Welcome to the Buffalo Peacemakers!
The Peacemakers reduce youth violence and make our community safer. We are a program of Back to Basics Outreach Ministries led by Pastor James Giles, who has served Buffalo and WNY since 1996.
Our Charge
“We help make peace where and when the community needs it most”
The Buffalo Peacemakers Youth Violence and Gang Intervention Program intervenes in the lives of gang-involved or at-risk youth to help them live safe and positive lives. Staff members are drawn from five community peace-making groups — Back to Basics Outreach Ministries Inc., Buffalo F.A.T.H.E.R.S., GYC Ministries, MAD DADS, and the Stop the Violence Coalition, Inc.
Our Street Engagement Team (SET) builds relationships with teens and young adults who are carrying weapons or involved with gangs and mediates conflicts to prevent violence.
Our Buffalo HEAT mentoring program supports and redirects these teens and young adults into healthy lifestyles. HEAT stands for Health, Empowerment, Attitude, and Teamwork.
Following acts of violence, we offer victims and their families grief counseling and prevent retaliation. We hold prayer vigils and bring a peaceful presence to often tension-filled funerals.
We provide a Safe Passage Program which enables thousands of students from different schools, neighborhoods, and gang territories to safely mix with each other on their way to and from school.
In addition, Peacemakers respond to community requests that require their presence at events such as Juneteenth, high school sports games, Chippewa Street on Thanksgiving Eve, the New Year’s Eve Ball Drop, and highly charged public demonstrations.
We have a proven record of reducing violence on our city streets. Our programs and approaches are known and copied in many other cities.