A group of eight nonprofits that make up The Western New York Human Services Collaborative has received a significant amount of funding from four WNY foundations, totaling $1.45 million. The non-profits benefitting from the funding provide a wide range of community services, including parenting, mental health, and developmental disability. The Collaborative is located at 1021 Broadway, which is centrally located to the families that utilize the services.
The eight agencies in the Western New York Human Services Collaborative are:
- EPIC – Every Parent Influences Children
- Parent Network of Western New York
- Learning Disabilities Association of Western New York
- Mental Health Advocates of Western New York (MHA)
- Self-advocacy Association of New York State
- Office for People With Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD) Region One – satellite office
- Children’s Mental Health Coalition of Western New York
- Spectrum Health and Human Services – satellite office
Grants were received from:
- The John R. Oishei Foundation ($700,000)
- KeyBank/First Niagara Foundations ($500,000)
- The Peter and Elizabeth C. Tower Foundation ($150,000)
- The Patrick P. Lee Foundation ($100,000)
The $1.45 million from the four foundations will go a long way towards building out the space that The Collaborative will need in order to conduct day to day operations. Ultimately, the complete build-out will be between $3.75 million and $4.5 million. It is expected that the additional funding will come from supplemental foundations, corporations, and government agencies.
”For the past five years, a group of nonprofits has been working on a Shared Space project, where services, staffing, and programming could be shared…generating additional cost savings and operational advantages, beyond simply sharing space. Two years ago, this group settled on 1021 Broadway, the home of Jericho Road’s third health-care clinic, adjacent to the Broadway Market. This once-vibrant community is in the early stages of a renaissance, similar to the revivals in other parts of Buffalo,” said Ken Houseknecht, MHA executive director.
An analysis by the Erie County Industrial Development Agency (ECIDA) projected a total wage impact of $151,414,158 at this site over the next ten years. The estimated benefit to the state and region for this project over a ten-year period was $7,988,522.
“Happily, in the last six weeks, four of the area’s leading foundations have together invested $1.45 million in the project. Many other funding requests are pending, some of which may materialize early in the new year. Others, hopefully, will follow soon thereafter. More than two dozen organizations have been part of the Shared Space conversation at various points, and eight are currently planning to move into 1021 Broadway in the fall of 2019. We fully expect that number to grow as the project continues to gain momentum,” said Houseknecht.
“This project has the potential to be transformational for the member organizations, the Broadway-Fillmore neighborhood, and the delivery of nonprofit programs and services in WNY. Heartfelt thanks to our Jericho Road partners, our funders, the leaders of the member organizations, and the hundreds of people who have given their time and talent to make this dream a reality,” said Houseknecht.
Jericho Road Community Health Center – an agency that provides medical assistance to families facing poverty, refugees, and immigrants – opened its third Buffalo-area clinic at 1021 Broadway in July of 2018 (learn more). Jericho Road has since been joined by Western New York MRI – the group opened a satellite location at 1021 Broadway this past November. Ultimately, the building will house a 10,000 square-foot Fitness Center, a meeting space, on-site dental clinic, and there are talks of possible retail development.
The eight agencies in the Western New York Human Services Collaborative together have approximately 550 employees, annual revenue of $37.5 million, and serve more than 60,000 individuals and families each year.
“Jericho Road is blessed and enthusiastic to be working with the WNY Human Services Collaborative in their upcoming move into 1021 Broadway to bring a robust array of services to the Broadway-Fillmore community,” said Dr. Myron Glick, Jericho Road’s Founder and Chief Executive Officer.
“Along with Jericho Road, this project represents a significant investment in the Broadway-Fillmore neighborhood and will bring needed services to the area. By taking a creative approach and co-locating, these nonprofits will be able to operate more efficiently and collaboratively, making the project a great win for everyone,” commented Robert D. Gioia, Oishei Foundation President.
“KeyBank in partnership with the First Niagara Foundation is pleased to support this group of community agencies who have been working together for many years to help them realize their vision of true collaboration benefiting the residents of our East Side and WNY community,” said Gary Quenneville, KeyBank Upstate New York Regional Executive. “We are honored to support this effort to provide comprehensive and coordinated care to the residents in the Broadway-Fillmore neighborhood and surrounding areas.”
“The Tower Foundation is pleased to support this exciting project. Bringing such a diverse group of organizations to one location will promote collaboration among the providers, improve access and coordination of services, and benefit our community overall.”
“The Lee Foundation commends The Western New York Human Services Collaborative’s commitment to providing comprehensive medical and family services under one roof. The co-location of mental health and health providers will ensure greater accessibility for clients while also fostering innovation and collaboration among the agencies. This is an exciting project that will have far reaching impact within our community.”