ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) – A local pastor handed out donations to six non-profit organizations that work in the City of Albany as part of an anti-violence campaign. NEWS10 talked to community organizers about what the money means to them and the neighborhoods they serve.
Pastor Charlie Muller of Victory Church has been embedded in the community for the last 30 years.
“Teenagers are getting more involved in gun violence, so if they’re plugged into good organizations and they are sending that message, then they are going to be the ones to make it safer for us on the streets of Albany,” said Muller.
On Wednesday, community leaders praised how Pastor Charlie and the church have been responsive to the needs of the people. His first hand experience is why he knows exactly how important the donations are.
“Because it lifts the limitations off of them, many of them are limited because of financial situations,” said Muller.
He said they want to build up connections and partnerships with local organizations to bring the crime rates down.
“One of the guys that we gave to takes a lot of money out of his pockets, and I know that for two or three of the organizations that we gave to. So if that limitation is lifted they can do more. These are the guys really working in the community that are making a huge difference,” said Muller.
He’s referring to Kasir Rasul who manages the youth empowerment program, Community Solutions. They focus on workforce development and teach youth how to screen print and also offer a creative outlet through cinematography.
“Sometimes my wife will be like, ‘We have bills to pay,’ and I am like, ‘I know we do, but we have kids outside that need help at the same time.’ So it’s a hard rock to be between, helping yourself and helping the community. I think all the time we help the community, it's a bigger play because you don’t know who you are investing in, you could be investing in the next president,”said Rasul.
Most of the organizations that received donations work directly with troubled youth, as well as those who are already on the right path and are looking to get ahead, like G’Ahnah Skervin. She has a summer job with Eden’s Rose Foundation, another organization that received funding Wednesday.
“It’s kind of important to me. I’m 14 years old so I like to do a lot of shopping. So it’s important for me so I’m not always relying on my parents to get me something, like be more independent and have more financial literacy,” said Skervin.
She plans on buying clothes and school supplies. She’s also spending her paychecks on her 10 year old brother.
Skervin said her favorite part is giving back to the community. Eden’s Rose Foundation runs the Produce Production Project and they give food to any community member who stops by, Clinton Avenue and Quail Street, weekly.
Getting more kids involved in positive projects is Kynsa Wade’s goal. He is a youth mentor at Community Solutions and was galvanized into action after his son was shot in the head and survived.
“My son was at the wrong place at the wrong time, so I try to teach now let’s be at the right place at the right time,” said Wade. He said the funding helps them expand their programming. “We can do more now. We were doing it out of our own pocket, but now we have some more funding we’ll be able to do more.”
Wade said it makes a bigger difference when smaller grassroots organizations get funding because they live in the communities they serve and that makes their approach more authentic, making it easier to build rapport with youth and gain their respect.
“We are out there, actively engaged with the youth. We live on the same blocks as these children, and stuff like that. We go to the same corner stores. We are with them. We’re really with them so they connect to us more than they would connect to a bigger organization,” said Wade.
Pastor Charlie is teaming up with the D.A.'s office to host a gun buyback event on Saturday from 10 A.M. to 2 P.M.
