Build Promise, the initiative proposed by St. Luke’s Mission of Mercy co-founder Amy Betros in 2019, is now under construction at 1297 Sycamore Street on the East Side. The project has been in the works for five years.
“We have been serving the needs of our Buffalo community for thirty years but felt the void in taking care of homeless men, so this is the answer to that dilemma,” stated Betros, who formed the steering committee to fundraise and plan Build Promise with Kathleen Mattar. Mattar and her husband, William, gave the initial donation that jump-started the project. “We enlisted a terrific group of community stakeholders that reached out to their families and friends, and we are thrilled to begin the building phase,” explained Ms. Mattar.
The 24,000 sq.ft. building will include:
96 Semi-private shelter beds for homeless men
80 Code Blue beds
Showers
Laundry facilities
Medical care offices
Mental Health care offices
Dental care offices
Maternal Health offices
Nutritional support services
Haircutting services
There will be collaboration with key established community providers within the Build Promise facility which include Jericho Road, BestSelf Behavioral Services, OLV Human Services, Evergreen Health, Feedmore WNY, US Department of Veterans Affairs, Mental Health Advocates of WNY, The Restoration Society, and Neighborhood Legal Services.
Resources on-site will include:
Job training
Job placement
Email access
Family literacy
Financial literacy
Legal assistance
Housing placement
Transportation
Major donors include:
Jane Greene & Family in memory of William H. Greene
John & Sarah Gibson
M&T Bank
Foundation 214, Inc.
The Russell J. Salvatore Foundation
The Frank L. Ciminelli Family Foundation
The Swede Anderson Foundation
William & Kathleen Mattar
Baille Lumber
The Mother Cabrini Health Foundation
Lawrence & Elaine Mattar
The John R. Oishei Foundation
Mark Sieczkarek
First Niagara Foundation
Adele Kraus
Anthony Nanula & Family
Significant in-kind donations were also received from:
Lehigh Construction Group
Scheid Architectural
Phillips Lytle, LLP
Law Offices of William Mattar
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