New York, NY (October 26, 2023)—Today CAI announced that HOPE Buffalo—a community-led collaborative that works to reduce teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted infection rates for adolescents in Buffalo, NY—has been funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for five more years.
Since 2015, CAI has convened a group of community organizations to increase the availability of effective, age-appropriate sexual health education in schools and link teens to affirming providers and resources. Founding partners include the Buffalo Public Schools and the Erie County Department of Health. In the last eight years, the project has grown to include more than 43 local nonprofit organizations and businesses. Their work is guided by a team of youth leaders ages 13–19 from schools throughout Buffalo.
HOPE Buffalo partners’ accomplishments include:
- Training teens to lead workshops for healthcare providers and other teens through PATCH, an innovative, youth-driven initiative. PATCH teens have trained more than 500 medical professionals to make their practices more friendly to young people.
- Contributing to a 34 percent decrease in teen pregnancy rates from 2015–2020 in the zip codes that the HOPE Buffalo collaborative has served.
- Offering training and resources for parents and caregivers of Black and Latinx adolescents that equip them with tools to have effective conversations that reduce sexual-risk behavior.
In the next five years, partners will continue to build on these and other accomplishments while also working to expand mental health resources available to young people.
“Events including the mass shooting that targeted Black community members and deadly winter storm last year have had a profound impact on everyone’s mental well-being. HOPE Buffalo partners will be placing a strong emphasis on addressing mental and emotional wellness during the next five years,” said Kara Oliver-Perez, HOPE Buffalo Project Director.
To learn more or find out how you can participate in HOPE Buffalo’s work, email hopebuf@caiglobal.org.
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