Westminster Economic Development Initiative

The Westminster Economic Development Initiative (WEDI) began as a mission of Westminster Presbyterian Church to improve the quality of life for the residents of Buffalo’s West Side, but became a separate 501(c)3 organization by 2007. WEDI is located on the West Side of Buffalo in order to better serve the community we focus on. Our mission is to offer "business and educational opportunity to the people of Buffalo's West Side" in hopes of achieving our vision for a vibrant, stable and inviting community. We also began the West Side Bazaar which is a small business incubator where you can find food and goods from around the world under one roof.

WEDI’s approach to implementing its mission currently includes the ENERGY after-school program and promoting economic development through programs in business development, mentoring, micro-loans, and the West Side Bazaar.

The West Side Bazaar is dedicated to offering our vendors a safe, nurturing, and affordable environment to grow their “grassroots” businesses. We are committed to offering our “partners” business coaching, financial mentoring, low interest loans, networking/marketing opportunities, and steady customer traffic

WEDI’s Small Business Development program offers assistance to both existing and potential small business owners in the area. Our services include mentoring, micro-financing and microenterprise incubation

Our micro loan program offers small, targeted loans for business creation or expansion in our target area that can directly result in increased income and wealth generation

The ENERGY afterschool program has is a robust place for children whose families are refugees and recently immigrated to this country, to develop English language skills, self confidence and cultural awareness.