Partnership Offers Chance at Better Life for Those in Poverty
When she first stepped into the classroom, Savannah was ready to turn her and her children’s lives around for the better.
Savannah lives at Gerard Place, a housing and supportive service organization for homeless, single parents and their children on Bailey Avenue in Buffalo. She declined the use of her last name for privacy reasons.
A young mother, Savannah recently began a new chapter of her life – studying to be a licensed practical nurse (LPN) – an opportunity offered right at the shelter she resides in.
“This is an opportunity to build a life for myself and get my own home for my son, who’s two, and my daughter, who’s four,” she noted. “They’re the reason behind everything I’m doing, so I can give them what they need. This class is giving me that chance.”
Erie 1 BOCES partnered with Gerard Place to bring an LPN adult training program to the shelter for residents and Buffalo’s East Side community. Gerard Place now houses several workforce development opportunities to help those in need get back on their feet.
Karen Kasperek, senior director of programs and services for Gerard Place, explained that partnering with Erie 1 BOCES has helped eliminate a barrier for those looking to escape poverty by bringing the LPN program right to the shelter. She added Gerard Place provides an on-site daycare for the students’ children while they attend class.
“We believe this partnership will assist our parents, families and community members to essentially have a better quality of life,” Kasperek said. “People like Savannah will get a career out of the programs Erie 1 BOCES is offering, not just another job. People on Buffalo’s East Side are struggling to make ends meet and are desperately looking for a way out.”
Christa McHale, director of Educational Partnerships and Workforce Development at Erie 1 BOCES, said Gerard Place epitomizes the idea of a community and demonstrates what is possible when people approach a project with a common goal.
“We’re so proud to be part of this great effort and to support the residents of Gerard Place and the community,” she added.
The partnership follows on the heels of renovations to the old St. Gerard’s Parish school, which were completed in 2018. Sponsorships and grants helped transform the shuttered school into the Gerard Place Community Center.
The first cohort of LPN students started last April and will graduate a year after they started. Around 120 are now enrolled between the first and second cohorts, and about a quarter of students from the first cohort live in the surrounding Bailey Delavan neighborhood.
Savannah is proud to be part of the second cohort.
“I always wanted to be a nurse, so I’m hopeful this will lead to a brighter future for my family and me,” she concluded. “I feel fortunate to be able to participate in this program that’s right where I live.”
For more information about Gerard Place, visit www.gerardplace.org or call 897-9948.