HUD Opens Full Investigation into the City of Rochester on behalf of Friends Helping Friends

Unlike some ignorant, money-grubbing local wanna-be publisher like Mary Anna Towler, the feds DO think that I'm worth it. Eh, Rochester Indymedia, eds? <!--break--> HUD Opens Full Investigation into the City of Rochester for Grants Mismanagement Contact: Friends Helping Friends Andrew Stankevich (585) 436-5605 fhf2004@hotmail.com This Wednesday, October 10th at noon, at FHF's bike warehouse at 226 Hudson Avenue, FHF Director Andrew Stankevich will be holding a press conference. Mr. Stankevich will be discussing how the U.S. Dept. of Housing &amp;amp; Urban Development's Office of Inspector General has opened a case on September 26th to investigate Mr. Stankevich's allegations of grants mismanagement and wrongful exclusion of Friends Helping Friends from the City of Rochester's HUD-funded Community Development Block Grant program. Mr. Stankevich will also have copies of the letter available from HUD's Office of Inspector General documenting that HUD, is in fact, opening a case to conduct an impartial review of the City of Rochester's management of federal funding. Friends Helping Friends has clearly demonstrated community support for its bike recycling program that recieves used bicycles and repairs them for distribution to screened groups of kids through area faith communities and the City School District. Friends Helping Friends recently coordinated a bike drive that generated approximately 570 used bikes in one day. In addition, Friends Helping Friends provides free bicycles to adults in transition through referrals from area agencies. FHF also teaches bicycle safety to the kids receiving bicycles through our program. Friends Helping Friends has purchased and renovated its current bike repair facility @ 226 Hudson Avenue with a professional bike repair set-up. The City of Rochester has repeatedly cancelled funding for Friends Helping Friends' bike repair program without fully disclosing the reasons for doing so. Deputy Commissioner McAvinney of the City of Rochester's Bureau of Human Services seems to be currently stone-walling any grant inquiries/applications from Friends Helping Friends. “I've been dialoguing with the Bureau of Human Services employees, as well as the new Public Integrity Director re: grants mismanagment issues for about a year without any resolution to the issues that I've presented to them. I told City of Rochester employees repeatedly that I wanted to keep the matter “in house,” but would contact the provider of the Community Development Block Grant and accuse the City of Rochester of grants mismanagement if our issues were not addressed. I've taken every reasonable measure to resolve these matters, but have been ignored and lied to by City Hall employees. We've been approved for funding twice and have applied for funding 3 times (an application is currently pending) without seeing a dime of monetary support from the City of Rochester. Repeated funding cancellations have wrecked havok on our programming and our organization; we request that the City of Rochester provide immediate funding for Friends Helping Friends' charitable activities,” said Andrew Stankevich, Friends Helping Friends Director

<p>Unlike some ignorant, money-grubbing local wanna-be publisher like Mary Anna Towler, the feds DO think that I'm worth it. Eh, Rochester Indymedia, eds?</p> <!--break--><p>HUD Opens Full Investigation into the City of<br /> Rochester for Grants Mismanagement </p> <p> Contact:<br /> Friends Helping Friends<br /> Andrew Stankevich<br /> (585) 436-5605<br /> <a href="mailto:fhf2004@hotmail.com">fhf2004@hotmail.com</a></p> <p> This Wednesday, October 10th at noon, at FHF's bike warehouse at 226 Hudson Avenue, FHF Director Andrew Stankevich will be holding a press conference.</p> <p> Mr. Stankevich will be discussing how the U.S. Dept. of Housing &amp;amp; Urban Development's Office of Inspector General has opened a case on September 26th to investigate Mr. Stankevich's allegations of grants mismanagement and wrongful exclusion of Friends Helping Friends from the City of Rochester's HUD-funded Community Development Block Grant program. </p> <p> Mr. Stankevich will also have copies of the letter available from HUD's Office of Inspector General documenting that HUD, is in fact, opening a case to conduct an impartial review of the City of Rochester's management of federal funding.</p> <p> Friends Helping Friends has clearly demonstrated<br /> community support for its bike recycling program<br /> that recieves used bicycles and repairs them for<br /> distribution to screened groups of kids through area faith communities and the City School District. Friends Helping Friends recently coordinated a bike drive that generated approximately 570 used bikes in one day. In addition, Friends Helping Friends provides free bicycles to adults in transition through referrals from area agencies. FHF also teaches bicycle safety to the kids receiving bicycles through our program. Friends Helping Friends has purchased and renovated its current bike repair facility @ 226 Hudson Avenue with a professional bike repair set-up. </p> <p> The City of Rochester has repeatedly cancelled<br /> funding for Friends Helping Friends' bike repair<br /> program without fully disclosing the reasons for doing so. Deputy Commissioner McAvinney of the City of Rochester's Bureau of Human Services seems to be currently stone-walling any grant inquiries/applications from Friends Helping Friends.</p> <p> “I've been dialoguing with the Bureau of Human<br /> Services employees, as well as the new Public<br /> Integrity Director re: grants mismanagment issues<br /> for about a year without any resolution to the issues that I've presented to them. I told City of Rochester employees repeatedly that I wanted to keep the matter “in house,” but would contact the provider of the Community Development Block Grant and accuse the City of Rochester of grants mismanagement if our issues were not addressed. I've taken every reasonable measure to resolve these matters, but have been ignored and lied to by City Hall employees. </p> <p> We've been approved for funding twice and have applied for funding 3 times (an application is currently pending) without seeing a dime of monetary support from the City of Rochester. Repeated funding cancellations have wrecked havok on our programming and our organization; we request that the City of Rochester provide immediate funding for Friends Helping Friends' charitable activities,” said Andrew Stankevich, Friends Helping Friends Director</p>