Massachusetts Avenue Project’s farmhouse project, which was under construction for two years, is set to open spring 2018.
The project at 389 Massachusetts Ave. will add to the urban farm at the same location.
Some of the additions includes a new indoor and outdoor training space for farmers, a teaching kitchen, a resource library and a larger event space, Danielle Rovillo, MAP’s market director, said.
Funding for the $2 million project was made possible by donations from numerous organizations, including a $389,000 grant from the United States Department of Agriculture given to MAP and its partner for the farmhouse, Grassroots Gardens.
MAP and Grassroots Gardens joined efforts to increase access to healthier food options that will allow them to build a stronger neighborhood connection.
MAP’s mission is to nurture the growth of a diverse and equitable local food system and promote local economic opportunities. Grassroots Gardens aims to revitalize the city and enhance quality of life through the creation and maintenance of community gardens, grow healthy food and strengthen neighborhood spirit.
“Going into the grant helped MAP build a great relationship with Grassroots Gardens. It allowed us to grow on ideas for collaborating and plans for programming in the future for youth,” Rovillo said. By Elie Fortune and Nikita Singh
Friday, December 15, 2017
Best friends create hot spot at Remedy House
BY JACOB FYOCK AND CHRIS PRENATT
Bengal News West Reporters
Andrew Trautman has worked at several cafes and coffee shops in the Buffalo area for years. Justin Smith has worked for several companies and has a finance degree from Notre Dame. Together, the two best friends decided to put their business strengths together to create a coffee shop and espresso bar called Remedy House.
Trautman, 30, along with Smith, 29, opened Remedy House, 429 Rhode Island St., in the Five Points neighborhood back on Nov. 20 right near other businesses in the area such as Urban Roots and Paradise Wine. So far in their short amount of time, the two friends have made their small business an interesting place in the neighborhood.
Prior to the store’s opening, they used to run a pop-up shop in the city and made a mobile port called the Remedy House Mobile Espresso Bar. “A few years ago, we started the [Remedy House] business by doing pop-ups. We had a mobile espresso bar that went around to festivals, private events, and other things. It got our name out there, got our feet wet. We would just serve simple espresso drinks and iced teas,” Trautman said.
After doing that for a while, the landlord of the Rhode Island Street building that Trautman is friends with said that their business should come into his building.
“We did a pop-up almost a year ago inside this space,” Trautman included. “Once we got inside here, we felt that it was just right that we needed to come in. Ever since then we’ve been working towards signing the lease and building this out.”
Smith, who’s been a friend of Trautman’s for four years, has a background in corporate finance and had no previous experience in the restaurant business. He left the business lifestyle, which he grew to hate, and wanted to do something different with his skills.
“I wanted to open some sort of restaurant, bar, café, something, with somebody that’s passionate,” Smith said. “I’ve always had an interest in it and in interest in providing quality things to people. Seeing Andrew’s passion for coffee and frankly how good he is at preparing coffee drinks and his knowledge about coffee. We started talking about making our own business.”
Before Remedy House started, Trautman worked as a barista at SPoT Coffee, where he met Ariel Brucato, who now works at Remedy House. She said she loves the intimacy of the location and how small the building is.
“[Smith and Trautman] are the hardest working humans I’ve ever met in my life,” Brucato said with a chuckle in her voice. “I don’t know how they function so well without sleeping as much as they do, but they’re killing it, they’re doing such a great job. It’s impressive.”
Bengal News West Reporters
Andrew Trautman has worked at several cafes and coffee shops in the Buffalo area for years. Justin Smith has worked for several companies and has a finance degree from Notre Dame. Together, the two best friends decided to put their business strengths together to create a coffee shop and espresso bar called Remedy House.
Trautman, 30, along with Smith, 29, opened Remedy House, 429 Rhode Island St., in the Five Points neighborhood back on Nov. 20 right near other businesses in the area such as Urban Roots and Paradise Wine. So far in their short amount of time, the two friends have made their small business an interesting place in the neighborhood.
