On Tuesday, I noticed that the HOPE Garden at Paderewski and Memorial was completed and snapped some photos.

I had seen the work on it progressing over the last month or so.

I contacted Karen Carman, Director of the Matt Urban Hope Center and asked her about the garden…what a great story!

Here is her response…

I’m so glad you noticed our new Hope Garden. This was done by Alex Elia as his Eagle Scout project for Troop V. Alex designed, developed a budget, and organized a huge team of volunteers – mostly other Scouts from Troop V and their families – to complete the project. He secured donated plants, persuaded Buffalo Reuse to provide him with landscaping rocks and a bricks for lining the flagstone path for next to nothing. And our neighbors at the Central Terminal saw how hard Alex was working and donated a load of mulch While digging out the pathways, he actually found the flagstone buried – so we must have had some type of path many years ago.

I should also mention that Alex designed and built our benches! Alex is a remarkable young man who showed strong leadership qualities and amazing organization abilities – not to mention his design & workmanship skills.

The Hope Center will also be having a flag retirement ceremony in early November which will be performed by the Cub Scouts of Troop 5.  Once the date is finalized, I will share.

A garden like this adds a lot to the neighborhood.

Alive!

Click here for HOPE Center’s Facebook page—>

The Matt Urban Hope Center opened a few months ago in Polonia Hall on Paderewski Drive.  A couple of weeks ago I sent the Hope Center’s Director Karen Carman some questions about the Center and she was kind enough to respond.

BFA: What was the inspiration and the impetus to open the Hope Center?

KC: My partner, Joyelle Tedeschi, and I have worked together for many years (crisis Services and then the YWCA of WNY. We saw a gap in services to the homeless on the east-side. As an MSW intern, Joyelle did a community needs assessment which revealed needs, not only for the homeless, but for people at high risk of becoming homeless, e.g. those living in extreme proverty. Current homeless programs provide services to the homeless only – our Hope Center provides services to anyone in need in our service area.

BFA: Why was the Broadway-Fillmore neighborhood chosen for the center?

KC: Once a thriving neighborhood – the most populous of the east-side – Broadway-Fillmore has seen a 50% reduction in its population over that time period primarily due to the loss of well-paying jobs and a faltering economy. As a result, the community has seen a dramatic shift in its complexion from traditional two-parent family homes to single, mother-headed households with young children (nearly 30% of residents are under 18 years of age) and senior citizens who have lived in the community for most of their lives (approximately 16% of the local population).

The community’s unemployment rate approaches 17% and nearly 25% of persons aged twenty-five years and older do not have a high school diploma or its equivalent. Only 6.7% of persons in this age range have secured a bachelor’s or graduate degree. As a result, nearly 40% of community residents live below the federal poverty line – one of the highest rates in the city of Buffalo. Read More →