Hope Center Newsletter: March 2014

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Workshop Schedule . . . . 2 Staff Spotlight. . . . . . . . . 2 Partner Schedule. . . . . . . 2 Black History Month. . . . 3 Volunteer Spotlight. . . . . 3 Tasha’s Recipe Corner. . .4 Thank You Corner. . . . . . . 4 In Support. . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

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Upcoming Events St. Patrick’s Day Celebration

Monday, March 17, 3:00 – 5:00 p.m.

We will host a special dinner in the Urban Diner to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. The theme will be “Save Your Green” and we will have a fun trivia game about saving money. Everyone is welcome! Wear your green!

Easter Celebration

Wednesday, April 16, 3:00 – 5:00 p.m.

We will host a special dinner in the Urban Diner to celebrate Easter. We will have special activities for the kids! Everyone is welcome!

Memorial Day Cookout HUR S &T

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P. M

TUE S

FREErep 11 5 A . M. –

It’s not too late to get your taxes done! Open now through April 5.

Friday, May 23, 3:00 – 5:00 p.m.

We will host a special outdoor dinner to celebrate Memorial Day. Everyone is welcome! Please join us!

Night of Impact

3rd Friday of each month, 7:00 – 9:00 p.m.

Please join us for a night of dancing, singing, rapping, poetry, and more! All activities and content are family-friendly, so bring the kids! Thank you to DJ Henri Tee for leading these fun-filled nights!

Housing Rights Trivia Night

4th Monday of each Month, 3:00 – 4:00 p.m.

Housing Opportunities Made Equal will provide a fun trivia game for everyone during dinner in the Urban Diner! Learn more about your housing rights and responsibilities!

Financial Fitness Trivia Night Contact us to help raise money for an outreach van!

2nd Thursday of each Month, 3:00 – 4:00 p.m.

Consumer Credit Counseling Services will provide a fun trivia game for everyone during dinner in the Urban Diner! Learn more about budgeting and your credit!

Nutrition Trivia Night

Thursday, April 17, 3:00 – 5:00 p.m.

Buffalo State students will provide a fun trivia game for everyone during dinner in the Urban Diner! Learn more about eating healthy on a budget!

MAT T URBAN HOPE CENTER FUNDERS & PARTNERS

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our mission

The Matt Urban Hope Center responds to the needs of the community by hosting family-focused events, informative workshops, free tax preparation, benefits screening, housing and job assistance. We assist individuals who are homeless and those at risk of becoming homeless, families suffering from domestic violence, loss of income, no utilities, and eviction.

Additionally, we serve dinner five times per week which is open and free to the community.

info

Matt Urban Hope Center

385 Paderewski Drive Buffalo, NY 14212 (716) 893-7222 ext. 310 Hope Center Hours

Monday – Friday 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Urban Diner

by Friends of Night People

Dinner Hours: Monday – Friday 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Food Pantry

1st, 2nd & 3rd Tuesdays 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Last Saturday of every month 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Spring 2014

Staff Spotlight

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Workshop Schedule

ll workshops are held at the Matt Urban Hope Center at 385 Paderewski Drive in Buffalo. Please call (716) 893-7222, ext.

310 to register.

Housing Workshops

Are you looking for new housing? Belmont Housing Resources for WNY offers free Housing Search Workshops at the Hope Center! These workshops explain different types of subsidized housing that are available and how to apply, give tips on locating an apartment, and answer other housing related questions. Upcoming Housing Workshops are scheduled for the following dates: Tuesday, March 18, 3:30 to 4:30 p.m.

Tuesday, April 15, 3:30 to 4:30 p.m.

Tuesday, May 20, 3:30 to 4:30 p.m.

Financial Fitness Workshops

Get financially fit! Consumer Credit Counseling Services of Buffalo offers Financial Fitness Workshops at the Hope Center that will help you create a household budget and stick to it, answer your questions about personal finances, and help you build or repair your credit. Citizens Bank will also be available to answer banking questions. Upcoming Financial Fitness Workshops are scheduled for the following dates: Monday, March 24, 5:30 to 7:00 p.m.