Prior to the store’s opening, they used to run a pop-up shop in the city and made a mobile port called the Remedy House Mobile Espresso Bar. “A few years ago, we started the [Remedy House] business by doing pop-ups. We had a mobile espresso bar that went around to festivals, private events, and other things. It got our name out there, got our feet wet. We would just serve simple espresso drinks and iced teas,” Trautman said.
After doing that for a while, the landlord of the Rhode Island Street building that Trautman is friends with said that their business should come into his building.
“We did a pop-up almost a year ago inside this space,” Trautman included. “Once we got inside here, we felt that it was just right that we needed to come in. Ever since then we’ve been working towards signing the lease and building this out.”
Smith, who’s been a friend of Trautman’s for four years, has a background in corporate finance and had no previous experience in the restaurant business. He left the business lifestyle, which he grew to hate, and wanted to do something different with his skills.
“I wanted to open some sort of restaurant, bar, café, something, with somebody that’s passionate,” Smith said. “I’ve always had an interest in it and in interest in providing quality things to people. Seeing Andrew’s passion for coffee and frankly how good he is at preparing coffee drinks and his knowledge about coffee. We started talking about making our own business.”
Before Remedy House started, Trautman worked as a barista at SPoT Coffee, where he met Ariel Brucato, who now works at Remedy House. She said she loves the intimacy of the location and how small the building is.
“[Smith and Trautman] are the hardest working humans I’ve ever met in my life,” Brucato said with a chuckle in her voice. “I don’t know how they function so well without sleeping as much as they do, but they’re killing it, they’re doing such a great job. It’s impressive.”
Thursday, December 14, 2017
Rotary Rink ice-skating season opens
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Rotary Rink at
Fountain Plaza officially started its ice skating season. The season kicked off in early December with a Christmas tree lighting celebration, an event that
featured several attractions including fireworks, pictures with Santa Clause and
concession stands with food. The Rotary Rink is the only free, outdoor ice
skating rink on the West Side open to the public. People have the option to bring their own
skates or rent skates for $2 for children and $3 for adults. Local resident,
Brittney Davis, brought her 10- year-old son Moses to the rink to get him in
the holiday spirit. Despite the long lines she believed it was a great place
for families to spend time together. “This is a great event for the kids but
the rink is nice because it brings everyone, even adults, here to have fun and
skate. I’m not the best skater but I really like it here,” said Davis. People
who missed the event will still be able to skate at the rink until the season
officially ends on March 18. By Tatiyana
Bellamy
Changes to come for Jericho Road facility
Small, uncomfortable patient waiting
rooms will soon be a thing of the past at Jericho Road Community Health Center,
184 Barton St., as this will be one of the spaces renovated in the facility.
There will be numerous additions to the center, which will include a larger
waiting room for patients and a newly renovated sanctuary. Renovations will be
worked on during two different timeframes in what the center is calling phase
one and phase two. During the first phase, which started in early October, the
community center will update its parking lot, add a new side entrance with
automatic doors and a ramp and enlarge the kitchen to accommodate 110 seats. A
pharmacy will be added during the second phase beginning in mid-December.
Islama Bashtik, secretary at Jericho Road Community Health Center, said
patients are excited about the changes. “A few are a bit alarmed due to
possible patient increases, appointments times and waiting long hours to see a doctor,” said Bashtik. “However, for the
most part a lot of our patients want to be able to have access to an on-site
pharmacy rather than traveling to their local Tops or Rite Aid.” Both phases are
expected to be complete by the summer of 2018. By Elie Fortune and Nikita Singh
'Fixing' pets prevents overpopulation
Residents
that spay and neuter their pets could prevent animal overpopulation from worsening
on the West Side. “It helps with
population control, first and foremost,” said Dr. Mercedes Carota, associate
veterinarian at the West Side Pet
Clinic, 1245 Niagara St. People often bring in groups of stray cats, or cat
colonies, to the clinic. “They try to trap them and spay and neuter them at
low-cost clinics. Pit bulls and cats are definitely overpopulated in this
area,” Carota said. Nick Maes, Helen Street resident, has personally experienced
the downside of not fixing a pet. When
Maes’ dog gave birth to nine puppies, six of them passed away within a week.
