Fall MD Breakfast

The next MCCF Breakfast will be held on Saturday morning, September 29th, from 9-11 am at the Academy of Medicine, 1441 East Avenue. Dr. David Holmes, President of the Western NY chapter of CMDA, will be coming with a team from Buffalo to address the topic "To the Least of These." David has been instrumental in advocating for improved medical care for the underserved in his community, most recently through the establishment of the Good Neighbors Health Care center.

Please mark your calendars and RSVP using our Response page. Be sure to note change of location (click here for Directions to the Academy of Medicine).

EO reaches out to NE

Plans are well underway for Embracing Options to open a new office in Rochester's NE side! For over a year, EO has been forging a strategic alliance with Joy Community Church with committed volunteers, training, and fund-raising. Now a full office suite has been set aside in the new Gerhardt Ministry Center (GMC) on the corner of Bay and Goodman Streets for a second EO office. The hitch? The space needs major renovations. Thursday evening and Saturday work sessions are being organized to rehab the facility. The new satellite's director, Kirsten Smith, hopes to begin offering services to the NE community early this fall, working in close conjuction with staff in the GMC Hope Shop and Ali Reeves, PA, in our new medical office when they open downstairs. Troublingly high rates of abortion and sexually-transmitted illnesses indicate that the need is great. If you would like to help, please contact Sandi Clawson at 235-0690.

Block Party a Big Success!

This year's Arnett Block Party is going to go down in neighborhood history as one of the most successful community events in years! Hundreds turned out on a wonderfully sunny, dry, warm Saturday to enjoy music, free food, face painting, rap artist Cuevo, helium balloons, spectacular entertainment, educational booths, Gabe Pelligrino reading stories reading, free horse rides, Happy the clown, and a juggling act put on by Wes and Jeff Peden that had us gasping with delight.

With two blocks of Arnett Blvd. officially closed off, RPD had its van there, along with an ambulance from Rural-Metro and a Fire Truck, all for kids to climb up in and meet their crews. As the afternoon was drawing to a close, the New Life Fellowship flag team led us in a procession down the Boulevard to our newly renovated neighborhood park, the Arnett Bird & Butterfly Garden, for a Gospel concert and ribbon-cutting dedication ceremony.

Monroe County Legislator Willie Lightfoot served as MC, assisted in the park dedication by State Senator Joe Robach and Commissioner of Parks Charles Reeves.

Click here to view a slide show of the festivities (previews below). Thanks to everyone who helped make our day so successful. You're what it's all about! Please stay tuned for opportunities to team up with the Arnett Block Association in making our neighborhood a place we can all proudly call home. And of course we'll need help planning next year's Block Party!

The Final Makeover

Our new next-door neighbor, RISEGO, is putting the finishing touches on the development of a Social Entrepreneurship Center in the city of Rochester. The center will help young entrepreneurs create businesses that address problems in their community and avoid the pitfalls of selling drugs and other negative behaviors. The site will feature four new businesses that model how entrepreneurs create wealth the right way. Social Entrepreneurial classes will be beginning in mid-September, so they need your help during the days outlined below.

RISEGO has set aside six days, and volunteers are needed to complete a variety of skilled and general projects. Please join us for one or more days and feel free to bring your son, daughter (over 12), or friend along. This is a great opportunity to make a lasting investment in the lives of others or serve as a community service project.

Lunch will be provided each day!

Dates: August 16th - 18th and August 23rd - 25th
Daily Time: 8:00 am - 5:00 pm
Location: 336 Arnett Blvd., Rochester 14619

Things to Bring with You:

• Tool Belt (additional tools and materials will be available on site)
• A Friend to Help
• Desire to Make a Difference

Please confirm your attendance by sending an email to David Dey noting which day(s) you will be volunteering along with the number of volunteers that will be joining you.

GFM Looks to NE Neighborhood

For some months, Grace Family Medicine has been working together with Joy Community Church to help open a second office in the Gerhardt Ministry Center (GMC) on the corner of Bay and Goodman Streets in Rochester's NE side. Plans have been drawn up to convert an empty storefront in their multiministry building into a modern clinical office space with construction expected to begin this summer. When the facility is complete, Ali Reeves is planning to move in and begin offering her services under our supervision, hopefully early this fall.