Partner Agencies Schedule Ag e n cy N a m e

Lily Mayweather

ily Mayweather joined the Hope Center’s staff in February as an outreach worker helping people to get and maintain their Food Stamp benefits, but she does more than that. From giving advice on how to stretch food budgets to helping clients with their taxes, Lily works to foster financial literacy.

“Once you help someone become mindful of what they’re spending and how to save, it makes a lasting difference in their lives,” Lily said. “The habits we can help them develop make things better for them long after they stop needing advice.”

In her work at the Hope Center, Lily is building on her two years in AmeriCorps, doing outreach at Compass House, a facility in Buffalo for runaway and homeless youth. Her transition to the Hope Center was easy.

“Everyone’s been very nice, welcoming and helpful,” Lily said. “I felt very much a part of everything very quickly.”

Lily appreciates: “The Autobiography of Malcolm X” by Alex Haley. Malcolm X “shows how we can use negative experiences to our advantage when we recognize what we’ve done and then find a new way to do things. He took the opportunity to live two lives in a lifetime.”

Lily admires: Michelle Obama. “Her message is important, her passion for working with kids and getting our society back in physical shape. Her presence and aura are very dynamic. She’s a leader.”

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hese agencies visit the Hope Center on a regular basis and provide free services. Take advantage of these programs while they are in your neighborhood!

Sch e du le d Ti m e

S e rv i c e s Off e r e d

Buffalo Public Schools

Wednesdays, 3:00-5:00

GED Preparation Programs

Fidelis Care Goodwill MOCHA Center Neighborhood Health Centers Planned Parenthood of WNY UB Educational Opportunity Center Wellcare

mondays & 4th Thursday, 3:00-5:00

Health Insurance

Tuesdays, 1:30-2:30

Veteran Employment Services

Last Tuesday, 3:00-5:00

HIV Testing and Services

3rd thursday, 3:00-4:30

Health Care

2nd & 4th Wednesdays, 3:00-5:00

Reproductive Health Services

1st Tuesday, 12:30-2:30

Adult Education and Training Programs

3rd Monday, 2:30-4:30

Health Insurance

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he lp t he h ope c e n t e r: volu n t e e r or don at e today ! 893 -7222 e x t. 310

Black History Month Celebration: Empowering the Community

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onoring the contributions of such pioneers as Frederick Douglass, Rosa Parks and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is only the beginning of the significance of Black History Month.

“The world’s not perfect but it’s their efforts, their sleepless nights, their caring about their community that made things better,” said Janice White, executive director of the True Community Development Corp., who spoke at the Center’s Black History celebration on Feb. 24. “What they started is up to us to continue. It’s up to us – to each and every one of us – to help people lift themselves up and to be a part of the community.”

Melissa Brown, administrative secretary of the Stop the Violence Coalition, compared the steps we must take to the way she convinced her mother she could handle the responsibilities of caring for a pet dog.

She started by doing small chores regularly and then took on greater ones.

“Empowering the community starts at home,” she said. “Only when we start in the home can we take those efforts out into the community and help everyone to equip ourselves with the tools and the knowledge so we can make our lives successful and make the lives of others successful.”

Early in the festivities and again at the end, the Buffalo rap group Fire and Ice got the audience moving with an energetic, catchy performance. Sisters Silver and Montana Johnson, with some help from their mom, Sheryll, and their younger brother, King, sang three songs.

The Hope Center is grateful to Montana and Silver for permission to share these lines from their song “Dreams”: I’m having dreams that be haunting me / So I don’t sleep / Too busy chasing my dreams.

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Volunteer Spotlight

Earl Blacksheare

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ry looking at something through 24 sheets of wax paper. That’s how everything looks to Earl Blacksheare, Jr., who started handling intakes and referrals at the Hope Center in February.

Earl answers many of the phone calls and so he is often the first person to offer help when people turn to at the Hope Center.

An injury Earl suffered in 1979 while playing football for Missouri Valley College started a deterioration in his vision that became near-total in 2008. Unsuccessful surgeries, repeated doctor visits and his divorce left Earl feeling depressed.

“I went through a year or two of ‘Why me?’ but once I started getting help and I met other people who are blind, I came to realize it’s going to be okay,” Earl said. “I’ve adjusted. Still adjusting, but everything is becoming all right.”

