Serve Your Community – Apply TODAY to be a UDCDA AmeriCorps Member!

Author: January 8, 2019

General News

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The UDCDA is excited to announce that the Community Development team is growing once again! The organization is currently looking for qualified applicants for a 1-year AmeriCorps VISTA placement. Members will work closely with the Director of Community Development & Planning and the Community Development Coordinator on a number of hands-on economic development initiatives that are being launched along the Bailey Avenue and Main Street corridors. This is a great opportunity to get real world experience in the fields of urban planning, asset-based community development, and business development while also helping to build a stronger, more resilient community!

Serve your community by applying today!

 

Specific Projects that the VISTA will be tasked with include:

  • Conducting a commercial district needs assessment
  • Developing a corridor-specific business association model that builds on assets and addresses community needs and commercial sustainability
  • Facilitating two sets of workshops – one focused on financial literacy for low-income, minority residents with an interest in entrepreneurship and another focused on business and community leadership development.

While the UDCDA is one of Buffalo’s oldest housing and human services nonprofits, in recent years the organization has begun turning its attention to commercial corridor revitalization efforts. A number of projects sponsored by the UDCDA have helped revitalize neighborhood landmarks and re-energize local businesses. Projects include:

  • Varsity Theatre Renovation – $150,000 Urban Initiatives grant secured to help the owner of the Varsity Theatre on Bailey Avenue renovate and re-open a neighborhood theatre that had been shuttered for more than a decade
  • Parkside Candy Restoration – $125,000 Buffalo Main Streets Initiative grant secured to help owner of the historic Parkside Candy on Main Street restore the local landmark to it’s 1920’s grandeur
  • Better on Bailey – $300,000 Buffalo Main Street Initiative grant secured to help over half a dozen business owners on Bailey Avenue with interior and exterior renovations.

This AmeriCorps VISTA placement with the UDCDA is made possible through a partnership with The Service Collaborative of WNY and thanks to the generous support of M&T Bank.