PUSH to expand water-runoff initiative

By Aaron Garland and Brandon Schlager

BengalNews Reporters

     Spring can’t come soon enough for PUSH Buffalo.

     Once the weather becomes warmer, PUSH will plant and install various increments, which will absorb runoff storm water, to ensure that sewers do not overflow throughout the West Side. Rain gardens, green roofs, bio swales and rainwater catchment systems will be installed to act as sponges to combat runoff pollution and guarantee cleaner water in Buffalo. This new initiative will be called the Green Infrastructure project.

     The city is becoming increasingly flooded with environmental hitches, and the recent profusion of rain has further exposed the faulty sewer systems of Buffalo. Storm water and sanitary water from houses in the city combine to run in one system, which drains into Lake Erie and area rivers through a wastewater treatment facility. During times of extended rain or sewer runoff, a system overflow is created, causing untreated water to flow into the lake and rivers.

     “It’s a pretty significant issue for the city when any amount of sewage going into the lake and the rivers is an issue,” Jenifer Kaminsky, director of housing for PUSH Buffalo, said. “I think it impacts all facets of the economy and just the health and safety of neighborhoods.” Kaminsky claims that there are millions of gallons going into the system every year.

     The project will be concentrated in PUSH’s “green development zone,” which consists of a 25-block area and 25 PUSH-owned sites on the West Side. The sites are all in the same sewer shed, which runs at the foot of Albany Street. Kaminsky sees this as advantageous because they all share the pipe system.

PUSH will add more gardens throughout the West Side.

     “We purchase them either because they have been identified as being a burden to the neighborhood, being used for dumping or illegal activities,” Kaminsky said. “So we purchased it to clean it up and address what was going on, making it a garden or a simple ‘clean-and-green,’ where we clean, mow, seed and clear any debris.”

     The project will address the increasing sewer overflow problem over the next two years. According to Kaminsky, PUSH’s goal is to fill 10 sites with green infrastructure, this growing season, and finish the rest next year.

      PUSH is not alone in putting the project into fruition. Buffalo Niagara Riverkeeper, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the Buffalo Sewer Authority will aid in working to improve the city’s storm water system. The NYS Environmental Facilities Corporation will assist funding with a grant. 

     Judith Enck, EPA’s Region 2 regional administrator, expressed the significance of funding a committed project that applies cutting-edge ideas to a strong vision for the future of the city.

     “These things don’t happen overnight, but it’s really the community support that makes a difference,” Enck said. “Clearly, these are organizations who are involved in the community, who listen to the community, and have found the intersection between affordable housing, green jobs and sustainability. I think Buffalo has the potential to be a model for the nation.”

Some PUSH gardens are design to capture runoff from rain.

     Not only will the project reduce the amount of water going into an already stressed storm water system, but it will also create green jobs. PUSH will hire a landscape crew to help with the installation of the green infrastructure, which will also augment aesthetics and living quality of people in the area.

     “You’re not just building a rain garden or a community park,” Suzanna Randall, green infrastructure coordinator at the NYS EFC, said. “You’re enhancing community nutrition, you’re providing green-job training, you’re providing green jobs, you’re providing a more walkable neighborhood. In short, you’re revitalizing this community.”

     Kaminsky noted that residents could also address the overflow problem to improve standards of living across the city.

      “This is a city-wide problem — it’s not just a West Side problem,” Kaminsky said. “We’re all impacted by the environment of our waterways, so I think this is something that will happen city-wide. Whether it’s projects by the city or local homeowners, anyone can install a garden on their property to help out.”

Coalition sets sights on West Side youth

By Michael Mazzuto and Mike Provenzano

BengalNews Reporters

Just saying no isn’t enough.

Telling kids not to do something can make them want to do it anyway. Unfortunately, many adults don’t realize this until it is too late. But there’s a group of people trying to change that by a proactive approach at a critical stage in adolescents. 

The West Side Youth Development Coalition (WSYDC) was formed in 2009, at the request of the community, to develop approaches to limit the high levels of violence and gang activity on the West Side. The coalition’s other objectives include trying to change negative “social norms” and positive impacts on the environment.

In conjunction with the Buffalo Police Department, the WSYDC hosted the 18^th annual youth police academy on March 23 at Buffalo Police Headquarters on Franklin Street.  The event is part of what the WSYDC calls “enhancing enforcement” in the hope that it will create an open dialogue between police and the West Side youth community.

Kids from schools across Buffalo including six on the West Side, participated in workshops and activities on personal safety, anti-bullying, and physical fitness.  

This marks the third consecutive year in which the WSYDC co-hosted the academy.   The WSYDC was formed in 2009, at the request of the community, to develop approaches to limit the high levels of violence and gang activity on the West Side. The coalition’s other objectives include trying to change negative “social norms,” positive impacts on the environment and improving the perception of law enforcement within the community.

Robert Fink, president of the Citizens Advisory Group says the youth police academy’s main focus is to educate 7^th and 8^th graders so that they can make good life choices.

“For the kids here, the academy is also a really good introduction to the police,” Fink says.  “Many of the kids who attend the academy go on to join the Buffalo Police Explorer Scouts.”