Earl got that vital help from the Center for Assistive Technology at the University at Buffalo, where he developed computer skills, the New York State Commission for the Blind and the Olmsted Center for Sight’s Work Experience Program, which helped him find the position at the Center.

“I love it,” Earl said. “I’ts the best thing that ever happened to me (except for my two daughters) because I realized that in all the time I wasted feeling sorry for myself, I could have been helping myself as well as helping other people. It’s a good family here and I’m glad I was adopted into it.”

Earl’s colleagues appreciate his contributions.

“He’s great with clients,” said Tara Murray, the Hope Center’s program developer. “He’s approachable and has a very good way of putting clients at ease and making them comfortable.”

Earl admires: His father, who worked his way up to being a General Motors plant superintendent, and who encouraged Earl and his two sisters. “As he grew, he allowed us to grow as individuals.”

Earl appreciates: “If” by Rudyard Kipling with its lines, “If you can keep your head when all about you / Are losing theirs and blaming it on you / Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it / And–which is more– you’ll be a Man, my son.” Earl said, “I take from that while things are tough, I can handle them. The sky’s the limit now. I have no limitations.”

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Urban Diner by Tasha’s Recipe Corner One Skillet Meal

directions:

This is a meal for a family of four.

Ingredients: • 1 lb. of ground beef, chicken or turkey • 1 lb. of elbow noodles • 1 small green pepper • 1 small onion • 1 teaspoon garlic powder • 4 slices of cheese • 2 tablespoons margarine • 2 cups water

• Brown the ground meat in a skillet • Chop up the onion and green pepper and add them along with the garlic powder to the browned meat • Once the meat and seasonings simmer, pour two cups of water in the skillet and bring to a boil • Put in the noodles and let everything come to a boil again • Turn down the skillet and let everything cook for 10 minutes • Add the cheese and stir up really well • Turn off the heat and serve!

Thank You Corner

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he Hope Center would like to thank Leadership Buffalo for volunteering their time to paint our lobby in February! The Hope Center’s lobby received a muchneeded face lift, and we were thrilled to speak with the group about our mission. Thank you to everyone on the Leadership Buffalo team for donating your time and energy! Everyone here appreciates your hard work!

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he lp t he h ope c e n t e r: volu n t e e r or don at e today ! 893 -7222 e x t. 310

In Support

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he Hope Center is always in need of volunteers and donations to help us continue to support the families and individuals in need in the Broadway-Fillmore district. We are a 501(c) organization, so all of your donations and services are tax-deductible! Checks can be made payable to “The Matt Urban Hope Center.”

d o n at i o n s i g n - u p

Yes, I would like to donate to the Hope Center!

Most Wanted Items These items are common, but indispensable:

□ Socks □ Soap □ Blankets □ Toilet Paper □ Deodorant □ Underwear □ Dishes □ Sheets □ Blankets □ Small Appliances □ Gift Cards

Major Items □ Outreach Van

The homeless outreach team is in need of a van to transport clients to and from the shelter, or to help them move into their new homes.

Sponsorship Opportunities □ Formerly Homeless Hope Works Participant

Sponsor one homeless individual in a job activity for one year. The goal of the program is to prepare individuals for employment. a n n ua l c o s t pe r pe r s o n : $ 2 ,0 0 0

□ Housing First Bowling Team

This therapeutic activity allows Housing First participants to bowl on a monthly basis for one year. a n n ua l c o s t pe r t e a m (o f f i v e ) : $ 2 , 4 0 0

□ Funshop

Funshops allow us to educate clients in a fun, creative environment.

Prizes, materials, decorations, and refreshments. c o s t pe r e v e n t: $1 0 0

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Yes, I would like to volunteer for the Hope Center!

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e are in need of volunteers for the Urban Diner, at Funshops, to sort donations, to answer phones and to do clerical work, or to join a fundraising committee. If you would like to lend a hand, we can find a way for you to help!

Name Email

Phone

Address

Group/Organization

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PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID BUFFALO, NY PERMIT #1180

Help the Hope Center: volunteer or donate today!

Call 893-7222 ext. 310

Most Wanted:

Socks Soap Blankets Toilet Paper nt DeodoDrisa hes

Underwear

Sheets Blankets Small Appliances Gift Cards

de si gn & pre sen tat i o n d o n at ed by: