Amy Betros, who sold her popular restaurant Amy's Place to fund decades of service to others, died at the age of 71 this week.
In partnership with Norm Paolini, the two co-founded St. Luke's Mission of Mercy in the 1990s. The mission has been a lifeline for people experiencing homelessness or poverty, providing meals, clothing and shelter for those in need.
“I have this kind of philosophy that I don’t care who you are,” Betros said in an interview for BTPM's "Making A Difference" documentary in 2016. “Everybody deserves food in their stomach, clothes on their back and a place to live.”
Betros' strong Catholic faith guided her in her mission to serve others.
"I learned really early on that love and forgiveness and mercy is really the way to go. That's why it's called St. Luke's Mission of Mercy," she said on an episode of What's Next from 2022. "Because [people are] wounded, they had bad experiences or their home life isn't good. But they have a place where they can go where people love them. From Jesus with love, that's why they don't have to drop through hoops and fill out forms to get diapers or food. We have wonderful people all around."
Her commitment to Buffalo's East Side and University Heights neighborhoods is something Betros didn't take lightly. Betros loved staying in contact with the people who lived or accessed services at the mission, even after they've gone on to find stable success in career and family life.
"Amy’s care and concern for all along with her ministry and presence on the East Side of Buffalo is a great loss," wrote Buffalo Bishop Michael Fisher. "She never wavered from her trust in the Lord and I join the St. Luke’s Mission Community, Catholics and non-Catholics throughout Western New York who experienced Amy’s love and compassion in praying for her."
Funeral services for Betros begin on Friday with visitation from noon until 7 p.m. at the mission. That's followed with another visitation on Saturday, with a funeral mass at 10 a.m.