“It would’ve saved me about $600, a lot of heartache, a lot of time if I just
would’ve gotten her spayed,” Maes said. With so many animals in the area,
residents should know that winter weather conditions can cause animals to seek
shelter in potentially harmful locations. The Humane Society of the United
States advises people to bang on their car hood before starting the engine to
prevent serious injuries to hidden animals. By
Alyssa Brannigan and Taylor Carruth
Tuesday, December 12, 2017
Print books are not a thing of the past
Bethany Ortquist
works weekends at West Side Stories Used Books,
which is celebrating its sixth year in business in an industry that has been
challenged by the introduction of e-readers as alternatives to hard-copy books.
Since its opening in 2011, the owners Joe and Jeanenne Petri had to fight an
argument that e-books and e-readers will become the dominant means of reading,
but by 2017 it hasn’t been the case. E-readers such as the Amazon Kindle and
Barnes and Noble’s Nook have taken a dive in desirable markets such as young
adults and college students.
According to a study
in Telematics and Informatics, four-fifths
of students surveyed preferred print books for both academic and pleasure
reading. Another study, showed that
millennials acknowledge that they read better with a print book instead of on a
digital tablet.
The Petris found that
their confidence in books came from taking a look at another industry that’s
undergoing a resurgence. “E-readers
will eventually become a bigger part of the market,” Joe Petri said. “I opened
the shop six years ago and the reason I was confident in the book industry was
by taking a look at the music and vinyl industry. Music and vinyl came back
because there are some people that
will choose fidelity over convenience.”
By Edwin Viera
Wing King marks its success with 2nd shop
By Elie Fortune and Nikita Singh
Bengal News West Reporters
A
Hertel Avenue restaurant will bring its specialty chicken wing flavors, which
include Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Nutella and peanut butter and jelly, to the West
Side.
Wing
Kings, 1281 Hertel Ave, is set to arrive in Elmwood Village at 484 Elmwood Ave.
Jeremie Jones, owner of Wing Kings,
is a Buffalo native who believes the success of his business served as an
opportunity to move forward from his troubled past.
Before
he became a restaurant owner, Jones was arrested and charged with illegal use of a cell phone for a felony
act. For a year, he was required to wear an ankle monitor and was placed on
probation for a few years until he got off early due to excellent behavior.
Jones’
record could interfere with the progress of Wing Kings but he was determined to
leave his past behind him.
Jones
attributes much of the restaurants success to social media. On Facebook, Wing
Kings has over 3,500 likes and a 4.9 out of 5 rating. On Yelp it received 4 out
of 5 stars and on Seamless, 5 out of 5 stars.
“With
social media, “Jones said. “We were able to tap into our old clients from the Buffalo Summer Club and staying in
contact with those people. I just think that our chicken following from our
crazy flavors, and the neighborhood that we’re in, it’s a perfect, right in the
middle neighborhood in Buffalo.”
Jones
also believes much of Wing Kings’ popularity derives from his unique list of flavors.
For Jones, operating in the home of the buffalo wing, served as a stepping
stone for creativity.
“The
buffalo wing only consists of a hot wing. With us, we bring all the original
flavors and then mix and match with exotic flavors, making them homemade,”
Jones said.
Aaron
Osbourne, Jones’ cousin and percentage owner of Wing Kings, believed his skills
along with Jones’ could create something special if they went into business together.
Jones
and Osbourne chose the West Side for their business because they saw an opportunity
to expand and viewed it as the perfect location.
“We
didn’t really want to go downtown with the just the regular take out, small sit-down restaurant,” Jones said. “Elmwood to
us was like the most popular street in Buffalo when it comes to bars and food.
So, I felt like Elmwood for the second location was going to help us in our
goal to open up a sports bar with Wing Kings in the near year or so.”
716 group helps make unemployed hirable
By Kelly Khatib and Michael Kelly
Bengal
News West Reporters
In
the fall of 2015, Zakiyyah Wolford welcomed her second child. For most people
this is a joyous occasion. For Wolford however, a struggling single mother, it
was clouded with a veil of uncertainty as she found herself unable to continue
working.
“I
was a dietary aide at Erie County Medical Center working overnights and they
wouldn’t accommodate me on changing my shift,” Wolford said. “I asked them a
lot but they kept telling me there was nothing they could do. I just had a
brand-new baby and there was no one to watch him.”
