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NAEH Conference

NAEH Conference. Engaging Local and Community Leaders July 13-15, 2011 Washington D.C. Dale Zuchlewski, Executive Director, Homeless Alliance of Western New York. We are the Continuum of Care for the City of Buffalo and Erie County.

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NAEH Conference

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  1. NAEH Conference Engaging Local and Community Leaders July 13-15, 2011 Washington D.C.

  2. Dale Zuchlewski, Executive Director, Homeless Alliance of Western New York. • We are the Continuum of Care for the City of Buffalo and Erie County. • 32 years in Buffalo City Hall as a Legislative Assistant, Civil Servant and 8 years as full time elected member of the Buffalo Common Council. • I know how elected officials think or don’t think.

  3. My last 10 years – ESG, HOPWA, CHDO and HPRP. • Retired and joined the Homeless Alliance in September of 2010. Became E.D. just before Christmas • Lifelong Community Activist – Education issues, block clubs, Boards of various community groups, Coach, Arts and Athletics Foundation, etc. • The ESG & HPRP program opened my eyes to the plight of the homeless. • I ended up taking a leadership role mainly because I knew how to maneuver through the bureaucracy.

  4. Why Are You Here Today? • Advocates, Social Workers and Case Managers don’t understand why people don’t share their passion for helping the homeless. • Apathy is caused by Ignorance • NIMBY is caused by Fear and Ignorance. • It’s our job to educate people. • Education takes time.

  5. Why Won’t the Media Cover My Story • You are competing with homicides, house fires, wars, etc. for attention. • The news is big business and they need to sell advertising. • You need to engage the media to cover your story.

  6. Lessons learned from Forever Elmwood • Make sure the media has a contact person for homeless issues. • Challenge the Press to get involved. • Don’t be afraid to contact the Editor of the local papers and station managers of the TV stations. • Meet with these people and state your case. • Persistence is the key. Squeak, Squeak, Squeak.

  7. How to get the attention of elected officials. • Elected Officials are like the Homeless. They need lots of attention before you see results. • Use Child Psychology. • Play to their ego. • Recognize them when they attend events. • Thank them when they do good. • Give them a sound byte or photo op. • Give them an award. • Be a stalker (not literally). Be Persistent. • As disgusting as it may be – tell them how important they are to the cause. “We can’t do it without you.” • Example – Buffalo’s Warming Centers.

  8. Tasks of the Homeless Alliance • Making Homelessness an issue in Buffalo and Erie County. • Updating our 10-year plan engaging various leaders in the community. • Consolidated Plan public hearings • Poverty Workshop • Dr. Dennis Culhane was brought into help educate our providers and reach out to others. • Poverty Challenge - help to educate more people. No success with the mainstream media but we were close. • Voter Registration Drive.

  9. Completed a data analysis and published the results. Finally got some press. The media loves statistics. • We filed the analysis with the Common Council and Erie County Legislature to force them to talk about the issue. • I’ve been on the radio and TV talking about homelessness. • We got the attention of the Governor’s office.

  10. I don’t have all the answers. I’m here to learn and ask questions too. Dale Zuchlewski Executive Director Homeless Alliance of Western New York WWW.WNYHomeless.Org WWW.WNYHomeless.Org/Povertychallenge zuchlewski@wnyhomeless.org Find us on facebook too.

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