Come learn more about the wonderful work and programs of the Matt Urban Center @ 1081 Broadway.  (It is one of my favorite B-F buildings…)

Morning Tours start at 8:00 am and end at 9:00 am. and are held on…

Thursday, April 7, 2011
Tuesday , April 19, 2011
Thursday, May 5, 2011

Afternoon Tours start at 12 noon and end at 1:00 pm. and are held on…

Thursday, April 7, 2011
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Thursday, May 5, 2011

If you are interested in attending, RSVP to Essence Sweat at 893-7222 ext. 231.

http://www.urbanctr.org/

Save the Date!

The next meeting of the East Buffalo Good Neighbors Planning Alliance (GNPA) is Monday, February 28, 2011 from 5:30pm-7:30pm at the Lt. Col. Matt Urban Center, 1081 Broadway, Buffalo.

An agenda will follow shortly. Feel free to submit agenda ideas or events/announcements, via email to bparke@city-buffalo.com!

Sat., March 5th, 1pm-3:30pm at the Matt Urban Center, 1081 Broadway

At this meeting, your input will help create a sensible land use plan for the City of Buffalo by assisting with the revision of zoning codes.

http://www.buffalogreencode.com/

(Lou Michel – Buffalo News) Getting a job could be getting a little easier for the poor.

A boutique clothes closet dedicated to providing financially strapped individuals with suitable attire for job interviews officially opened Friday.

The clothes closet is at the Matt Urban Hope Center, 385 Paderewski Drive, across from the old Central Terminal. Hours are 9 a. m. to 4:30 p. m. weekdays.

But the facility might not have been possible if it weren’t for two area Boy Scouts in search of an Eagle Scout project.

Alexander Fumerelle, 17, of Kenmore and a member of Troop 37, refurbished the women’s bathroom and tiled the runway.

Read full story—>

The Anna Walentynowicz Apartment Building Renovation Project is made possible in part with subsidies through M&T Bank from the privately funded Affordable Housing Program of the Federal Home Loan Bank of New York. The building is located on Rother near Sycamore.

The Polish Community Center of Buffalo/Matt Urban Center is the project’s nonprofit sponsor.

This project adheres to equal housing opportunity guidelines.

Who is Anna Walentynowicz…click here to find out—->

Naming the building after her is a fitting tribute and finding out something you may not have known about BF is cool as well.

Tuesday, December 14 (2pm-5pm)
Wednesday, December 15 (11am-2pm)
at the Matt Urban HOPE Center, Polonia Hall, 385 Paderewski St.
Thursday, December 16 (11am-2pm)
at the Lt. Col. Matt Urban HUman Services Center of WNY, 1081 Broadway.

This is part of an initiative of the John R. Oishei Foundation and the Mobile Safety-Net Team.

The Fillmore District Community Resource Fair is where residents can come find out what type of services are available in the community…they can also sign up for services, meet with counselors, or just meet and discuss issues.

Some of the partners include the Buffalo City Mission, Catholic Charities, Erie County Department of Social Services, Food Bank of WNY, Homeless Alliance of WNY and more!

The Lt. Col. Matt Urban Human Services Center of Western New York invites you to come see how we are changing lives, revitalizing neighborhoods and serving families. Come join us for a FREE 1 hour informative tour of Buffalo’s premier human services center, located in the historic 1081 Broadway Dom Polski Building.

 What MATTers In OUR Community Guided Tours-

All tours are held at our 1081 Broadway location.

Afternoon Tours 12 noon – 1pm on the following dates-

Thursday, September 9, 2010

Tuesday, October 25, 2010

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Tuesday March 22, 2011

Morning Tours 8am – 9am on the following dates-

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Tuesday, October 4, 2010

Tuesday November 23, 2010

Thursday, December 9, 2010

Thursday February 3, 2011

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Please call (716) 893-7222 ext 231 to RSVP.

Inspiration Guaranteed!

The Lt. Col. Matt Urban Human Services Center at 1081 Broadway is one of my favorite buildings in B-F.  After a meeting there yesterday, I snapped a few photos.

It was designed by B-F’s own Wladyslaw Zawadzki who also was the architect of a lot of different building throughout the neighborhood.

From Lt. Col. Matt Urban Human Services Center’s website on the buildings history…

The Polish Community Center’s site at 1081 Broadway was built in 1905 as a Dom Polski (Polish Home) Club. Throughout the years the building saw many changes including retail space on the first floor, while maintaining the social club’s presence above.

In 1976 The Polish Community Center of Buffalo was incorporated as a cultural/service organization. In the last 32 years, the Center has grown into the multi faceted human service organization that exists today . It now operates five sites and employs nearly 40 people. On November 11, 2000, the PCCB officially changed its name to the “Lt. Col. Matt Urban Human Services Center of Western New York” (the Matt Urban Center) and rededicated its mission to serve the needs of the diverse surrounding community under a new corporate identity.  By taking the name of Lt. Col. Matt Urban, the PCCB paid honor to the most decorated war veteran in American history, who was born and raised in the Broadway-Fillmore neighborhood.

I love how the building dominates the corner of Broadway and Playter.  It has the familiar Zawadzki cornice, peak and brick work that makes the building stand out and interesting.

The Matt Urban Center also has one of B-F’s best lyceums…a lot of B-F’s churches have these and were the social hubs of the neighborhood back in the day…plays, concerts, lectures, dances, weddings, etc.

It also houses the Joseph C. Mazur Gallery…

A side story…I worked at the Polish Community Center back in 1984 with the Mayor’s Summer Youth Program.

I received a letter last week from Marlies Wesolowski  indicating that the Crescent Village project has been stalled.  Wesolowski is the Exceutive Director for the Matt Urban Center…one of the partners in the project.

[click here to read letter - pdf]

The project encompasses a 16- block area surrounded by Broadway, Walden Avenue, Loepere Street and Rother Avenue and also includes Masjid Zakariya Mosque and the City of Buffalo as partners.

I will email or call Marlies to get more info on the delay.