For
the next three years she found herself unemployed.
Wolford’s
story is not uncommon. She and others like her are searching for jobs when many
employers simply aren't hiring. According to the State Labor Department,
Buffalo’s unemployment rate was at 4.9 percent this September. When jobs are
available, competition is high and it's important to separate yourself from the
next candidate.
716 Ministries,
301 14th St., is hoping to make that process a little easier with its Work
Readiness program. The
program consists of four weeks of intensive classes covering many topics such as
time management to how to deal with customers.
“We
cover team work, attitude, and a lot of really practical things,” said
Stephanie Bruno, one of the Work Readiness coordinators at 716 Ministries.
“Many times, the people who come into our program will have a GED or high
school diploma, but no further training. So, it’s difficult to find a job that
pays more than $10 an hour. We’re trying to provide them with a higher skill
set that can lead to a higher paying job.”
The
program runs every other month with classes limited to 10 people. Many students
come from the Goodwill and Salvation Army.
Christina Schweitzer, Salvation Army director
says that the Erie County
Department of Social Services refers people on public assistance to do
volunteer hours at the charities during their search for a permanent job. It
was through the Welfare-to-Work program that Zakiyyah Wolford learned about the
Work Readiness program.
“They
came to the Goodwill where I was assigned to do work and it seemed like it
would be fun,” Wolford said. “They took me on interviews and showed me how to
present a better resume. The finance training for me was really helpful because
I’m bad with money.”
Bruno
says this hands-on approach is what makes the program so successful.
“The
thing that really sets us apart is that we have one on one mentors for our
students,” Bruno said. “Over 70 percent of our graduates are working and I
believe it’s because we create a relationship time because they believe in it
and they see that lives are being impacted by this.”
Since
graduating from the program in March, Wolford keeps in contact with her mentor
to talk about the career progress she’s made.
“They
were willing to help me in any way. Even now we keep in touch, I talked to my
mentor the other day and we plan to get together and do lunch,” Wolford said.
Wolford
now has a full-time job at Home Depot. She says she owes it to the skills she
learned at Work Readiness. She hopes to see the program grow even bigger in the
future.
“If anyone out there needs a little extra push
they should sign up for this program,” Wolford said. “Keep an open mind and
just give it a chance because it could change your life. It changed my life for
the better.”
716
Ministries will be holding its next phase of job training through the Work
Readiness program in January.
Wednesday, December 6, 2017
Bazaar gives shoppers worldwide choices
The
West Side Bazaar, 25 Grant St., is welcoming everyone to come do their holiday
shopping there, where there are a variety of unique items from which to choose. The
shop features many vendors from all over the world selling anything from
handmade hanging baskets, to authentic cuisine from whatever country they are
from. Gysma Kueny, pictured, is a vendor at the West Side Bazaar who is from South
Sudan. Kueny is a firm believer in people shopping for their gifts at places
like the West Side Bazaar instead of going to a chain store that is in the
mall. “Our stuff comes from all over the world,” Kueny said. “You can come find
stuff at the West Side Bazaar from different countries.” Kueny believes that
this could be a good alternative for people who want authentic items from all
over the world, but cannot afford to go to the country to get them. Nadin
Yousef, a vendor from Iraq also believes that it would be beneficial for
customers to shop at the West Side Bazaar instead of a larger corporation.
“When they shop here they support the small business,” Yousef said. “Here they
don’t need to go to many places. If you want something from India, it’s here.
Africa, it’s here. Iraq, it’s here.” Many of Yousef’s products are handmade,
and she offers classes to teach people how to make macramé. Macramé uses a
variety of material, and she teaches you how to make plant hangers, jewelry,
and wall hangings from the materials given to you. The West Side Bazaar is open
11a.m. to 8 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday. By Alyssa Brannigan and Taylor Carruth
Local art featured in month-long exhibit
Donald J. Siuta, director of the Artist Group Gallery, is
hosting an exhibit of work by members of the Western New York Artists Group at
the gallery, One Linwood Ave. The exhibit, Masterworks and Artful Gifts, is
scheduled to run until Dec. 29. The exhibit is just one of the activities of
the artists group, which also conducts art workshops and lectures for artists
and art collectors and the general public. The emphasis is on local, Siuta
says. ““The WNYAG is the only art space that is strictly dedicated to local
artists.” By Ashley Steele and Nazee Wright
Allen Street decoration-less this season
Holiday decorations are adorning much of the West Side, except
for one prominent street.
