Being “More than a Market” has benefited the neighborhood by not only providing much needed employment. Brady Faith Center also looks out for their employees by offering supportive services and activities. There’s a recognition in some neighborhoods that people need more than a “job”.
On Saturday, Sept. 17 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., the first-ever Westside Neighborhood Health and Wellness Fair took place at the Brady Market, located at 307 Gifford Street in Syracuse. Featuring more than 30 vendors, who provided a range of services and information, such as COVID and flu vaccines, blood pressure checks, cardio kickboxing, cooking demonstrations, CPR demonstrations, activities for kids and more. Video Interview For those with mobile devices use this link
Brady Faith Center “Our Mission” an interview with Executive Director, Kevin Frank
The atmosphere was festive as residents of the Near West Side participated in the event designed to connect people with available services. While events were being held outside in the parking lot. Inside the markets dedicated, Health & Wellness section children (with permission from their parents) were able to receive free eye exams.
Free and open to the public, vendors at the fair included ACR Health, Aetna Health, the Alzheimer’s Association, Black Health, Empower Parkinson, Excellus Blue Cross Blue Shield, Interfaith Works, Meals on Wheels, On Point for College, Syracuse Community Health Center, Wegmans and Westside Family Pharmacy. Video Interview For those with mobile devices use this link
Brady Market Interview: More Than A Market
Opened in 2021, the Brady Market is a grocery store with retail, deli/catering, wholesale grocery operations, job training, and wrap-around healing support services. It operates within a certified not-for-profit (Brady Social Enterprises) and was inspired by the 70+ year history of Brady Faith Center’s witness and engagement with generations of individuals and families in some of the most disinvested and impoverished neighborhoods in the nation.
Being “More than a Market” has benefited the neighborhood by not only providing much needed employment. Brady Faith Center also looks out for their employees by offering supportive services and activities. There’s a recognition in some neighborhoods that people need more than a “job”.
According to Executive Director, Kevin Frank, “We started employing people at the Brady Faith Center. We started an urban farm, called the Brady Farm located on Ford Ave, off Valley Drive. The more people we employed we realized, ‘this is hard work employing people. It’s really needed and it’s really necessary’. We weren’t quite equipped to take care of all the different needs that people had, who were working for us. So, we went out to Los Angeles, and we visited an organization called, “Home Boy Industries” in LA. They work with ex-gang members and long-term incarcerated brothers and sisters. They were on a similar path, just 30 years before us. They found; the best was out of a gang was a job. The best way out of incarceration, was employment. But then when they would give people jobs, life would come around and knock ‘em down and they’d lose the job. So, they realized that just a job alone, as important as it is; isn’t the whole solution. Next to the job, you need community supports and services. We all need healing. So, they started a community that under the same roof had employment and healing. And we decided to bring that model back here to Syracuse.” Video Interview For those with mobile devices use this link
Interview with Brady Faith Center Management Team Member Zakeem Rutledge
Co-sponsors are the Center for Aging Resources and Enrichment (CARE) at Le Moyne, the Syracuse Housing Authority, Humana, and the Brady Market.
