Renderings for proposed new Salvation Army ANEW Center

The Jamestown Planning Commission has approved a site plan for the Salvation Army’s ANEW center while tabling site plans for Chautauqua Opportunities‘ Women’s Homeless Shelter.

The site plan approval for the Salvation Army facility is contingent on approval by City Department of Development staff.

The Salvation Army received $3.8 million to relocate and build a new homeless shelter for women and children. The new two-story building will have seven units and 19 beds. This $4.8 million project will be compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act, create six additional beds and allows services staff to have offices in the same building.

The money is being administered by the state Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance through the Homeless Housing and Assistance Program.

The Planning Commission, under staff recommendation, tabled COI’s site plan for 303 Lafayette Street until September in order to further review building plans.

The facility will be able to shelter 18 women. It’s being funded through a $2.49 million grant from the State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance.

Chautauqua Opportunities Director of Housing Josiah Lamp, speaking at a City Council meeting in February, said the City of Jamestown also is providing a $110,000 match through Community Development Block Grant funds. He said operating funds will come from the Chautauqua County Department of Health and Human Services as well as from Chautauqua Opportunities.

The free family event is open to all, and features Chautauqua County’s largest backpack and school supply giveaway as well as food, music, bounce houses, children’s games, and face painting. New this year is the addition of a petting zoo. The event is cohosted by the Salvation Army and the Anew Center. Sponsors include BlueCross BlueShield of WNY, YourCare Health Plan, Lakeshore Savings Bank, Walmart, and the United Way of Northern Chautauqua County.

Local vendors are also in attendance to provide youth and parents with information and resources from approximately 40 community organizations, including education programs, health, advocacy and support services.

National Health Center Week is an annual celebration to raise awareness about the mission and accomplishments of America’s health centers. This year’s theme is “Rooted in Communities.” The Chautauqua Center is a federally qualified health center that provides much needed health and support services to people throughout the Chautauqua region. The center facilitates events and giveaways that benefit the whole community, not just their patients. In honor of the Rooted in Communities theme, the Chautauqua Center will give approximately 1,000 backpacks filled with school supplies throughout the county this summer. A large portion will be distributed at the Family Fun Day event in Dunkirk. The rest will go to students in Jamestown’s LEAP camps and the summer playground groups.

The Chautauqua Center works with community members and local school districts to ensure that children have adequate access to health care and ancillary services (i.e. counseling, dental care, etc.). In addition, the center works directly with many collaborative partners to address social determinants of health such as housing issues, insurance enrollment, and food access. Their mission is to deliver comprehensive, high quality patient-centered health and support services in the Chautauqua region.

The Chautauqua Center has locations in Dunkirk and Jamestown and is always accepting new patients. Services include primary care, pediatrics, behavioral health, dental care, substance abuse services, care coordination, pharmacy and nutrition education. Hours are Monday-Thursday 8 a.m.- 7 p.m; Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, visit www.thechautauquacenter.org. To schedule an appointment for you and your family, call (716) 363-6050 to speak with a bilingual patient registration specialist.

As WRFA reported last week, some 500 families across the 23rd Congressional District, which includes all of Chautauqua County, have not received a paycheck from the government during the shutdown. That was according to Congressman Tom Reed’s Office.

We were not able to get a specific number for families in Chautauqua County or the Jamestown area. However, the Post-Journal is reporting that 128 families have received assistance this week through a special food distribution by the Food Bank of WNY and held at the Salvation Army in Jamestown. Some of those families include those affected by the shutdown – though a specific number was not provided in the report.

In addition to federal workers not receiving pay, the shutdown is also affecting residents who rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as SNAP and formerly referred to as food stamps.

Families that rely on SNAP, including those in Chautauqua County, received their SNAP benefits for the month of February earlier than expected.

According to the Post-Journal, local social services districts including the one here in the county had to recertify SNAP recipients early and it was done last week, so SNAP recipients received a larger than normal amount of money on the EBT card because it also included February’s amount.

As a result, the SNAP recipients are being advised to ration their food credits through the end of February.

The Post-Journal reports the board voted 3 to 2 Thursday against the Salvation Army’s petition to change zoning, which was required in order for the project to move forward. With the rejection, the establishment of a New York state certified domestic violence support center and refuge was also declined.

The post-journal says many residents who attended the meeting were against the establishment of the support center because of fear. Some domestic violence survivors even spoke out against the creation of such a center because of the potential dangers that would follow.

The proposed shelter would have allowed for 19 domestic violence victims to seek safe harbor. Prior to being defeated by the town board it was approved by the Ellery Planning Board and the Chautauqua County Planning Board.

The Salvation Army has been searching for 15 years to relocate its domestic violence shelter, which is currently in the city of Jamestown, due to the current facility being inadequate to meet the needs of the victims being served.

The Salvation Army in Jamestown has been looking to relocate its Anew Center for the past couple years because the current facility doesn’t adequately meet the needs of the organization.

According to the Post-Journal, the Salvation Army is seeking to move operations to a new building that would allow for 19 staff and about 20 beds.

Because of confidentiality and safety issues with the victims who use the shelter, the specific location has not been publicly announced.

According to the Post-Journal, two town hall-style meetings have been held in Ellery to allow public input on the $2.5 million project. Some residents in Ellery have raised concerns about security and potential for violence with bringing a shelter to the area, but the Salvation Army has found the project site to be well-equipped for safety of the residents.

