Buffalo Neighborhood Hubs Project

05/09/2026

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, a good reminder that the Erie County Department of Health (ECDOH)'s Office of Health Equity offers free Mental Health First Aid Training to help our residents recognize the signs and symptoms of mental health challenges in others.

To schedule a training for your organization, fill out this online form: https://loom.ly/baaaYmw, or call 716-858-2385.

05/03/2026

05/01/2026

URGENT: Due to an ongoing situation, all are asked to avoid the area surrounding SUNY Erie City Campus (between North Division Street/Swan Street and Washington Street/Elm Street).

04/29/2026

BHNP’s April Hubs Community Responder Training/Graduation!

Saturday, April 11, 2026 our HUB Leaders and Community Responders received Community Emergencies Training which included human trafficking, domestic violence, homelessness, substance use and Narcan trainer.

These trainings are critical in understanding and responding to the most common issues that affect communities every day that can become emergencies it’s not properly addressed.

Thank you to our amazing trainers:
Kamiya- People Against Trafficking Humans
Nancy Abdehaq- RAHAMA
Jordan Frank and Antonio Estrada- Erie County Department of Health SUD

We also want to give a big shout out to PATH Enrichment Center for hosting us!

Community Emergencies Training is Track #4 of our BNHP Community Responder certification trainings which began with Track #1 Orientation on December 6, 2025. This process included 6 full day trainings, 23 trainers, certifying 26 community responders to protect lives over their 6 neighborhoods across the City of Buffalo.

It has been such an incredible, powerful, beautiful and inspiring journey with some of the most wonderful people I have ever met. I am so incredibly proud of each and every one of our Community Responders, especially our 11 Advanced Community Responders who attended every single training!

Congratulations to all of our Cohort #1 BNHP CRs as well as our Hubs team! 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽
Rahwa Ghirmatzion, Project Director 
Nadia Pizarro, Emergency Preparedness Manager
Brenda McDuffie, Community Engagement Manager
Leah Bargnessi, UB PhD Student/Lead Academic Partner
Yahan Liu, Lead Canvasser
Cindy Stroud, Clean Air Coalition Organizer

There is so much more I am excited to share about our journey thus far, our plans for our 6 Hubs and the new 6 Hubs we will be starting this year! SO STAY TUNED…

04/16/2026

TORNADO WARNING

Another round of heavy rain and storms brings the potential for severe weather this evening.

04/01/2026

BHNP’s March Hubs Community Responder Trainings!

Saturday, March 7, 2026 our HUB Leaders and Community Responders received Mental Health First Aid training. Thank you to our amazing trainers Wafa El Sohl and Joel Nicholas from Erie County Health Equity as well as Dorrie McClain and our Seneca Babcock HUB for hosting us!

Saturday, March 21, 2026 our HUBs received Stress, Resilience and Psychological First Aid training. Thank you to our amazing trainers Brenda, Vanessa, Needa, Arthur and our partner PUSH Buffalo for hosting us!

These trainings are critical in understanding mental illness, and identifying, engaging, and addressing mental health crisis in communities. It has been so exciting and inspiring to experience this journey with these extraordinary people from across our City who volunteered to help protect lives in their neighborhoods!

03/31/2026

The NY Citizen Preparedness Training Program teaches residents to have the tools and resources to prepare for any type of disaster, respond accordingly, and recover as quickly as possible.

Courses are free, but you must register at: dhses.ny.gov/citizen-preparedness-training-calendar.

Each family that attends receives one preparedness kit!

02/22/2026

The Erie County Department of Health has a free hands-on training session on March 2 (10–11:30 AM) presented by our Office of Public Health Emergency Preparedness and the Erie County Medical Reserve Corps.

Join us at the Erie County Training & Operations Center to learn about:
• Hands-only CPR
• Chest compressions
• AED use
• Choking relief
• Naloxone/Narcan administration

Register at 716-858-7101 or go to: forms.office.com/g/HJyV7kJgFD

Please share!

02/22/2026

If you or someone in your household has a disability or a special medical need (Alzheimer's, developmental disabilities, dialysis, mobility impaired, service animal, etc.), the people whose job it is to respond when you call for help in an emergency need to know. Click to fill out the Emergency Services Functional Needs Registry Form to make your needs known to local emergency assistance officials.

Data will be kept strictly confidential. Go to: www3.erie.gov/dhses/form/functional-needs-registry-form

Cc: Erie County Department of Homeland Security & Emergency Services, Erie County Office for People with Disabilities, Erie County Department of Health (ECDOH), Erie County Department of Mental Health

02/22/2026

Buffalo Neighborhood Hubs Project Team, Leaders and Community Responders had our third training today. Community Organizing by PUSH Buffalo and Air Quality and Environment by Clean Air Coalition were amazing, especially to see our cohort of leaders and CRs representing each of our 6 Hubs across our City learn and grow together!