BUFFALO, N.Y. — St. Luke's Mission of Mercy announced a major step towards the completion for a new care and opportunity facility in East Buffalo.
On April 14, Amy Betros, Director of St. Luke’s, announced in a press release that the "Build Promise" project is closer to breaking ground after the City of Buffalo cleared the land transfer of the property at the corner of Sycamore and Miller for a 21,000 square foot facility directly across from the mission campus at 325 Walden Ave.
Build Promise will address the need for services that don't exist for marginalized people living in Buffalo's East Side.
“We need this facility and scope of services to break the cycles of poverty, addiction, and homelessness, while providing a path to a better future for the needy of our immediate area,” Betros said.
The Buffalo Common Council approved a land development agreement for the purchase of 16 parcels of vacant land.
An additional act has also helped bring the facility closer to becoming a reality. The William H. Greene III family of Orchard Park donated $1 million to the Build Promise. The donation was made in the memory of Jane Greene's husband who died in July of 2021. To date it is the single largest contribution the project has received.
“We are so grateful for the outstanding generosity of Jane Greene and her family to our transformational project for the underprivileged population of Buffalo,” Kathleen Mattar, the campaign's chairman said. “It gets us ever closer to putting a shovel in the ground!”
Mattar says that $2.5 million has been donated so far towards the $6 million goal.
"The need continues to grow so there’s much more to do to help the neediest among us,” Mattar said.
The facility will be able to provide the following services:
- A Care and Opportunity Center which will provide programs and health resources.
- Partnerships with other community agencies addressing basic needs such as health care, mental health, legal services, and more.
- A larger, more modern industrial kitchen – serving the facility as well as nearby St. Luke’s, which currently serves 600 people, two meals a day.
- An option for emergency shelter for Erie County in situations like Code Blue that can shelter up to 170 each night.
“After nearly 30 years serving the neediest, I understand that food and shelter are a start but you have to give each person access to opportunities to change their lives. Build Promise’s partnership model brings established, efficient programs to the people where they are and then there’s life-long change," Betros said.
Donations can be sent to Building Promise Campaign, PO Box 448, Buffalo, NY 14215. Anyone wishing to get involved with the organization can contact Kathleen Mattar at 716-867-1243.