The Turn Around

James Giles is no stranger to the streets. After using drugs and alcohol on and off for 20 years he found himself in prison on his 44 birthday at the Elmira correctional facility. To this day he maintains his innocence of the specific crime he was sentenced for, never the less recalls Giles, “I was involved in things at the time that deserved jail.” Giles, now nearly 60 years old says he recalls a great epiphany that occurred to him while doing time in prison. “While there I came to myself and had a great
epiphany that the Lord wanted me to go back and heal the community where I had done so much damage. So I purposed in my heart and did not sway from it when I got out of jail one year after being admitted.” It was during the time in jail that Giles gave up drinking, drugging, stealing, cheating, lying, and all that goes along with life on the streets.

Fast forwarding 15 years, Giles has since founded a not-for-profit organization called Back to Basics, an inner city organization dedicated to serving the community through helping troubled youth deal with anger, drug and alcohol addictions, court advocacy programs, rehabilitation programs, supportive living programs, and youth intervention programs to name a few. Giles who serves as CEO is following the vision of helping to heal the community that he once unknowingly was destroying. Those close to
Giles compare him to a present day Father Baker with his humility and faithfulness to carry out the plan to revitalize the community he once destroyed.Giles and his team have had incredible success bringing together the faith community with the education system,business  government, non-religious not-for-profits,legal, public service organizations and the community to work together towards making Buffalo a better and safer community. Partners of Back to Basics include Stop the Violence Coalition, Buffalo Urban League, the Buffalo Bills, New Mount Ararat Temple of Prayer, the University of Buffalo and Bryant and Stratton College among others.Back to Basics celebrated their 14 Annual Awards Banquet this past September.Guests attending the banquet included everyone from Mayor Byron Brown, N.Y.S.
Senator Antoine M. Thompson, to former drug addicts coming successfully through the Back to Basics program. Chris DelPrince, who serves as Chairman of the Board of Directors for Back to Basics said, “Whoever was on the streets that no one would take, Pastor Giles would take them in and help them and turn their lives around.” From the time the program started in the basement of New Mount Ararat Temple of Prayer back in 1995 when they were serving about 20 people per week to now as one of the leading agencies serving over 150 families per week, 32 homeless individuals in its Supportive Living Program and feeding 125 families per week. Back to Basics has also worked to find 300 men and women jobs in the city as well. According to Back to Basics records over the past 14 years, over 9,000 people have been served and benefited from the efforts of their work in the city. Giles and his team of 25 staff members don’t intend on stopping any time soon. Back to Basics 2 is already underway in Florida and Giles says his work in Buffalo isn’t finished, as a matter of fact it’s just getting started. With their new facility on Williams Street accommodating the growth of the ministry, Giles says, “This is the blessings of God coming down on us.”