Mentoring programs collaborate to help young men get into college Justin Williams knows the value of making a simple connection. As an incoming freshman at George W. Fowler High School, Williams was academically apathetic and uninvolved in his community. One organization changed his perspective, and ultimately, his life.

Celebrating 26 years of providing service to Onondaga County, Habitat for Humanity has launched the first ever Veteran Build in New York State. The announcement to go forward with the premier project was made on Veterans Day 2010, and construction began in April 2011. The two homes currently inhabit Syracuse’s Southwest area on Fitch Street, and over A-OK Weekend, volunteer …

Most people would be happy to kill two birds with one stone. However, Matt Brubaker isn’t content just with that. He wanted to kill six birds with one stone by volunteering on Sept. 10 at the Stone Soup Community Garden on the 400 block of Gifford Street. He wanted to assist building a wood shed for storing tools and other …

This year’s Acts of Kindness Weekend kicked off a sunny Saturday morning with a cleanup of Kirk Park. Residents from local community organizations such as 100 Black Men, Tomorrow’s Neighborhoods Today, the Syracuse Parks Conservancy and Sunnycrest Parks Association, as well as local youth, donated their time in an act of kindness for the South Side neighborhood Sept. 10 and …

Higher Education Opportunity Program at SU provides much-needed help Against heavy odds, Cynthia Wright hopes to finally earn a college degree. Wright, a longtime South Side resident, has suffered in the past decade the loss of both parents, a frightening bout with cancer and the heartache of seeing a neighborhood she loves deteriorate around her. She decided last year she …

Coverage of this year’s Juneteenth Festival in Clinton Square held Saturday, June 18, was conducted by a Team of The Stand’s Community Correspondents. Reporters included: Ruthnie Angrand, Miguel Balbuena, Jeremiah Howell, Katherine Hills and her mother, Cheryl Dixon-Hills, who was so inspired by the day’s celebration she contributed a personal reflection. Also contributing was Brenda Muhammad who wrote a piece …

Volunteers man Dunbar Cafe to raise funds for center’s youth A little N’awlins flavor has come to Syracuse by way of the Dunbar Association, Inc. The Dunbar Center is running a booth at The Great New York State Fair selling catfish po’ boys.

Syracuse Salt of the Earth Ministries raising money for its own place With one decade under his belt, Pastor Frankie Jackson and his congregation celebrated their first 10 years this summer with loud rejoicing … much in the same manner as how several describe the ministry’s beginning.

Members of the Syracuse Federation of Women’s Clubs invited Syracuse City School District students in first through 12th grades last January to enter the national club’s youth poetry and short story contest. Club President Candace B. Edwards never thought so many students would place or that one student would earn top prize. But in the club’s first attempt to gather …