Independent Health Foundation

Meet this week’s Good for the Neighborhood host: Lackawanna City School District (LCSD)! Since 2017, LCSD has been offering Good for the Neighborhood (GFTN) programming at Martin Road Elementary and Lackawanna High School as an extracurricular way of providing local families with essential resources. It was great seeing so many new and familiar faces at last week’s Martin Road GFTN. Engaging conversations, valuable resources, and even some fun costumes!

Our next featured Good for the Neighborhood host is Doris W. Jones Resource Building, one of the program’s original partners since its 2006 launch. As one of Niagara Falls Housing Authority's community facilities, DWJ Family Resource Building serves as a multi-purpose hub that offers several recreational and educational gathering spaces such as a theater, library, kitchen areas, a gym, and a tennis court. We will be co-hosting our fall Good for the Neighborhood tomorrow (10/17) from 5-6:30pm – be sure to stop by for some fresh produce, health screenings, and other resources!

Next up in our Good for the Neighborhood Host spotlight series is West Side Community Services, who has been hosting GFTN since the very beginning: 2006! West Side Community Services provides comprehensive resources and opportunities for youth, families, and seniors of West Buffalo. From after-school programs, summer camps, and prevention-based initiatives, West Side Community Services offers something for all local residents. If you live nearby, be sure to check out West Side’s fall GFTN event on October 3rd from 5-6:30pm!

This week’s Good for the Neighborhood Host Spotlight goes to Packard Court Community Center, who has been running the program since 2020. Packard Court is one of Niagara Falls Housing Authority's community facilities that provides recreational activities for all ages in their building’s many communal spaces, such as a library, gymnasium, and computer lab. The latest Good for the Neighborhood event at Packard Court was geared towards helping families prepare for the upcoming school year, while also enjoying the last bit of summer, with bookbag giveaways, face painting, and more!

Next up in our Good for the Neighborhood Host Spotlight series is Westminster Community Charter School, who we have partnered with since 2011. As a Buffalo Promise Neighborhood school, Westminster is committed to providing the community with equitable access to resources that will set families up for success in education and beyond. Last week’s Good for the Neighborhood event at Westminster had a huge turnout, with over 350 people stopping by!

Introducing our Good for the Neighborhood (GFTN) Host Spotlight series! The GFTN program wouldn’t be possible without support from the 8 amazing partner locations who offer these quarterly health and wellness events within their neighborhood.   First up is Mt. Olive Baptist Church, who has been hosting GFTN since 2018. In addition to being a religious organization, Mt. Olive also prioritizes the health and wellness of its East Buffalo community, offering several health-related programs and resources for all.

Did you know that our Soccer for Success team has onboarded and trained past participants to become certified Coach-Mentors over the last few years? Currently, we're at 5! When you see the Coach-Mentors below on the field, go give them a high five: 1. Coach Arrad (6th-8th group at Roosevelt Park) 2. Coach Gloire (6th-8th group at JH Williams Park) 3. Coach Thomas (K-2nd group at JH Williams Park) 4. Coach Bre (K-2nd group at Roosevelt Park) 5. Coach Prince (6th-8th group at Roosevelt Park) Honorable mentions go to the following Junior Coach-Mentors: Hlakee & Hein Si, who will be officially certified once they're 18. Check out this amazing article below where Coach-Mentors Arrad and Bre, were interviewed by Channel 4 News (WIVB), to speak on their experience of being a Soccer for Success participant to now Coach-Mentor(s)! We're beyond proud of this group and look forward to the next generation to come. 

Wishing everyone a joyful Juneteenth as we celebrate Black resilience and achievement. Let's uplift our Black neighbors today and every day by learning and growing together as a community.   To learn more about the significance of Juneteenth, head to the National Museum of African American History & Culture's website: https://lnkd.in/gqvPZFF

We’ve shared a lot about our awesome mixed-gender Soccer for Success program so it’s about time we highlight our other wonderful initiative within Soccer for Success: Girls in the Game (GITG)! 🤩 Just like our other program highlights soccer and Social Emotional Learning life skills in our curriculum, GITG adds a whole extra layer of intentional mentorship. To ensure a safe space for our girls, we have a full women-led coaching team and highlight wellness in all forms that are crucial to a young girl’s emotional and mental development by incorporating wellness journals/daily affirmations. Each week, our girls join together and take a moment out of practice to discuss various topics and check in on their emotional well-being as they share their own perspectives and stories. What a beautiful way to enjoy practice together!! ⚽️❤️ Interested in becoming a Coach-Mentor this upcoming summer season starting Monday, July 8th? 👀 Use the website below to complete our online application: https://lnkd.in/gSB33ZtT

Last week, we shared exciting news about the grant we were awarded from KeyBank Foundation. This article provides further details about the food access work this grant will help us achieve, in collaboration with BUFFALO GO GREEN INC.