The Explorer Scouts are a group dedicated to giving teens hands-on experience in mock law-enforcement situations.

Jonathan Lindner, coordinator for the coalition:

According to Jonathan Lindner, coordinator for the WSYDC, most negative behaviors in kids, start around 7^th or 8^th grade.  Lindner, who is also a health and wellness professor at Buffalo State College, was on-hand along with some of his students, for a presentation on healthy choices.  Lindner says that it is his unique approach that resonates with the kids.

“A lot of people talk at them, I’ve learned to talk to them,” says Lindner.  “I have a conversation with them.  I show them there is other stuff to choose.  If you show them other things, they realize you don’t have to choose things that are potentially harmful.”

Lindner included a survey when kids signed up for the academy that included what he calls “perception of harm questions” to gauge how they feel about drugs, alcohol, and their mental health.  Lindner says the survey helps him to tailor his presentation to the audience.

Lindner knows that kids on the West Side may not have the best perception of law enforcement.  He experienced his own learning curve when it came to gaining credibility with the community.

“When I first started working on the West Side, it wasn’t easy,” said Lindner.  “I had to gain trust and respect.”

Lindner says the police can’t expect to change their relationship with the youths when their approach doesn’t change.

“The kids will engage, it just depends how on you actually engage them,” says Lindner.  “The tough love stuff- that doesn’t fly.”

Lindner is also helping build the foundation for the future leaders of the West Side community.  Many of his students also made presentations at the academy and hope to continue their involvement with the West Side after graduation.

“You see more of a positive attitude from West Side students and the kids we are interacting with,” said Louis DeAngelo, a senior in Buffalo State’s health and wellness program.  “The idea that there is actually something they can do besides being stuck on the West Side and not being able to go anywhere or do anything.”

Refugee family moves into Habitat House

By Malniquia Evans and Janiel Thomas
BengalNews Reporters

A newly renovated two-story house on Sherwood Street became the home of a Somalian family on April 7.

The Malande family, who were refugees from Kenya before coming to the United States, moved into the five bedroom, one bath house, with the help of Habitat for Humanity. This organization focuses on helping low income and refugee families own homes that they might not otherwise be able to afford. The Malande family consists of seven members, and was able to move into this renovated home after a long and tenuous process.

Through the organization’s application process and dedicated volunteer services, families like the Malande family are able to own homes with interest-free mortgages for up to 35 years.

“We have an application process that we market to new families,” Kevin Scherf, executive director of Habitat for Humanity said. “Our families who wish to be in our program first have to be employed and they have to meet certain income requirements.”

The family was welcomed into their new home by Habitat for Humanity during a dedication ceremony. The occasion marked the 240^th house sold to Habitat for Humanity partner families.

The ceremony included the blessing of the house and the presentations of gifts to the family from various organizations throughout Buffalo, such as Niagara Frontier Reading Council, WNY Embroiders Guild and WNY Garden Clubs. The family was also presented with a Bible, which was donated by the Bible Society of WNY.

Habitat for Humanity depended on the service of volunteers who aided in the rehabilitation of the family’s home.  Like the many other volunteers and families who have previously owned homes through Habitat, the Malande family had to dedicate their time to volunteering.

“It was a vacant house so we stripped it down onto the basic frame and rebuilt it from there,” Sarah Mast, an assistant site supervisor for Habitat of Humanity through AmeriCorps said. “After the application process, the family has to put in 150 hours on any Habitat house and at that point they get to pick their own house.”

This particular house was in the works for over a year when Mast started as site supervisor in October 2012.

Habitat houses are donated, and the families are allowed to choose the house they want to live in and the neighborhood they feel most comfortable in. The Malande family chose their new home due to a variety of reasons, which included the accessibility of medical services. 

Mohamed Kulow, on his family's new home: 

“We chose this location because my father is old and it is easier for him to go to the doctor because it is close,” Mohamed Kulow, the oldest sibling, said.

In addition to the Malande family’s home, Habitat has rehabbed and built a number of houses on the West Side, which includes an entire block on Ferguson Street. Scherf said Habitat’s goal was to fix up the area so that homeowners have a safe and decent place to live and raise their families.

 “We work on 10 to 15 projects a year,” Scherf said. “About 70 percent of the work we do is rehab and the remaining 30 percent are new builds.”

'Night People' run fights hunger, poverty

By Brielynn Bell and Margot Harris
BengalNews Reporters

     Runners sat at the crowded table, which was covered with flyers and registration forms. Each runner walked away from the table with a plastic bag filled with goodies, a map with directions, an itinerary for the run, a large tag with various numbers, and a bright orange t-shirt that said “Friends of Night People.”

     Over 300 people gathered at D’Youville College on 302 Porter Ave., Sunday April 7 to run for a cause. Friends of Night People Inc., located on 394 Hudson St., hosted its 10^th annual “Putting Hunger on the Run” 5k. The runners were here to do more than just run; they came to support FONP and their attempt to feed the hungry in the Buffalo community. 

