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

Grant St. thrift shop offers job training

By Brian Geerhart and Erica Lindo
BengalNews Reporters
 It is smaller than your neighborhood thrift shop, not located near a plaza or any area you would classify as a shopping district and it is not run by a big corporation. New to You is a small thrift shop on the West Side with more to offer than what meets the eye.
 In a small but cozy storefront located at 289 Grant St., the New to You shop offers a variety of lightly used items from vinyl records and sofas to clothing, china dolls and TVs. New to You is also a safe haven for young individuals in need of employment and on-the-job training for immigrants from other countries.

New to You employees Jackie Douth and Kiera Pierre

 Starting its fifth year in business, the New to You shop’s average for transitional employment is 7.2 months, which is higher than the national average for transitional employment, which is about six months.
 On the Job Ministries, a nonprofit organization that runs the New to You shop, Soap Works and Westside Wheels through a collaboration between West Side Ministries, Inc. and Peace of the City Ministries, has went the extra mile in helping the students and immigrants in the community find and keep employment.
 “Peace of the City Ministries is an after-school program that meets the needs of kindergarten through 16-year-olds,” said Kim DeFlyer, executive director of On the Job Ministries.
 “We developed these small businesses in the after-school program and when they got so big, we brought them, the thrift store, the soap and the bikes out of the after-school program and put a business on Grant Street,” she said.
 Five years ago, On the Job Ministries opened the New to You Shop doors on Grant Street to accomplish three goals.
 “[We have] three goals, to provide a safe environment for young people to work at and grow, to bring low cost goods into the community and to build and grow more businesses so we can hire more kids,” DeFlyer said.“We employ about 30 students a year.”
 The students come from all over the community as well as the entire city. The ages of the students typically hired through On the Job Ministries are 16 to 24, but they have hired students of any age going through any transition in their life.
  “Anybody with a student I.D.,” DeFlyer said. “All shapes and sizes.”
 The New to You shop is 70 percent self-sustaining straight from revenue. Grants and private donations help make up the other 30 percent of running the business.
 “We encourage college students to shop here; we offer free delivery with student I.D.,” she said.
 Whatever the need or situation, On the Job Ministries is willing to lend a helping hand in any way they can as long as you return the help by volunteering at the New to You shop, help make soup or help restore someone’s bicycle for Westside Wheels.
 New to You has been more than just a transitional job for Kiera Pierre, 20, supervisor and warehouse coordinator.
 “I started after-school about eight hours a week,” she said.
 Pierre has worked at the shop for about three years now.
 “I just stuck to it and eventually I went from assistant manager to now, supervisor and warehouse coordinator. I think the skills at this job actually help you in life,” Pierre said. “You actually have to try and work, it is not like McDonald’s or assembly work.”
 Pierre, a West Side resident who graduated from McKinley and plans to attend Erie Community College in the spring.
 One of the newest employees of the New to You shop is Jackie Douth, 18, a senior at Lafayette High School.
 “I’ve only been working three days now. My cousin told me about it, I was looking for a job and he said ‘I know somebody who is hiring,’” Douth said. “So I walked in, got an application, and got hired.”
 With help from On the Job Ministries, Douth will have learned on-the-job skills to help her with her future endeavors. Douth plans to go to school for nursing.
 On the Job Ministries teaches life skills, as well as helping each individual meet his or her own goals.
 “It teaches us how to best bring resources into the neighborhood,” DeFlyer said.
 New to You is open Monday through Saturday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. You can donate your lightly used household goods and appliances on Saturdays from 12-4 p.m. Edited by Melissa Kania