Holiday lights will not be hung on Allen Street this year,
according to Allentown Association President Seth Amman.
“We sustained some loss when our building’s ceiling collapsed,”
Amman said.
Amman is referring to the Allentown Association’s previous office
building located at 14 Allen St. The building’s roof collapse brought damage to
the organization’s holiday decorations that are usually hung up on Allen
Street.
The association was without a home for over a year after the roof
collapsed in July 2015. Finding new office space and getting the association up
and running took precedence over the decorations.
“The Association
bought a new building for an office, but have not gotten to replacing Christmas
decorations yet,” Amman said.
Amman said that with the upcoming restructure of Allen Street and
its changing face, that the association will hold off to put up decorations.
“With Allen Street being reconstructed, we thought it best to wait
so everything can be better coordinated for hanging and lighting,” Amman said.
The new Allentown Association offices are located at 61 College
St. Renovations to the new building are still in progress, but for at least
this year, holiday decorations will have to wait in the Allentown district. By Kelly Khatib and Michael Kelly
Sunday, December 3, 2017
Roller derby team, tat parlor plan market
A roller derby team from Buffalo and a West
Side tattoo parlor are teaming up to bring shoppers a unique experience during
the holiday season.
Sip and Shop, a holiday market and basket
raffle hosted by the Nickel City Renegade
Rollergirls and 125 Art Collective
Tattoo Studio, from noon to 8 p.m., Dec. 16 at the studio
125 Elmwood Ave.
The market has 14 arts and crafts
vendors signed up, including the webzine Qween City, selling t-shirts, the
Brick Chick, selling garden stones and muralist Vinny Alejandro of Urban
Inspirations who will sell art prints.
A basket raffle will be held at the event with
baskets made by local businesses and the roller derby team. Half of the donations
will go to the team for traveling costs and another half will go to charity.
Amy “Psyko Kupkake” Hawkins, founder and head
coach for the Rollergirls and co-owner of the studio with her husband, Ted, said
the event was made to promote area artists.
“We want to promote local art and encourage local people to sell
their stuff,” Hawkins said. “I think that a lot of local artists don’t get that
opportunity. We invited a bunch of vendors from across Buffalo and they’re
welcome to bring whatever they sell.” By Jacob
Fyock and Chris Prenatt
Saturday, December 2, 2017
Boxes of Love aim to please thousands
For the past 19 years, Pastor Eric Johns of the
Buffalo Dream Center, 286 Lafayette Ave., has been leading the charge in
spreading holiday good will. Boxes
of Love, a box of donations filled with food and gifts for local
families, started when Pastor Johns and his wife, Michelle, realized that many
of the families at the center couldn't afford gifts for Christmas. At its
beginning, Boxes of Love raised enough money to help out 200 kids, but since
then, it has grown into something that Johns said he could have never
envisioned. Last year, the Johns helped nearly 3,000 families with food and
gave Christmas gifts to 5,000 children.To be able to help out that many people
takes a lot of time, volunteers and donations. Pastor Johns said that, last
year alone, 80 businesses and organizations and about 1,000 volunteers donated their time to help the
center make Boxes of Love possible. “We work really hard for a month wrapping
the gifts, packing the food and sometimes it’s a lot of work and you get weary,
but it’s all worth it when you’re at that distribution center and that little
kid gets exactly what they wanted,” Johns said. “Moms come to me crying saying
if it wasn't for you I wouldn't be able to do this and that brings us a lot of
joy.” By Kelly Khatib and Michael Read
Salvation Army’s red kettles in full swing
The
Salvation Army of Buffalo began its Red Kettle season is in full swing.
The
Salvation Army has 75 red kettle locations around the city including the Tops
Friendly Markets at 425 Niagara St and 345 Amherst St.
