What Do You Do with an Empty Building?

About 15 years ago, the former All Saints Church in Amherst merged with St. Mark’s Church in Buffalo’s Riverside neighborhood, leaving the diocese with an unused church building. Rather than let it sit vacant, a group of Episcopalians in recovery began to dream. What if this space could become a home for healing? A place where 12-step meetings, sober activities, dances, movies, and maybe even a coffee shop could support those seeking a new way of life?

From that dream, The Hope Center was born.

Soon, the “extra space” envisioned for occasional events was filled instead with the growing need for meeting rooms. Today, the building is bustling nearly every hour of the week.

Still owned by the diocese, the Hope Center is entirely self-supporting—aside from major building repairs—thanks to the commitment of its participants and leaders.

According to Hope Center Director, The Rev. Canon Barbara Price, more than 34 different 12-step groups gather there each week, welcoming over 600 people seeking hope and healing. The SKY Recovery Program also uses the building monthly for an intensive meditation experience.

The grounds and interior are maintained through community service placements from the courts. The beautiful pond was designed and built by veterans in recovery, adding another layer of meaning to the space.

The mission of the Hope Center is simple and profound:
To provide a safe place in the community for recovery meetings and activities that support healing.

So what do you do with a former church building?
You use it for good.

For more information contact Barbara J. Price at Barbaraprice@episcopalwny.org or 716-440-2950.