bringing more hateful tactics and ways to commit violent crimes from their cultures back home.

“Unlike other gangs throughout the city, different crimes and homicides committed in the area are not being reported,” said Holman. “People within these communities remain introvert and only speak out against violence during times of desperation.”

At a VOICE-Buffalo Inc., meeting held on Oct. 28. Pastor James Giles, president and CEO of Back to Basics Outreach Ministries, a program also in collaboration for the Peacemakers Gang Intervention Program, expanded upon ways to prevent the eruption of violence within the city.

“We came up with an initiative to come together and expand ourselves throughout the community because violence is always a step ahead of us,” said Giles.

Mayor Byron Brown also expressed his support of the Peacemakers Gang Intervention Program that creates awareness about violent acts and provides preventative measures within the city by allocating $78,000 towards it.

“We will follow the examples of successful programs in Providence and Boston and will come up with a program tailored towards specific needs for the City of Buffalo,”  Brown said. Edited by Jessica Chetney

Community works to dispel negative image

By Brian Alexander and Jennifer Waters
BengalNews Reporters

Forbes Magazine recently rated Buffalo as the 10th  most dangerous city in the nation.
Michele Graves, the community program associate for the Center for Health and Social Research at Buffalo State College, said several public and community organizations are working with certain neighborhoods that tend to be viewed as crime-ridden areas, such as the West Side, to improve the community’s well-being.

According to crimereports.com, there were 24 assaults, 46 thefts, 27 burglaries, one multiple case involving assault and 14 multiple cases involving theft on the West Side from Oct. 1 to Oct. 30.

Murals, like this one by the West Side Youth Development Coalition, help stop graffiti

Sean Mulligan, legislative aid to Buffalo Common Councilmember David Rivera, said the Niagara district is working with the Buffalo Police Department and the Commission of Citizen Services to implement a block-by-block approach to addressing criminal behavior in the neighborhood.

Beginning in 2008, Mulligan said the groups have been focusing on different sections of the West Side, starting with Richmond Avenue and working west street-by-street.

“We’re trying to focus in on problem areas and putting in a number of resources to see that those areas improve,” he said.

Mulligan said the number one criminal issue on the West Side is drug dealing.

Some of the strategies Mulligan said they are looking at to combat this problem include more strictly enforcing property code and cleaning up run-down neighborhoods to improve community morale.

In addition to the city’s efforts, many community groups are involved in preventing crime by promoting constructive social behaviors. The West Side Youth Development Coalition is one such group.

Graves, who is involved with the coalition, said the coalition has been working on a social norms piece by distributing posters with four messages about parenting, which have been developed over the past year, stating that social norms need to be enforced for their children.

“This is all to remind parents that you have responsibilities that start at home,” Graves said.

She said most parents feel they can rely entirely on the schools to provide these tools for kids, along with messages about guns and drugs.

National Night Out, which is always held the first Tuesday in August, was a daytime event held at the West Side Community Center where roughly 100 kids spend their summer days.

“We’re trying to give kids healthy alternatives to hanging out on corners. Simple things like relay races, balloon races, jump rope, and eating healthy foods, all interspersed with crime prevention and safety tips,” Graves said.

Graves said she credits part of the negative thoughts toward the West Side to the media.

“I think that when things happen and it’s reported in the media, all of a sudden people say ‘That’s not a safe area,’” Graves said.

When talking about the geographic area of the West Side, Graves said there are too many different neighborhoods to take into consideration, including transitional and wealthy neighborhoods.

She said she feels that if all people hear and see reported in the media is the West Side in reference to a crime, people ignore the fact that the same crimes are happening in areas like Amherst and Orchard Park.

“You just don’t see it because they don’t report it the way we do,” she said. “Also, municipal police departments, suburban ones, tend to be a little more insular about what happens.”

She also said she feels that crime stories are more widely reported in the city, particularly on the West Side, drawing more negative attention.

Graves said supervised activities like sidewalk chalk drawings and other art projects for kids will provide outlets for any potential negative activities.

“Sort of the other end of it, the positive end of that, would be alternatives. Making beautiful murals like they’ve put along the walkway on Scajaquada Creek and one planned on the West Side on the side of a business,” she said.

Mulligan said getting people involved would instill a sense of pride and responsibility, which will help residents look out for one another.

“The more people are out, watching things, the less likely criminal activity will occur because there are more eyes out acting as a neighborhood watch. I think that’s really the best way to decrease criminal activity and increase the perceptions of the community,” he said.   Edited by Crissie Russo

Cooking program helps refugees assimilate

By Lakisha Forde and Narmeen Karzoun
BengalNews Reporters

            Julia Child may not have envisioned these students when it came time to teach a cooking class, but then again, she wasn’t teaching refugees.

