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