Manager
of Tops Friendly Markets at 425 Niagara Street, John Spiess, is excited to hold
the red kettle at his store again this year.
“We
are very community minded at our location,” said Spiess. “The community is very supportive of it and they participate very
much because they like seeing the red kettle bell ringers around during the
holiday season.”
Demi
Walsh, the volunteer and Red Kettle coordinator for the Salvation Army of
Buffalo, helps pair volunteers with suitable shifts and locations
“The
funds raised from a two-hour bell ringing shift can feed a family of four for a
week. Every penny counts,” said Walsh.
The
funds raised during the campaign go to 15 of the
Salvation Army’s year-round community programs as well as holiday gifts for
people in the community in need of housing, food and clothing assistance.
The
Salvation Army is still looking for volunteers who can work a minimum 2-hour
shift which can be done individually, as a group or even with a family.
People who are interested in volunteering should contact Demi Walsh at
(716) 888-6220 or Demaree.Walsh@use.salvationarmy.org, for more information. By Tatiyana
Bellamy
Wednesday, November 22, 2017
Farmers Markets won’t slow down in winter
Wintertime is approaching us here on the
West Side, and that means the start of the winter market season. Horsefeathers, 346 Connecticut St., started its winter
market on Nov. 4 as it introduced new vendors to the family, including BlackPorch
Produce, Overwinter Coffee, and Rooted Locally, said Jason Frizlen, head of
property management and leasing at Frizlen Group Architects, building owners. The
winter market opens every Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and will run through
the spring. The Elmwood-Bidwell Farmers Market, corner of Elmwood Avenue and
Bidwell Parkway, will tough it out in the cold until it moves indoors on Nov.
25 at St. John’s Grace Episcopal Church at 51 Colonial Circle. Colin Erdle,
board member for the Elmwood-Bidwell Farmers Market, said eight of the market’s
20 vendors are new, such as a woman making scarves, a woodworker, and a
Somalian sauce maker. The winter market will run every Saturday from 9 a.m. to
1 p.m. until Jan. 13. By Jacob Fyock and
Chris Prenatt
Small Business Saturday comes to Elmwood
Small Business
Saturday will be taking place in the Elmwood Village on Nov. 25, which is an
event that hopes to shed a light on local businesses that may be overshadowed
by big name companies.
At least 12
businesses have been confirmed by the Elmwood Village Association to
participate in this event, and many more are promised to participate as well.
Melika
Givili, associate of the lingerie boutique Jolie Jolie, 814 Elmwood Ave., talks
about why shopping at small boutiques may be better than shopping at larger
name brand stores.
“The whole industry
within retail shops, especially in the mall, are just shutting down,” Givili
said. “They’re becoming extinct. It’s nice to go out to boutiques and walk back
out into the fresh air. You’re not just walking around a mall aimlessly looking
around.”
To celebrate Small
Business Saturday, Jolie Jolie will be offering 15 percent off all purchases.
Ashley
Smith, executive director for the Elmwood Village Association believes this
event is a smart alternative for people who do not like shopping on Black
Friday.
“Small Business Saturday isn't
driven so much by deals or sales like we've come to expect from box stores or
chains,” Smith said. “The Small Business Saturday experience is much more
focused on community and interaction. The service, care, and personality are
more important.”
Smith believes Small Business Saturday is
a great way to start celebrating the holidays.
“Small, local retailers
and stores form an integral part of the community we live in,” Smith said. “The
holiday season brings people together through acts of gathering, gift-giving,
and sharing.” By Alyssa Brannigan and Taylor Carruth
Biggest bar night of the year underway
Bartender Annalee Burkley prepares the
bar for the Thanksgiving Eve crowd as West Side bars and clubs anticipate
another big night. Keeping patrons safe is a number one priority for SOHO Burger
Bar Owner Jay Mano. “We want to make sure that people feel safe when inside and
that they get home safe after,” Mano said, “We don’t want to let it get to busy
where people are stepping on each others toes where it could turn into a
fight.” SOHO uses ID scanners so anyone causing a problem can have his or her ID
scanned and banned from SOHO for life. Tim Walton, events manager at Venu, 75 W
Chippewa St., says. “Everybody has off the next day whether you’re a teacher,
or trade worker,” Walton said. “You have the next day off to relax, it’s not
like Christmas were there are presents to be given and opened the next day.”
