Join Believe in Syracuse and view the city from the Horizons Ballroom at the Crowne Plaza at a fundraiser to benefit the Writing Our Lives (WOL) conference from 6 to 10 p.m. Friday, Sept. 28. WOL youth literacy program promotes writing in the lives of youth in and out of school and works with teachers and community groups to prepare better writers. Programming includes writing workshops, presentations, digital storytelling, youth publications, writer’s notebooks, promotion of cultural voices and community events for young writers. WOL, founded in 2009 by Dr. Marcelle Haddix, supports students in urban schools and community spaces.

100 Black Men of Syracuse Inc. will host the Winston Gaskin Community Walk for Health & Wellness starting at 8:30 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 29, at the Onondaga Creekwalk. Registrations, including a $15 registration fee, will be accepted from 8:30 to 9 a.m. the day of the walk and in advance online. Same-day registration and the 5.4-mile walk will begin at the Armory Square Creekwalk Trailhead in downtown Syracuse near the Museum of Science and Technology. The event, which concludes at 11 a.m., honors Winston Gaskin, an African-American Syracuse resident, pharmacist, Army veteran and community leader who passed away in 2009. The Gaskin Walk is also dedicated to raising awareness about a variety of health issues and promoting healthy lifestyles. Registration includes a T-shirt. Be sure to indicate your shirt size when you check out. All proceeds from the event will benefit the 100 Black Men of Syracuse, Inc. health and wellness initiatives. Donations welcome.

The Joan Hillsman Music Network will hold its annual breakfast scholarship/fundraiser event starting at 8:30 a.m. Sept. 29, at the Crowne Plaza, 701 E. Genesee St. The all you can eat breakfast will also feature music, awards a silent auction, prizes and opportunities to network. Tickets are on sale through JHMN supporters at a cost of $35 for adults; children rates also available. To reserve a spot, call (315) 373-0805.

Join the newly formed Cafe Sankfo Collective for a ladies night when they premiere "Nappily Ever After" starring Sanaa Lathan. Enjoy the movie with light refreshments. Immediately following the film, stay for tips on natural hair care from a natural hair stylist, receive a swag bag and more.

It has been five years since Jim Gifford, a longtime resident of the Elmwood neighborhood, was attacked and killed outside the now-closed 7/11, a short half-block walk from his home. In his honor, and grateful for the annual support of Rev. Lateef Johnson and his Believers Chapel City (located in Jim's old Elmwood Presbyterian), a group has gathered each year since 2014 to beautify the crossroads where Jim lived and where he spent so much of his retirement. All welcome. Needed: trimmers to bring down the tall weeds that dominate the streetscape along Valley and parts of the South Avenue commercial strip. Organizers will provide trash bags and litter tongs.

A Syracuse Area City-Wide Ministry Workshop in collaboration with the Rev. Phil Turner of Bethany Baptist Church will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 6, at the church, 149 Beattie St. This free community event will open with a continental breakfast followed by sessions on such topics as: Choir Decorum, Music in the Scriptures, Enhancing your Worship Services through music, vocal techniques, Use of Technology (Microphones, etc.), New Music and more. To sign up, contact the church at (315) 446-5080 or call or email Joan Hillsman at (315) 373-0805 or jhillsman@twcny.rr.com.

The Near Westside Initiative will host a preview celebration to mark the completion of a new community performance space in the former Case Building. The performance space, located on the first and second floors of the Case Building’s western wing, will feature a black-box performance space that will seat 150 people. Additional rehearsal and classroom space will provide community space for arts organizations both in the Near Westside and throughout Central New York to share and use for performances, rehearsals, classes and storage. The completion of the performance space marks the final major development project in the Case Building, which currently houses ProLiteracy in its eastern wing, as well as 12 residential apartment units and a commercial space on the third floor. The Near Westside Initiative will host a preview event to mark completion of the space beginning at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 10. The preview event will feature dance performances by local artists from the Near Westside and surrounding Central New York area. The event is free and all are welcome to attend.

Syracuse Citywide Summer Book Club presents Matthew Desmond’s Pulitzer prize-winning book "Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City." Read the book and join the conversation with special guest Sally Santangelo, executive director of CNY Fair Housing. Attend this event and enter a drawing for a free copy of "Evicted."

The Syracuse Black Expo will be held from noon to 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 13, at Syracuse Community Connections (formerly the Southwest Community Center). The expo is an opportunity to support small business and under-represented companies in the Syracuse area. Admission is $5. For information, call (315) 878-2763 or email syracuseblackexpo@gmail.com.

Join Walter in this fun gardening class in which you will decorate your own minipumpkins and grow Spider plant cuttings. All supplies will be provided. Register in the MakerSpace or online at www.onlib.org/events/calendar. For teens and adults. Will meet in MakerSpace, Level 1.