We’re proud to share what our programs and staff have accomplished in the past year. Thanks to our funders, community partners and supporters for helping us do this work!
Support the Hope Runners Team!
Our dear friend, musician, and longtime supporter, Harvey Brice, will once again be channeling one of his hobbies into a fundraising effort for the Matt Urban Center! Last year, Harvey ran a half marathon and with the help of friends and family, raised over $1500 for our agency’s homeless outreach efforts.
This year, Harvey is adding some manpower and has launched the Penny Lane Cafe Hope Runners. This team has entered to participate in the Buffalo Marathon on May 26, 2019 with the goal of raising $3,000 to support our programs via CrowdRise.
The team will kick off its fundraising efforts with a launch event on Sunday, April 14 from 12:00-3:00pm at Penny Lane Café in Clarence. The event will feature food and cash bar, speakers, basket raffle, marathon trivia quiz, sign-up table and T-shirt sales. The team is also offering any affiliated businesses and associations the opportunity to set up a table at the event to enlist members, sell product or simply speak and share information. Click here to see the event page on Facebook.
The fundraiser event is being sponsored by Anne Valby and the Penny Lane Café. StrideLive, a BETA running application for IOS, will be supplying team members technology for their training and safety and communication features on the day of the race.
Stay tuned to our Facebook page for more updates on how you can support the Hope Runners!
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 Skylar Diamond at sdiamond@urbanctr.org
Our Hardworking Homeless Outreach Team
We want to give a big shoutout to our Homeless Outreach team on an amazing accomplishment. In 2018, this hardworking crew helped 159 homeless individuals secure safe housing. Their initial goal was to house at least 6 people each month, and they ended up hitting that goal every two weeks! We’re lucky to have such compassionate people on our staff and we applaud their commitment to serving the underserved in our community! Congratulations Abbie, Joe, Skylar and Nick!
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!
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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