            Journey’sEnd sponsors a six-week cooking program that teaches refugees simple kitchen tasks such as using a knife and measuring ingredients. The vocational training class was created for members to learn essential job skills.

             “Learning is as sweet as American cookies,” said Ismail Altaim, a refugee from Iraq that participates in the program.

Ahmad Ismail, a refugee from Iraq

              Centered on equipping immigrants with skills specific to the food industry, the class was funded by a state grant and began in January. The program is free for participants.

              “The class gives refugees big benefits including giving them an insight into what work in the United States is like, especially since many of our refugees have never had a job,” said Jeff Ogilvie, Employment Services Coordinator of Journey’s End.

             Not only does the class teach refugees skills to apply in the labor force, Ogilvie said that it also teaches the work ethic within an established kitchen.

             “It is a really good program because not only do they learn how to cook in the class, but the instructor also adds an ESL component by teaching them vocabulary words,” Ogilvie said.

            The students learn basic equipment procedures and the names of kitchenware they can identify in the work force. They also learn work procedures such as calling in sick or punching in and out of a time clock.

            “We also encourage the participants to share their country’s customs and cook their own food so I could learn about it and we could also come together as a class,” said class instructor Steve Doherty.

            The program sees participants from various countries such as Iraq, Nepal and Burma. The students meet three times a week in the kitchen of the Lunchbox, a restaurant located within the same building as the organization at 2495 Main St.

   

Amy McCarthy, president/CEO of the LunchBox, talks about the Journey's End culinary class:

         “The Lunchbox has been very supportive by allowing us to use their kitchen and their equipment,” Doherty said. “Sometimes the owners are not even here when we are, so there is a lot of trust involved.”

The refugees also help with food production for food sold at the Lunchbox.

              Aside from trust, Doherty expressed that through the program, relationships have been established by simple gestures.

“I truly enjoy working with people who come and in some cases, my students give me little treats for my kids,” Doherty said. “It is little exchanges like that that build mutual respect.”

Ogilvie expressed that as a direct result of the program, an average of approximately 250 refugees are placed with a job each year. 

           “Because it is a state employment program, when the students go through and finish the program, they will certainly be on the radar when it comes to employers, and have a better chance at a job,” Ogilvie said. Edited by Tom Gallagher

Community Academic Center marks first year

By Shari Ingles and Mauree Vitali
BengalNews Reporters
      A half a dozen wiggling children in the Community Academic Center’s visual arts program could be seen through the storefront window molding clay. However, there is more being molded inside than just clay.
       Since the CAC opened last November, on 214 Grant St., it has molded the minds of youth and is continuing to build bonds of trust with several populations including other community organizations, neighborhood parents and children, and Buffalo State College students. 
     In doing this, the CAC has furthered its mission to coordinate and provide cradle-to-career educational support programming for youth and families on the West Side. Their mission has been made possible thanks to a $500,000 donation from Buffalo State College, class of 1950, graduate, Eleanore Woods Beals and her husband Vaughn Beals.
      According to the CAC’s page on Buffalo State’s website, “The CAC is jointly operated by Buffalo State's Center for Excellence in Rural and Urban Education and the This connection proved to be an advantage when it came to building trust and collaboration with other community organizations. Gaining the trust of parents proved to be more difficult. 
     “Since our program is so new, it can be challenging to convince parents in the West Side that we’re credible,” said Buffalo State AmeriCorps Community Service After-School CAC Volunteer, Marshay Berry, as she walked to the Grant Street Neighborhood Center to gather participants for the CAC’s evening activity. Berry explained that the CAC works directly with well-established community groups such as the Grant Street Neighborhood Center, the Asarese-Matters Community Center, and Journey’s End Refugee Services. According to Berry, these bonds have greatly boosted CAC’s image as a reliable organization.
      “Parents don’t want their kids to be supervised by just anyone,” said Berry. “Fortunately, our partnerships with other West Side organizations have really helped us to succeed in our goal of becoming a community organization that’s seen as credible.”
      Although the CAC has successfully gained the trust of surrounding community organizations, parents and children of the West Side, it is still struggling to earn the trust of Buffalo State students. The CAC is struggling to do this because of the popular student perception that Grant Street is a dangerous place to be. Berry believes this is a poorly founded misconception. 
     

 -->Employees of the Community Academic Center located, on 214 Grant St., discuss the misconceptions of Grant Street and how the CAC is working to improve relations with Buffalo State College.