With this night featuring more of a crowd than other nights, it’s important for
bars to be prepared. “We throw a lot of events so we always make sure we have a
lot of security and people ready,” Walton said. “Making sure no one sneaks in,
we just want to have excellent customer service.” By Zachary Memmott and Khalid Terrell
Saturday, November 18, 2017
Hilliman at work at WS Community Services
![]() | |
Kate Hillman |
By Jacob Fyock and Chris Prenatt
Bengal News West Reporters
Kate Hilliman went from saving people’s
lives, their belongings and pets in New York City during 9/11, to helping low
income kids discover maritime history while learning how to sail along the
coasts of North America.
Now,
she brings her expertise and experience to Buffalo as she takes the reins as
the new executive director at West Side Community
Services , 161 Vermont St.
“This
position I’m in right now is exactly what I wanted, it's exactly what I worked
towards,” Hilliman, 39, said.
Hilliman
got her undergraduate degree in community and regional studies at Bard College
in Annandale-on-Hudson. After graduating, she worked in New York City doing educational
programs and initiatives for the public.
She
also performed heroic duties by helping victims during 9/11 while she was at an
academy training to become a peace officer. When it took place, she was given
an option if she wanted to help out and decided to take it.
“We were not the firefighters or the police, but we were
escorting residents, we were doing a lot of pet rescues,” Hilliman said.
Hilliman then pursued her lifelong goal as a professional
sailor. Travelling one from coast to the next, she noticed that organizations
that owned ships would use them for field trips and programs for
children to attend.
She mentions that these old ships were an amazing
experience because she liked how they challenged kids to do something outside
their comfort zone.
“I never saw that
coming, but it’s really incredible when you get students who don’t have
opportunity or who have behavior problems and more conventional environments
like a classroom or a home,” she said.
She eventually found her way to Buffalo after her husband
Rich convinced her to move. While he started his family business, Hilliman
decided to start her own non-profit that focused on experiential education for
low-income students, writing grants and making sure everything was open and
available.
Hilliman would get her masters in social work at the
University at Buffalo. While getting her degree, she would work at Say Yes to
Education Buffalo. The program focuses on being family support specialist,
meaning that she had to collaborate with families that had a high-risk student
and try to implement a system to make that child better academically in school.
“You have one foot in the school and one foot in the
community and your trying to bridge the gap between the children who are really
struggling in school and whatever is going on at home,” Hilliman said.
Hilliman said the similarities between Say Yes and West
Side Community Services is that she works with the same families. In her new
position, her current goal is to establish a day care center for West Side. The
has been around for a while and hasn’t had a day care in decades, Hilliman
wants to bring it back.
“There was a day care here a long time ago,” Hilliman
said. “Day care is a huge need. This zip code is incredibly diverse in terms of
income levels and backgrounds, so there’s certainly a need for quality child
care in this neighborhood.”
She said that this will be a long-term project and will probably
take about a year.
While her time at West Side Community Services hasn’t
been long, she’s done quite a lot and it has her peers talking. Elizabeth
Murphy, the board president said the decision to hire Hilliman was a good one.
“She had a good background in youth services and she was
a previous E.D. at another organization,” Murphy said. “One thing I noted about
Kate and I think it’s great is she is an excellent communicator. She is
interested is listening to what other people have to say.”
Joanne Butcher, the senior activity coordinator, likes
what Hilliman has done so far.
“[Kate] addresses everything that needs to be addressed
right away and doesn’t put anything on the back burner,” Butcher said. “She is
very efficient and easy to communicate with, she’s good for the job.”
Even
though there are a lot of positives to the West Side Community Services,
Hilliman believes that it needs a facelift. A lot has changed along the West
Side and Hilliman believes a facelift will be beneficial to the organization.
“Since
this place was founded, the community has changed, the demographics changed,
the income levels changed a bit,” Hilliman said. “We
have to go back and say who are we to this community, what are we to this
community and how do we serve them the best.”