Tag Archives: Mary Nelson

Back to School Giveaway Serves Thousands of Students

Thousands of Syracuse City School District students lined up in the hot sun on the corner of South Salina Street and Wood Avenue Saturday morning for one reason. The students were to receive backpacks and other school supplies from the 14th annual Mary Nelson Back to School Barbeque and School Supply Giveaway. The event was presented by the Mary Nelson …

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Child's Play Area

Mary Nelson envisions basketball and tennis courts next to her center For weeks last winter, snow covered the empty grass lot just north of the Mary Nelson Youth Center. But that’s not what Mary Nelson sees now. What she envisions is what she hopes will be a reality in just a few months: a neatly paved lot with two basketball …

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'Get Your Kids' rally this Sunday

Syracuse will hold its first-ever “Get Your Kids Rally” at the Kirk Park Pavilion this Sunday, Oct. 13.  The rally will run from 3 p.m. – 6 p.m. The goal: to bring the community together in a stand against street violence in Syracuse. Organizer Mary Nelson, of the Mary Nelson Youth Center, created the event  in response to the slaying …

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11th annual Youth Day Barbecue

Mary Nelson and dozens of volunteers coordinated supplies and backpacks this weekend during the 11th Annual Youth Day Barbecue. Some volunteers had been onsite for as long as 12 hours with registrations totaling 21,639, according to Mary Nelson. Staff from the Mary Nelson Center and first time volunteers echoed this year’s theme of “Wake Up, Everybody” by cooking, supervising games, …

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Community Activist Calls on Youth to Rise Up Through New Radio Show

Ever since 2002, Mary Nelson, founder of the Mary Nelson Youth Center, has worked to empower her community. Recently Nelson decided to reach kids through the form of entertainment. On Thursday, April 12, Nelson will hold her first mock interview of the radio program Rise Up, which she says is scheduled to air on Clear Channel’s Power am 620 on …

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Community Meeting Helps Youth Find Summer Activities

When Mary Nelson held her first anti-violence community meeting, it was a large rally of residents voicing their opinions and calling the community to action. She has since stuck to her promise of organizing meetings on the first Saturday of every month, but they’ve taken on a more organized, relaxed tone.

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South Side Voices

Some community members say profiling doesn’t exist; others call police ‘badge heavy’ Pastor Jonathan Stephens Pastor Stephens has been the pastor at Fountain of Life Church at 700 South Ave. for 23 years. He operated his own private security company, the Stephens Security Task Force, for 15 years. He is head of security for western New York’s First Ecclesiastic Jurisdiction, …

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Mary Nelson's Ninth annual Youth Day BBQ

A community comes together as thousands of children and families come out to be entertained, eat and receive school supplies. The smell of barbecue, the sound of music filled the air and tons of school supplies stretched across tables located in the Key Bank parking lot, as families filled the corner of South Salina Street and Wood Avenue Saturday, Aug. …

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Volunteers Needed at Mary Nelson's Youth Center

Mary Nelson is in need of some help for her youth center. If interested in sparing a few hours to volunteer at the center, please contact Mary at (315) 403-0220  or e-mail NelsonM@upstate.edu. The number of youth and family attendance has greatly increased, according to Nelson. So the center is in need of help for its afterschool programs and Saturday …

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