      Berry said that in order to overcome the negative perception of Grant Street; students need to be exposed to more of the positive things that are happening in the area. The CAC already boasts a variety of volunteer opportunities for Buffalo State students, including Berry’s own position with the CAC. 
     However, Berry thinks that more can be done. She would like to see students take charge and experience Grant Street for themselves, so that their positive word-of-mouth can help engage other students. 
     Program Coordinator of the CAC, Maureen McCarthy, said the portion of Grant Street closest to Buffalo State is arguably the most intense area of the street; but she has never felt unsafe in the part of Grant Street where the CAC is located.
      “Crime only happens in areas where people aren’t paying attention,” said McCarthy. She agrees with Berry that securing the trust and confidence of Buffalo State students is the key to establishing the success of both the CAC and of the West Side.
      “We’re not there to just sit and judge, but definitely to be a part of and help the change that is happening with our youth and with our community,” said Berry. “I was one of those students who was unaware of the great things that were happening on Grant, but my eyes have definitely been opened in this position.” Edited by Jasmine Willis

Grant aims to improve future of W.S. kids

By Jessica Chetney and Chelsea Goodridge
BengalNews Reporters

            One of the most pressing issues in today’s society is the future of our nation’s children and what we can do to improve their chances of success.

             Kids and their families alike on the West Side will both be seeing changes that will have a positive effect on their futures.

Since securing a five-year $625,000 grant in September, the Buffalo State College Center of Health and Social Research along with many West Side organizations are setting the groundwork to benefit West Side families.

            “The West Side Youth Development Coalition was awarded the grant to reduce alcohol and drug abuse among youth (18 and younger) living on the West Side of Buffalo,” said Jonathan Lindner, Center of Health and Social Research (CHSR) analyst and coordinator of the grant and coalition. “Our project will employ an environmental approach and include focus on the development of new school and local government policies and youth-focused norms.”

            The “environmental approach” Lindner mentioned evolved from a previous grant that funded a program called Project Safe Neighborhoods.

            “The main mechanism of the approach is to focus on people who influence youth, such as parents and others who act in that role,” Lindner said.

            To do this, the coalition has established a set of goals to achieve success in their approach. The first goal is to change social norms by developing parent-specific messages. The coalition also plans to change the physical environment through the use of visual media, such as billboards to capture parental attention. Lastly, the coalition would like to see an enhancement in working alongside law enforcement.

            “We have a graffiti task force that goes out, looks for graffiti and tags it as gang related,” said Alan Delmerico, research analyst for the CHSR. “They make notes of that and they work with the block clubs and civic organizations to try and get rid of those tags and improve the look of the neighborhood while making it safe.”  

AUDIO: Alan Delmerico discusses Project Safe Neighborhood 
West Side Youth Development Coalition

             
            The West Side Youth Development Coalition (WSYDC) is composed of 190 members that are divided into 12 different sectors. These sectors range from community groups, law enforcement, and educational institutions to health services, and everywhere in between.

            “One of our major partners in this grant is the West Side Community Services organization,” Delmerico said. “They’re one of the most prominent community groups we’ve worked with.”

Darrell Barber, youth director, W.S. Community Services

           According to Lucy Candelario, executive director of West Side Community Services, the grant will help fund some of the programs in the organization. Some of these programs include Project Alert and Second Step, which welcome young children to adolescents aged six to 12 in efforts to keep them off the streets and influenced to stay in school. Academic tutoring, computer labs, open gyms and game rooms are also available for the children as well.

            Although the West Side Community Center is only one organization highlighted of the many within the coalition, Lindner explains that the WSYDC uses many tactics to spread the word and get residents involved with all the coalition’s organizations.

            “We recruit and advertise in several ways which include, our website, Facebook, Twitter, and other printed media,” Lindner said. “We also use word-of-mouth, which helps out tremendously in getting our message out.”

            Since the grant is projected to last five years, the WSYDC plans to secure continued funding by applying for additional grants and public donations.

            “We would like to have programs and policies in place during the first five years that ensures sustainability long after the money runs out,” Lindner said. Edited by Max Borsuk

Youth police event teaches life skills

By Jacob Becker and Edward Mazzu
BengalNews Reporters
 The 17th Annual Youth Police Academy was held at Buffalo Police Headquarters on Saturday, March 24. The event hosted nearly 70 middle school students, many from the West Side, who had the opportunity to learn about making healthy choices and the dangers associated with drugs and crime.
 The Youth Police Academy was established at West Side Community Services when members of the Citizens Advisory Group to the Police Commissioner made the decision to try and reach middle school students and create positive interactions with local law enforcement.
 “We started out with just a few young kids and progressively have grown to where we are today,” said Danette Porto, human service coordinator at West Side Community Services and senior member of the citizens advisory group who developed the idea for the Youth Police Academy. “I am happy every year to do this. It’s a part of me now.”

