Violence has returned to the streets of Niagara Falls this summer. Preachers are heading out onto those same blocks for "Prayer Explosion-Taking Back Niagara's Streets."
Rev. Makeeda Brooks said Thursday night's prayer meeting at Walnut and 19th Street was held there because it might be the most violent intersection in the Cataract City. Other violent corners will be covered with song and prayer in the next few weeks.
The pastor of St. John's AME Church said the city needs what it has needed for a long time: more jobs for its young people and work against the city's gangs.
"When they have no father figures, when they have no jobs to go to, they have no activity to keep them busy, then they have nothing else to do but gangs become their fathers," Brooks said.
Albany is pouring millions of dollars into jobs and job training for young people, to break the cycle of nothing to do and getting into trouble, potentially very bad trouble, Rev. Craig Pridgen lamented that Niagara Falls is not one of the cities getting some of that cash.
"It's very important and it's very crucial that Niagara Falls is not forgotten about, especially when there are dollars available," said Pridgen, president of the Niagara Falls Ministerial Council. "Niagara Falls is in desperate need of funding of resources and Niagara Falls should not be forgotten about. It's just as important as Buffalo, Rochester and any other major city in the State of New York."
Pridgen said he sits on several gubernatorial impact panels and he will push for some of those dollars for the Cataract City.
Brooks said other men are stepping up, as well.
"We have seen a lot of our men are not present in the community for various reasons, they are not involved for whatever. But I believe there's been an increase as our young boys are in need, as they are speaking up and saying what they need, I believe the men are stepping up," Brooks said. "As you can see, there are a lot of men here and they are committed to working with our young boys."
The "Take Back Niagara Initiative" is a joint effort of Brooks' AME church, the Ministerial Council and the social action group NOAH (Niagara Organizing Alliance for Hope).