Runners express their feelings on why they came out to run and what the cause meant to them:

     Executive Director Joseph Heary coordinated the event with the help of the development assistant, Nicole Gawel.

     “Last year, Friends of Night People served over 82,000 meals,” Heary said. “This year, so far, we have served about 20,000 meals. We keep seeing an increase in the number of meals we serve year after year. All of the money we raise today is going toward that cause.”

     Gawel explained that the non-profit organization is more than a place where people can come to get food at night. FONP also offers services such as medical care, alcohol anonymous classes, clothing closets, veteran assistance programs and much more.

     FONP accepts donations on a daily basis, including Saturday and Sunday.

     “We accept perishable and non-perishable products: food, personal care items, and clothes. We need it all,” Gawel said.

      According to the Food Bank of Western New York, there has been an increase, since 2006, in the number of residents who turn to pantries, shelters, and kitchens for assistance.

     FONP is a dedicated organization with a plan to keep its services ongoing for the future. With an increase of people in need, the organization is always looking for volunteers and donations.

     “When you start working with Friends of Night People, you will start to ask yourself, ‘Do I really need this, because there are other people who are really in need – is this a necessity?’ ” Gawel said. “I am not saying that I have stopped shopping completely, but I have really cut back since I began working here a year ago. This organization has taught me not to be so selfish.”

     Many runners who participated were from previous years and wanted to continue to support the cause, while several others were running their first 5k. Runners ranged from young children to elderly men, and from group-home members to experienced marathon runners.

     “It was for a good cause and I just wanted to support my community,” runner, Amanda Vetter said.

     “Putting Hunger on the Run” will help FONP provide food, clothing, and medical services to the working poor, children, elderly, and homeless in the West Side community. Sponsors included National Gird, National Fuel, UPS, Delta Sonic and Wegmans.

     The organization sees many people from the area at its Hudson location, but it also has newer locations on the East Side to cater to the people in the area.

     People can visit the West Side Hudson location any time between 10 a.m. and 7 p.m.  People can visit the East Side location on 385 Paderewski St. from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. or 21 Westminster Ave. from 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. for meal assistance programs.

PUSH grant to upgrade business buildings

By Bryan Price and Nick Stutzman
BengalNews Reporters

The West Side and the areas surrounding it have many historic commercial buildings but some of these structures face hazardous and maintenance issues because of their age. Building issues such as bad foundations, leaking pipes, out of date lighting fixtures and drafty windows are eyesores to the community.

 That’s where the PUSH Green Building Retrofit Program makes an impact, and its target is small commercial buildings and non-profit organizations on the West Side and across Western New York.

PUSH leaders discuss the retrofit program:

Launched on March 27, the $800,000 incentive grant has a goal to upgrade Buffalo’s buildings by making them more affordable and more energy efficient, improvements that will make them more sustainable in the long term.

PUSH Green Director of Workforce Initiatives Clarke Gocker considers this program a way for owners to afford their building renovations, in what might not have been available before, using PUSH as the point of entry.

“This program is to leverage the private investments that small businesses make. And so a $35,000 cap is seen as a carrot to incentivize them to dig deep to do big improvements that will help turn our communities around,” Gocker said.

Gocker said that PUSH Green will be the liaison between the building owners and the contractor who will walk them through the process of conducting the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority’s Green Jobs-Green energy audit. Then PUSH will take the load off of the energy auditor, taking the customer and handling the rest of the process, such as guiding them through the financing to perform the work needed. Incentives from NYSERDA partners from across New York State can help lenders offer energy efficient financing.

Local developer Rocco Termini agrees that there is a lot of different things that this money can be used for that will benefit qualified grant recipients, and it’s an organization like PUSH that makes the process all the easier.

“I think it’s a really good program. I don’t think you could have found a better organization to administer this program other than PUSH,” Termini said. “PUSH understands what we all go through to rehab a building, so I think this going to be a very successful program and I would encourage everybody to get their applications in as soon as possible because there is only a limited amount of resources.”

Applicants will be required to provide documented evidence of funding for the project costs.

PUSH Green Program Manager, Kate Howard is in charge of the residential energy efficiency program that launched January 2012. The program was the stepping-stone that helped create the building retrofit program.

 Buffalo has the third oldest housing stock in the nation. And since PUSH’s home base is on the West Side, Howard says there has been an outreach to the community to access these incentives and make upgrades to existing homes.

“Part of living in Buffalo, is that you live in old houses. So they are interesting and beautiful, but completely inefficient and expensive to maintain,” Howard said.

Having the energy assessments and showing the homeowners where they can save money, just like the building program, they can get work done that they needed or didn’t know they needed done. Howard said on average, owners could save 20 percent to 40 percent off their utility costs and bills.

Examples of house improvements are new furnaces and heating systems, new insulation, blower door assisted air ceiling, duct work; essentially a whole house retrofit. Anyone across Erie County can benefit from these programs.

These programs are also helping the economically troubled community with working alongside Green contractors. These contractors are benefiting from the demand of work provided from the programs, as well as employing local skilled workers who need jobs. There are about 35 new jobs estimated to be created by these programs.