Youth Police Academy event at Buffalo Police Headquarters that featured an assortment of activities and training designed to help kids make better choices for their future:


 The day started with a presentation by Detective Daniel Redmond of the Buffalo Police Department. Redmond, who is also a member of the Drug Enforcement Agency Task Force, spoke to the kids about the dangers associated with drugs and the consequences that accompany a life of crime.
 “For people in the [West Side] neighborhood, if you are trying to raise your kids and your kid can’t ride a bike because there are 10 guys selling drugs out of the house next door, the neighborhood gets destroyed and nobody wants to live there,” said Redmond, who is in his second year with the Youth Police Academy. “It’s a huge problem, but people don’t want to talk about it.”
 The Youth Police Academy serves as an introductory course for students interested in learning about law enforcement and grants kids first-hand experience about the duties of a police officer. Students who complete the program will receive a graduation certificate and credit for community service.
 Past academy graduates, like Benjamin Gerald, 14, a freshman at Western New York Maritime Charter School, may then choose to become Police Explorer Scouts. The scouts are a drill team that competes with other departments nation-wide in basic law enforcement training, such as building searches.
 “I came to the Youth Police Academy in 2009 and was really interested in joining,” said Benjamin, who is aspiring to be in the United States Marine Corps. “I really like to compete and this program helps me to develop the skills I will need in my future.”
 Members of the Center for Health and Social Research at Buffalo State College were also invited to give a presentation about making healthy lifestyle choices. The Center’s “Got Health” initiative stressed the importance of diet and daily exercise while striving to be happy.
 “It’s great every year to see these kids come in with their enthusiasm,” said Michele Graves, Community Coordinator for the Center for Health and Social Research. “We talked to them about college and how important it is to be healthy and stay away from crime.”
 The Youth Police Academy has positively impacted the lives of many children, some of whom have gone on to be police officers. For the kids who were in attendance, the invaluable lessons learned are vital to the life decisions they will face in the future.
 “Today I learned about drugs and to stay away from people who use them,” said Luis, an eighth grader at Hillery Park Academy. Edited by Michael Canfield

Jericho Road focuses on helping refugees

By Kristina Ferris and Megan Kreps
BengalNews Reporters
 The growth of the Burmese population has significantly added to Buffalo’s diversity. Recently, the Burmese population is the fastest growing of all the refugee groups in the city and, many refugee organizations have been affected by the influx of new refugee population.
 In the 2000 Census, the Burmese population was so small that it did not even have a ranking. By 2010, there were about 4,000 Burmese living in the Queen City and that number has only grown since. Refugee assistance programs have also had to accommodate the growing number.

At the Jericho Road Ministries drop in center, refugees receive help assimilating into society. Translators guide them through job hunting, medical care, and even legal advice:


Jericho Road Ministries is one refugee center that has had to adapt to the needs of the growing Burmese population. The organization has had to go out in the community to find translators to help the growing number of Burma refugees. Burma is just one of 15 refugee countries that Jericho Road Ministries represents, among 30 different languages. Past recipients of the organization have come back as volunteers to help translate the language and make the transition phase easier for refugees.
 Jericho Road takes pride in that they do not operate as a donation center for refugees but rather a “parent-like” organization that provides skills to refugees in order to teach them how to go about daily living in America
 Jericho Road Ministries began as a family practice started by Dr. Myron Glick in 1997 at 184 Barton Street. According to Eric Budin, director of partner development, Dr. Glick could be making significantly more money, but instead started his own practice to help better the community and refugees that have no place else to turn.
 Since opening the family practice, the non-profit faith based organization has added the drop-in center located at 233 West Ferry. The drop-in center focuses on providing medical and legal assistance to refugees. It is open every Monday, Wednesday and Friday for open visits. During these appointments, families can come in and meet with health care providers for different medical issues, including vaccinations for themselves and their children.
 Program Coordinator for the drop-in center, Krista Schwartzott, said that the most difficult refugees come to them with questions regarding medical information, and that explaining what medicine is used for what certain symptom.
 Schwartzott went on to say that after being referred to the doctors, many refugees still do not understand how to properly take their prescriptions. Translators are on hand to explain what medicine to take and when to take it, and even quiz them on their understanding of the medications.
 The center is the home of the Priscilla Project, which aides to pregnant women in receiving adequate prenatal care as well as helping after the birth of their baby. Anna Ireland, director of health and family services, described the hospitals these refugees are coming from are “death hospitals” where people only go when they are close to death.
 The drop-in center also provides assistance to refugees looking for certain programs or institutes. The shuttle takes them to set up banks accounts, dentist appointments, clothing stores, or even job interviews. The volunteers help translate and correctly set up these
 The work of Jericho Road Ministries is that of great importance to the refugees. Employees and volunteers of the foundation get value out of teaching people coming from refugee countries how to get along in their new home. Edited by Michael Tellier