BUFFALO, N.Y. — Jeanne Kennedy works with the Stop the Violence Coalition. On Friday, she was one of the volunteers handing out free clothes, food, school supplies and more at giveaway in Buffalo's Bailey Green neighborhood — a low-income area on Buffalo's East Side.

What You Need To Know

  • Several community groups and organizations held a community giveaway on Friday in Buffalo's Bailey Green neighborhood
  • Clothes, shoes, food, school supplies were among the goods handed out
  • Organizers say events like this go a long way to bringing the community together

"If you give the community what they need, you have less angry people and therefore less violence," she said.  "We're saying we're here. We're still here. You still have some help. You don't have to do this on your own."

It was a team effort put on by Back to Basics Ministries, Buffalo Peacemakers, Stop the Violence Coalition, Buffalo F.A.T.H.E.R.S, SNUG anti-gun violence group and other community-based organizations. National Grid also partnered on the giveaway.

"It's about giving back. It's about reaching out to the community with the message there is some hope," said Pastor James Giles of Back to Basics Outreach Ministries. "We have not forgotten you. Nobody is going business as usual. You are on our minds and in our hearts and we want to help."

Giles says this type of outreach can go a long way to bringing people together — a key part of keeping violence away. 

"The community that we live in, because of poor economic development here, always have crises such as homicides," he said. "These types of acts and these types of events are a way of us healing the community."

It’s healing for people who might be afraid. Giles says this is a way to show them there are far more good folks than bad. 

"This is a statement to say, ‘no, you can come out of the house because you have other community people that are concerned with you, and we'll do our very best to protect you. Do our very best to work with you to give you some hope,’" Giles said.