West Side community spreads holiday cheer

By Amanda O'Leary and Sametra Polkah-Toe
Bengal News reporters
 For most, the arrival of winter holidays is usually a joyous time filled with love, family, cheerfulness and warmth. But while many families across the West Side will soon be gathering around the table for their hot, homemade turkey dinners, many others will be gathering around the crowded doorways of soup kitchens and food pantries trying to evoke some sense of a holiday among themselves and their families.
 Fortunately for them, many West Side organizations are keeping in line with the holiday spirit of giving.

Loaves and Fishes food pantry prepares for food a giveaway

 For families needing assistance in purchasing food items, Angel Food Ministries will be delivering holiday food packages at a price that is 25 percent less than in the supermarkets. Foods in these packages are bought directly from supermarkets or retailers, are not out of date and can be purchased with food stamps.
 “Our food packages are so popular because they’re such a great deal,” said Marlyn Euler, a receptionist at the company. “Not only are you getting quality meats, vegetables, and fruits, but there are many options available such as gluten-free, or Thanksgiving themed dinners.”
 For families looking for a hot meal, many West Side organizations will be holding dinner parties on or around the exact holiday dates. Concerned Ecumenical Ministry, a West Side human service agency, expected about 300 people this year at its annual Thanksgiving dinner. While its primary population resides on the West Side, anyone is welcome to a hot meal along with care packages consisting of socks, mittens, gloves, sweatshirts and other winter necessities.
 Loaves and Fishes soup kitchen, which hosted the event in conjunction with the Concerned Ecumenical Ministries on Nov. 24, will be giving away free turkeys to families in need as well as referrals to a toy giveaway. Children can also receive backpacks filled with nutritious foods to eat during winter break in place of the free school lunches they’d normally receive during this time.

Loaves and Fishes makes holiday food giveaways "essential."

 “It is absolutely essential that we provide these types of services for the community,” said ministries executive director Catherine Rieley-Goddard. “Many of these children come from single parent, low-income families that may not have the means to buy warm clothing or provide a sufficient meal. But that’s why we’re here, to help as much as we can and hopefully make a difference.”
 West Side Community Services will also be hosting a youth Christmas party complete with music, food, entertainment and even an appearance from Santa Claus. Each child will be given a gift and the families who are most in need will receive food baskets. Community services also hosted a Thanksgiving dinner for all senior citizens in the community, many of who do not have much family to celebrate with.  Along with dinner, guests were treated to live performances and bingo with gifts serving as prizes rather than money. Then on New Year’s Eve, 10 of the center’s most dedicated seniors will receive a complementary dinner at Salvatore’s Italian Garden located in Depew.
 “We really like to do special things for our seniors,” said Danette Porto, human service coordinator. “For many, the center is the only real place for them to socialize and feel as if they’re still integrated in this society. They’ve really become the lifeline of this place and we like to show them we appreciate them.”
 The free dinner at Salvatore’s along with many other facets of these holiday parties are truly made possible by the generous donations of the Western New Yorkers. Most, if not all, of the food served or given away is provided by the Food Bank of Western New York or from local businesses such as Tops or the Lexington Co-op. Individual donations range from foods grown in neighborhood gardens all the way to large monetary donations given by corporations or concerned citizens. Many organizations also team up to share money and resources when trying to give a holiday event.
 While funding can sometimes be a hassle, the impact of these holiday events makes it all worth it.
 “Words can’t explain the sheer joy you feel when you see the gratitude our clients display when attending these events,” Rieley-Goddard said. “It feels so good hearing a simple thank you and knowing how happy you’ve made someone’s day.”

Edited by Allison Dunckle and Kaitlin Fritz

Local gardeners learn how to winterize

By Ashley Brown and Brittany Sherman

Bengal News reporters

 If the city of Buffalo were known for anything, it would be known for its unbearable winters. The term ‘unbearable,’ however, may be considered a stretch for Buffalo natives who know nothing but the relentless snowfall and zero-degree days.

 On the other hand, gardeners in the area have become passionate about incorporating exotic plants into their gardens during the summer season. Suddenly the term ‘unbearable’ becomes more than appropriate for plants like dahlias and elephant ears that thrive in dry, humid climates.

 So what is a gardener in Buffalo supposed to do with their exotic plants during the long winter months? Giving up hope certainly isn’t an option.

 Urban Roots, a West Side urban agriculture and gardening center, teamed up with veteran gardener David Clark to teach locals how to overwinter their tropical outdoor plants so they can have a flourishing garden in the year to come.

Gardener David Clark talks about getting non-native plants accustomed to Buffalo:

 The overwintering workshop is part of a grant given to Urban Roots from Grassroots Gardens of Buffalo Inc.

 “We had to do a series of gardening workshops that are targeted toward community gardeners,” said Kristen Armstrong, a member of the education committee for Urban Roots. “The overwintering workshop with Dave Clark is one of the 30-plus workshops we’ve put on that help people learn basic gardening techniques.”

 “There are some plants that can be outside during the summer, but not during the winter,” said Armstrong. “They have to be brought in and preserved in different ways to make it through the winter season, and Dave offers informative step-by-step information on how to do that with different plants.”

 So when is the right time to start the overwintering process?

 “With bulb items you will want to leave out for a couple more weeks, like until the middle of October,” said Clark.  “These will definitely need to get some frost on them.”

 Once the temperatures have dropped and the plants have received their fair share of frost, the overwintering process begins.

 “The first thing you will want to do with your bulb products is dig the plant out of the ground,” said Clark.

 Bulb products tended to be the focus of Clark’s how-to, because they are generally the most common products in Buffalo’s exotic gardens.

 “Next you will want to scrub the plant nice and clean,” Clark said. “Dust it with a little fungicide powder. “

 “You’ll want to store the plant in a paper bag,” Clark said. “You will most definitely want to write the name of the plant on the outside of the bag because trust me, you are not going to remember in the springtime what plant is in that bag.”

 “Then you’ll want to put that bag in a tray,” Clark said. “You’ll put a little sawdust around it, but not on the bulb. Then store it either in an unheated garage, basement or crawl space.”

 Local gardener Onda Simmons said the workshop helped her learn how to extend the life of plants from season to season.

 “I learned a lot at this workshop,” she said. “I learned how to pull my plants that I really want to bring back next year.”

 Armstrong said such  person-to-person workshops blend the idea of community and education, and that's better than getting information off the Internet or from a book.

 When do the plants emerge from hiding?

 “We’ll see these plants again around June 1 or Memorial Day,” Clark said. “That tends to be the magic number here in Western New York.” 

Edited by Melissa Kania and Paul Kasprzak