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Thanks to our friends at the Buffalo Philharmonic Chorus!

We want to give a shoutout to our friends at the Buffalo Philharmonic Chorus for their support in helping us serve the needy this winter!
On Sunday, November 25, the BPC performed Handel’s Messiah at the Our Lady of Victory Basilica to a sold out audience. Each year, the chorus chooses a group or cause to collect donations for as part of this performance, and this year they selected our agency’s Homeless Outreach team. Their efforts generated over $1,100 in funding to help us serve the underserved in Buffalo.
A sincere thank you to the BPC and their patrons for their generosity this holiday season!
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Give a Gift to Homeless Outreach This Season!

Doing some Amazon shopping this holiday season? We hope you’ll consider heading over to our Homeless Outreach team’s wish list and donating an item or two!

The Matt Urban Outreach team meets individuals that are experiencing homelessness where they are at. We meet individuals under bridges, in an encampment, at a shelter, or in a bus terminal, for example. We help the homeless community in Buffalo meet their basic needs by supplying items such as: blankets, food, water, socks, clothing, underwear, gloves, hats, and anything else that the client may need. Any donations made to the Matt Urban Outreach Team will be put to good use, as it will be distributed to those who are without homes this holiday season.

To see our Amazon Wish List, click here.

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Employment Opportunity: Clinical Outreach Specialist

Now Hiring: Clinical Outreach Specialist

Job Description: The Clinical Outreach Specialist will function as a clinician and consultant primarily for the Homeless Outreach program. Main responsibilities include completing psych/social assessments and diagnoses with homeless individuals to determine eligibility for appropriate housing programs, creating individualized plans of care, and assisting with linkages to other health care resources in the community.

Click the link above for full listing.

Please submit cover letter and resume to Joe Creek at jcreek@urbanctr.org.

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Good Neighbors, We Need Clothing Donations!

With the weather starting to get cold, staff at our Hope Center are beginning to gear up for the winter season! We are calling on the City of Good Neighbors to help us fill our clothing closet!

We are looking for clothing of all types (men’s, women’s, children’s, etc.) Clothing donated to the Hope Center will be used in our clothing boutique, which serves the Broadway Fillmore community, as well as to help those who are homeless this winter stay warm and dry!

All donations are graciously accepted, but tops on the wish list currently are men’s clothing (t shirts, long sleeved shirts, and jeans), sweatpants, and NEW underwear for both men and women.
Donations can be dropped off at 385 Paderewski Drive during regular business hours (Monday-Friday, 11:00 AM-5:00 PM).
For additional info or to set up a drop-off appointment outside business hours, contact Skylar Diamond at (716) 893-7222 ext 305 or sdiamond@urbanctr.org.
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Meet Our Hope Center Heroes!

Not all heroes wear capes – some of them work at the Matt Urban Hope Center! We want to give two of our staff members a well-deserved shout-out for being lifesavers!

Last month, a community member came to the Hope Center in a panic, shouting that their friend had overdosed in an abandoned house across the street. Latasha Colbert, assistant case manager, and Nick Arlain, homeless outreach case manger, immediately responded, hopping a fence to get to the building. They entered the building and found an individual who had overdosed upstairs. Nick administered Narcan in an attempt to revive the individual as they waited for emergency services to arrive. EMS administered additional Narcan and the individual was revived and taken to the hospital.

Thankfully, Nick and Latasha heard the individual who attempted to alert them, as it was before the Hope Center opened. Had no one heard that community member, the individual who overdosed may have died. This is one of the many stories of Nick and Latasha’s dedication to the community and going above and beyond for our clients. They make us proud!

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Employment Opportunity: Hope Center Director

Now Hiring: Hope Center Director

Job Description: The Hope Center director will directly oversee all Hope Center and Homeless Outreach programming at Polonia Hall, as well as direct supervision and program development of Hope Works and AMP Ink. This position will act as an immediate supervisor to staff from the aforementioned programs.

Click the link above for full listing.

Please submit cover letter and resume to Karen Baer at kbaer@urbanctr.org.

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Blog: Volunteering in WNY

On June 6, our agency participated in VolunteerWNY’s initiative for National Hunger Awareness Day. We hosted a project at our Hope Center where volunteers made and packaged meals for our Homeless Outreach team to distribute to our homeless clients.

Ashley, an intern with Red Door Real Estate, participated in the project and wrote a blog about her experiences volunteering with us. Check out her blog post here.

Thank you to all our volunteers for generously donating your time to this effort! Check out the photos on our Facebook page.

 

Volunteering in WNY

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Hope Services Launches IfThen Campaign

 

We’re excited to announce that Matt Urban’s Hope Services team has launched a unique fundraising campaign using a brand new, locally developed website called IfThen.

With IfThen, a nonprofit launches a 12-month campaign outlining a monthly action promise—an action that they promise to deliver every month, for 12 months. Our Hope Services team has committed to securing long-term housing for 10 or more individuals experiencing homelessness each month.

This commitment is incredibly important in our agency’s target neighborhood, Broadway-Fillmore, where 44 percent of residents live below the poverty level, putting them at risk for homelessness. Our Hope Services staff not only work to provide housing for those experiencing homelessness – they connect them with wraparound services to help them attain long-term financial stability.

By becoming a donor to Hope Services’ IfThen campaign, you’re investing in action. Help us reach our fundraising goal and continue our fight against homelessness. You can donate just $10 per month and make a huge difference! Click here to visit our campaign page and learn more about how IfThen works.