Pastor Al Robinson and his wife, Vivian, call their church in the Lovejoy neighborhood one of Buffalo’s biggest unofficial warming centers.
About 120 people – ranging in age from 9 months to 89 years – have been staying in the auditorium of their Spirit of Truth Urban Ministries church since Friday night.
“So many people in the Lovejoy neighborhood have been without power for the last two days,” Al Robinson told The Buffalo News on Sunday afternoon. “Friday night, many of the homes and businesses around us lost their power. We kept our power, and I took that as a sign from God that we needed to do something to help people.”
As Western New York continues to respond in the storm's aftermath, officials also are still urging residents to stay off the roads in certain hard-hit communities.
After the blizzard cleared Monday and residents couldn't find baby formula at area stores, Robinson put out a plea on social media. People from Jamestown, Dunkirk and Rochester responded by driving in cases of formula, he said.
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"We're going to share it with everybody freely," he said.
On Saturday and Sunday, volunteers with snowmobiles and an all-terrain vehicle went to dozens of homes that lost power in the Lovejoy area, delivering them to the church.
“We’ve got heat, electricity and we’ve been feeding people three meals a day,” Robinson said. “We’re unofficial, but we’re helping people. For some reason, Lovejoy got hit really hard by the storm ... so many people without power."
He added that some of the people staying at the church are ill, and a nurse who lives in the neighborhood has been helping them.
When asked if there is any way that people can help, Robinson said the church at 115 Gold St. is starting to run short on food.
“If anyone has the ability to get here with some food to help us feed our guests, we’d definitely appreciate it,” he said.
Includes reporting by Jay Tokasz