To bring the new center to fruition, a zoning change needs to be issued to allow for the support center. The Planning Board unanimously approved the change referral. A public hearing on the relocation will now be discussed today with the Ellery Planning Board.

NY Governor Andrew Cuomo

ALBANY – Governor Andrew Cuomo has announced nearly $6.5 million in grants to 55 state-approved anti-sexual assault crisis and prevention programs operated by hospitals, non-profit organizations and governmental agencies statewide.

The grants will fund a variety of existing programs, including 24-hour crisis hotlines, crisis counseling, trauma therapy, referrals to support services for both victims and their families, training for advocates, court accompaniment for victims and criminal justice advocacy.

In addition, the funding will support community education, training for advocates and sexual assault forensic examiners, and prevention efforts in both community and educational settings, including schools, hospitals and on college campuses.

Programs receiving funding in Western New York were:

• Cattaraugus Community Action, Inc.: $108,800
• YWCA of Niagara County: $71,000
• Planned Parenthood of Central and Western New York: $270,600
• Suicide Prevention and Crisis Services, Inc.: $166,700
• The Salvation Army: $68,500

An online flyer from the Hispanic Community Council of Chautauqua County, detailing the items it is collecting as part of the relief effort for Puerto Rico.

JAMESTOWN – Supermarkets are gradually re-opening in hurricane-ravaged Puerto Rico, but the situation is far from normal and many customers are going home disappointed.

A week after Hurricane Maria ravaged the U.S. territory, most food stores and restaurants remain closed. That is largely because power is out for most of the island and few have generators or enough diesel to power them. The shops that were open Monday had long lines outside and vast empty shelves where they once held milk, meat and other perishables. Drinking water was nowhere to be found.

In Jamestown, several groups are working to collect supplies and donations and then send them to island. The Hispanic Community Council of Chautauqua County is collecting food, supplies and money to help the residents of Puerto Rico.

In a Facebook post from Sunday night, the council is encouraging are residents to donate anything from clothing, diapers, bottled water, and baby food as well as batteries, flashlights and other emergency items. Council representative Miguel Correa-Ortiz of Jamestown offered more details.

“They can bring the donations to either the Salvation Army or the American Red Cross and other Churches in the area, including the one in Russell at the Praise Fellowship,” Correa-Ortiz said. “Any donation is fine and we will be very happy as the Puerto Rican Community.”

Items can also be dropped off at two locations in Chautauqua County including the the Iglesia Nueva Vida (New Life  Church) at 502 Spring Street in Jamestown.

Correa-Ortize also offered an update on how Puerto Rican residents are holding up in the days following the storm, saying that many are still without electricity or means of communication.

“There are some provisional cell phone towers right now that will facilitate the island locally that will connect the mayors of each municipality, which is very important. There’s a region in the central area of the island that has a hospital and they have electricity. FEMA is doing a fabulous job in establishing all the generators that we need, especially in the hospitals.”

The council has set up a square-up page for monetary donations.

Jamestown Fire Fighters are also collecting water that will be sent to Puerto Rico.  Both today and Wednesday there will be a collection of water at the Morton Club on Pratt Avenue from 1 to 7 p.m.

Funding through the federal Violence Against Women Act was increased by nearly $662,000 to support programs offered by non-profit organizations, hospitals and law enforcement agencies across the state.

Locally, the Salvation Army in Jamestown will receive $35,000 to fund a case manager, who will help provide services and outreach to domestic violence victims, with a focus on under-served rural and/or Hispanic victims.

Congressman Tom Reed (Center) with representatives from the Salvation Army and its Anew Center, which provides help to victims of Sexual Abuse and Domestic Violence in the Jamestown Community. Reed visited with the Salvation Army and its Anew Center workers during a visit on Friday, June 3, 2016.

JAMESTOWN – Congressman Tom Reed (R-Corning, NY 23)was in Jamestown Friday to meet with representatives from the Salvation Army Anew Center at the Salvation Army of Jamestown.

Reed, who represents Jamestown as part of the state’s 23^rd congressional district, said he was there to learn more about the Anew Center’s services for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault, Adding that he plans to use what he learned to help identify ways to increase support for services aimed at helping the victims.

“We want to hear from the front line, from these individuals, what we can be doing as policy makers to provide those services that are in so much demand here,” Reed said. “We wish it wasn’t in so much demand but clearly there is a demand and need and we want to have that priority conversation and make sure we’re doing our best to see it gets the attention that it deserves.”

During his visit Reed toured with Anew Center, which provides short-term housing and care for victims of sexual assault or domestic violence. He also talked with Anew Center staff so he could get specific details on what could be done to improve services.

According to Anew Center officials, the current shelter – which is located at a confidential location in Jamestown to protect victims and give them privacy – has 13 beds, a bathroom and shower, a kitchen and common room for victims. They say that on average, the shelter assists an estimated 200 people each year. They hope to either upgrade the current shelter or relocate to one that provides better access to handicapped individuals.

“It’s very important to have this talk – to be able to visit and have a dialogue with Congressman Reed and to let him know exactly what we’re going through here,” said Captain John Merchant, who oversees all operations and services at the Jamestown Salvation Army.

Reed said the issue of sexual assault is a personal one for him and his family. In March 2014 he made a speech on the House floor to talk about the importance of addressing the issue, noting that his niece was the victim of a sexual assault.

The Anew Center has a 24-hour hotline, which receives more than 4,000 calls a year. The number is 1-800-252-8748 or 661-3897.