Jewish Family Services , 70 Barker St., has expanded its counseling
services in response to the Israel-Hamas war. The organization's Manager
Matthew Stewart says the Buffalo Jewish community has deep ties to Israel.
“Some people say we are too pro-Israel. Some say we are too pro-Palestine. We
are a humanitarian organization. We help all of those in need,” Stewart says. By Brittany Whalen
Ronald McDonald House Charities in December marked 40 years in service to families with children seeking medical treatment in Buffalo hospitals. Marking the occasion are, from left, Marketing and Communications Director Darlene Wilber, Executive Director Marianne Hoover, Director of Development Krystina Burow and House Operations and Guest Services Manager Yulanda McVay. More than 500 people stay at the Ronald McDonald House, 780 W. Ferry St., every year. The organization also provides respite space and other services for the comfort of families with children in John R. Oishei Children’s Hospitals. By George McClendon
When thinking about sports to start young children in, most
times parents fear the financial dread that comes along with them.
The West
Side International Soccer Club offers programs, whether it be a travel team or
through public schools, around the West Side to help families provide a safe,
affordable, and memorable experience on the soccer field for their children.
The club was
founded in 2012 by former University at Buffalo soccer player, Mateo Escobar
and his wife Amanda Escobar.
According
to the team website, it “uses soccer as
a vehicle to provide a safe place to play, connect with mentors, break down
barriers, and empower participants to become leaders in their community and
their chosen life pursuits.”
Graham
Vosburg, the vice president of West
Side International Soccer, has been involved in theprogram for 10 years. He said the program has changed and formed
into what itis today over the
decade he has been involved.
“We were
looking at walkable locations along the West Side," Vosberg said. "Probably
90% of our players were just from foot traffic alone. When I would drive there
on Saturday mornings or afternoons depending on practice time, I would usually
see the players walking there. There is really a neighborhood feel and to serve
that neighborhood specifically is great.”
According
to Project Play, an Aspen Institute research
initiative on sports and society, the average cost to start a child in soccer
last year was $1,188. That is a large amount of money for an average family
just to give their child an opportunity to play the game of soccer at the youth
level. As they grow and need new equipment that number only increases from
there.
FC Buffalo’s City United Initiative works
with any person or group who wants to bring free or cost-minimized soccer to
the Western New York regionand aims to elevate
top underserved talents to the top teams and programs in the area.
Nick
Mendola, a writer for NBC sports, board member of the West Side soccer club and
owner of FC Buffalo, said the West Side organization has been inspiring from
the start.
“West Side
has been doing the right thing ever since they have existed," Mendola said.
"Matteo, Amanda, Graham, and everyone there are just the sort of people
that you want to work with. Frankly, I think one of the things about groups
like them, who start and very much grow into what they are as a labor of love,
working with them is very inspiring. The odds are all of the things that they
want to do are worth doing.”
Though
Covid-19 shut down many programs, the West Side club live on, operating withint
the Buffalo Public School system.. The leaders want to be as adaptable as
possible with the West Side residents' needs. The organization tends to be one of the more popular options
for students within the district to pick from. Whether it’s a weekday or
weekend program, they will continue to provide as much as they can for soccer
lovers on the West Side.
Manager Zena Bliss readies a Christmas tree at InnBuffalo
off Elmwood, 619 Lafayette Ave., in preparation for the
hotel's Christmas Market to be held from 11 a.m.- 6 p.m. on Dec. 9. Visitors
will be able to shop at 15 vendors while enjoying complimentary hot chocolate and
mulled wine. Tarot card readings will add to the fun. This will be the
first-ever Christmas Market at InnBuffalo, the 1898 Victorian mansion named
for its first owner, Herbert H. Hewitt, a Buffalo industrialist. The home was
purchased in 2011 by Ellen and Joseph Lettieri and opened as a hotel four
years later. By Ariel Scarbrough
Ashera De Rosa, owner of Whole Stories Therapy
at 257 Lafayette St.,wants to make therapy accessible for everyone. As a private pay
institution, the practice does not need to tangle with insurance companies.
Whole Stories Therapy works with organizations throughout the West Side to
serve the community. With services such as therapy, sex education, and Narcan
training, Whole Stories Therapy is more than just another practice in the area;
it is a service to the community. By Andrew Forsyth
In the latest step towards cleaner
waters, a lawsuit against PepsiCo Inc. was
filed by the New York Attorney Generalon Nov. 15 for playing a significant
role in the plastic pollution of the lake bordering Buffalo.
The lawsuit is the result of
extensive research done by the Attorney Generalin
collaboration with Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper, an organization that seeks to
restore and maintain Western New York’s freshwater shoreline. Each spring, Buffalo
Niagara Waterkeeper works with hundreds of volunteers to conduct a shoreline
sweep, and the majority of the litter they recover is composed of plastic. Last
year, that plastic was predominantly traced back to PepsiCo.
“People shouldn’t have to worry
about microplastics in their water, garbage in their communities, and a lower
quality of life all because of rampant trash and plastic garbage throughout the
Buffalo River,” said New York Attorney General Letitia James.
Assemblymember Jon Rivera said that
he remembers coming to Canalside when he was a kid, and it’s one of his
favorite places to take his children to now. He credits the work of Waterkeeper
for making it one of Buffalo’s most beautiful sights to visit. He agrees that
also includes the help of policy leaders and holding contributing corporations
accountable.
“At the end of the day, people that
produce things have a responsibility for the things that they produce,” Rivera
said.
The lawsuit is the most recent
action taken in Waterkeeper's commitment to its vision of a litter-free water
source in the city. Emily Dyett, Waterkeeper community engagement project manager,
said that the two key components of accomplishing this goal are data collection
and policy.
Dyett said that the West Side is
especially affected by this pollution because it is one of the most densely
populated areas next to the water. The mouth of Scajaquada, just off Niagara
Street on the West Side, is one of the most polluted sites due to sewer overflow
and trash coming down from four municipalities including Lancaster.
During the sweep and all year round,
volunteers are encouraged to track the types of trash they recover within the Clean Swell app, a mobile app started by the Ocean
Conservancy. This collection of data infinitely equips organizations like
Waterkeeper with the numbers needed to fight for things such as policy changes.
For example, in 2020 New York State
banned plastic bags. Prior to this, plastic bags were one of the most collected
items from the Buffalo River. Now, Dyett said, it’s one of the least.
“The power of litter data can be
used well beyond that one day that you pick it up,” Dyett said.
In preparation for the year’s busiest shopping season,
Sales Associate Cassidy Kozub of Sunshine
& Bluebirds 798 Elmwood Ave., arranges a festive display to get
shoppers in the holiday spirit. Elmwood Village is home to many small
businesses that have special sales this month. To kick off the holiday season on
Dec. 5, the Elmwood Village Association
and Lafayette Avenue Presbyterian Church will host caroling and a visit from
Kris Kringle beginning at 3 p.m. followed by a holiday tree lighting ceremony at
6 p.m. at the church, 875 Elmwood Ave. By Kelly Ackerman