About
Beliefs & Beginnings
Mission
Committed to working together to protect, to give hope, and to enrich the lives of every child and family we serve.
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Core Values
Motivated by our foundation of Christian principles and in everything we do, we will demonstrate the following core values:
Integrity – Treating every individual with honesty, dignity, compassion, respect and trustworthiness
Safety – Creating a physically and emotionally safe environment​.
Empowerment – Building on the strengths of every individual and family to create positive opportunities.
Diversity – Celebrating the inclusion of all individuals and their beliefs, backgrounds, and life experiences.
Collaboration – Partnering to inspire a community where all children feel loved, safe, valued and capable of great achievements.
Our Faith Heritage
Since 1890, a local church community responded to the needs of children and families in our region. Upon founding an orphanage known as the Deaconess Home of the Methodist Episcopal Church, a tradition of ministry was begun. This organization was later joined by a similar agency, also founded by caring Christians and known as the Protestant Home of Unprotected Children. Today, Gateway Longview continues our rich heritage of holistically caring for the needs of young people and their families by providing a spectrum of highly specialized care and treatment programs.​
Because of our shared heritage, faith, and commitment to serve those in need, at Gateway Longview, we value continuing interaction and involvement with local churches and bodies of faith. We support one another by sharing education, information, political and social advocacy, professional expertise, and a variety of resources. Furthermore, by cooperatively engaging in projects and activities, we work together to meet unique needs of children and families.
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Although Gateway Longview historically relates to the United Methodist Church, and the Christian Community as a whole, we are a private, not-for-profit, charitable corporation as defined by state and federal laws. As a Christian based organization, we affirm all persons as being equally valuable in the sight of God. We therefore work toward societies in which each person’s value is recognized, maintained and strengthened. We support the basic rights of all persons to have equal access to housing, education, employment, medical care, legal redress for grievances, and physical protection. We believe in the right and duty of persons to work for the glory of God and to treat one another with dignity, respect, kindness, and compassion
Our Rich History
Gateway Longview has a rich history of caring for the children and families across Western New York.
​Founded by faithful parishioners focused on serving orphaned and abandoned children, Gateway was originally known as the Buffalo Deaconess Home of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Longview Niagara was originally named the Protestant Home for Unprotected Children. In 1996, the two organizations merged to become Gateway Longview.
​While our services and programs have evolved to address the ever changing needs of our community over the past 125+ years, our commitment to working together to protect, to give hope, and to enrich the lives of every child and family we serve has remained steadfast.
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1890 (Jan. 21) Buffalo Deaconess Home of the Methodist Episcopal Church is formed.
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1904 Buffalo Deaconess Home of the Methodist Episcopal Church takes in its first child.
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1912 A generous bequest from a supporter named Elizabeth Sheldon enables the Buffalo Deaconess Home of the Methodist Episcopal Church to purchase a 66-acre farm in Williamsville, New York, and build the facilities needed to house the growing number of orphaned children placed in care.
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1917 The Protestant Home for Unprotected Children is formed. Later that same year, the Protestant Home for Unprotected Children takes in its first orphaned child‚ Baby Grace‚ and purchases the Letchworth Mansion at 605 Niagara Street in Buffalo, New York, thanks to generous donations.
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1964 Lynde School is built on the Williamsville, New York, Campus.
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1967 Buffalo Deaconess Home of the Methodist Episcopal Church is renamed Gateway (Methodist Home for Children). Simultaneously, the Protestant Home for Unprotected Children opens Camp Cummings, a summer camp, for its residents and a group home for young men named Hughson House.
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1971 The Protestant Home for Unprotected Children opens its Niagara Day Care Center.
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1975 The Protestant Home for Unprotected Children is renamed Longview Niagara. Meanwhile, Gateway launches its Community Services Foster Care Program in Rochester and Jamestown, New York.
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1979 Longview-Niagara begins serving children at the St. John’s North and South Agency Operated Boarding Homes.
1982 Gateway’s Lynde School is expanded to provide comprehensive elementary and secondary education.
1987 Gateway begins offering Day Treatment at its Lynde School for students with educational, as well as emotional, social and behavioral challenges.
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1990 Gateway opens a Therapeutic Preschool and begins offering adoption services for children in care.
1991 Gateway launches its Supervised Independent Living Program, or SILP, for teens and young adults, too old for foster care and too young to care for themselves.
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1994 Gateway begins offering Preventive Respite services for children and families in need of temporary care and assistance.
1996 Gateway and Longview Niagara merge to become Gateway-Longview.
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1998 The Gateway Longview Foundation is formed to provide financial support to sustain the agency’s programs and services.
1999 Gateway Longview’s Community Services department moves from the Ellicott Square Building in downtown Buffalo, New York, into the Gateway Longview facility at 605 Niagara Street to consolidate programming. Mother/Baby SILP is added to better serve teenage mothers and their children.
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2002 Gateway Longview opens its Mother/Baby Group Home. Meanwhile, Gateway Longview’s Elementary Day School/Treatment program moves into the Sacred Heart School.
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2003 Gateway Longview adds Tradition Preventive Respite services to its Preventive Services programs. Additionally, Families United, a teen parenting program, joins forces with Gateway Longview. Finally, Gateway Longview’s group home in Williamsville, New York, officially becomes an Ed Block Courage House.
2004 Gateway Longview begins serving youth classified as hard to serve through its Changing Attitudes and Behaviors, or C.A.B., program. At the same time, Gateway Longview launches its Vendor Services program.
2005 Gateway Longview launches its Wrap Around program, with the addition of the Care Coordination program. At the same time, Gateway Longview’s Ed Block Courage House becomes a Respite Home.
2006 Gateway Longview moves its corporate headquarters from the Williamsville Campus into the City of Buffalo to better serve children and families.
2007 Gateway Longview opens the Family Resource Center at 347 East Ferry Street in Buffalo, New York.
2008 The organization breaks ground on a state-of-the-art Residential Treatment facility designed to house children placed in its Changing Attitudes and Behaviors (CAB) program.
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2009 Gateway Longview and the Lt. Col. Matt Urban Center partner together to construct a new apartment complex to mentor, support, and house teens and young adults who have aged out of foster care.
2010 Gateway Longview opens a state-of-the-art Residential Treatment facility to house children placed in its Changing Attitudes and Behaviors (CAB) program.
2011 The mission cut the ribbon on the new Michel T. Dwyer Cottage located on our Main Campus in Williamsville, New York. The dedication was made possible thanks to the generosity and support of Andrew B. Dwyer, the late Michael Dwyer’s son.
2012 Gateway Longview opens a new Behavioral Health Clinic to serve children and families in the community. The new behavioral health clinic began serving its first patients on Monday, Jan. 23. Additionally, the organization moved its corporate headquarters from 605 Niagara Street in Buffalo to 10 Symphony Circle, also located in Buffalo.
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2019 Gateway Longview celebrates launch of new community program: Child and Family Treatment Support Services.
Suggested Pages...
Services
Learn more about Gateway Longview's 18+ programs including education, residential treatment, behavioral, mental health, foster care and more!
Approach To Care
At Gateway Longview, we believe that a solution-focused, trauma-informed care approach has the ability to strengthen the knowledge, competencies, skill sets, and engagement as we work with individuals impacted by trauma. We ensure that all services are client driven with access to early screening and comprehensive assessments.