Syracuse, N.Y. ― Clifford Ryan on Wednesday afternoon sifted through the rubble of what was his home, hoping to salvage some items left after a fire badly damaged the home Monday night.
He pulled out a few soaked coloring books that he created to teach local kids about gun violence and safety. He looked at a sketch of him and a group of children holding toy guns. He recalled that day and smiled with pride, happy to be able to save the coloring book.
Ryan, 59, an anti-violence activist in Syracuse, lost nearly everything when his home at 133 Bradford St. was badly damaged by a fire on Halloween night. He wasn’t home but rushed back the next day when a friend told him his home was on fire.
“It was a total shock,” Ryan said. “I was hurt, distraught; just seeing the home ripped my heart out.”
Family, friends and strangers are rallying to help Ryan get back on his feet. A GoFundMe drive started a day ago has raised more than $18,000.
People also are stopping by the Magnarelli Community Center where Ryan works as an activities director to drop off things to help him.
“It’s uplifting, and I’m really thankful and grateful that the community rallied to help me because I didn’t know what I was going to do,” said Ryan, who didn’t have renter’s insurance.
Clifford Ryan holds one of his signs that proclaim, “O.G's against violence.” He says leaders need to be role models for the behavior they want: “You can't meet aggression with aggression.”2016 file photo/Dennis Nett
Ryan is the founder and vice chair of OGs Against Violence, a group he created to try to reduce violence in the Syracuse community. He has walked the streets, since 2015 advocating against violence, trying often to reach out to kids.
Ryan personally understands the pain caused by gun violence. His oldest son was killed in 1999 at the age of 17. He had another son incarcerated on a gun-related conviction for much of his life.
He adopted the phrase “OGs against violence” for his efforts and later his group. OGs stands for original gangsters, but Ryan has said he is not a “gangster.” He has said he is just an “older gentleman.”
Ryan was visiting a friend Monday night when his home caught fire. His phone died while he was away, so he didn’t know about the fire until the next morning when he saw a friend texted him about it.
He immediately took an Uber home, hoping on the way over it wasn’t true only to discover it was.
From the front of the house, it seems as though there was minimal damage caused by the fire, but the inside of the home, as well as the back end of the home, was a total loss.
But Ryan said he teared up when he first saw the condition of the home.
Furniture, appliances, TVs, rugs, clothes, hats, his grandchildren’s toys, his daughter’s belongings and Ryan’s shoes, a part of his beloved sneaker collection, were burned.
Ryan says the fire started in the kitchen and that a deep fryer was plugged into the wall and filled with grease when it caught fire.
Ryan’s daughter and four grandchildren, who lived in the home with him, were also not home when the fire began. They are staying with their grandmother.
Fire and smoke damaged to the interior of the home at 133 Bradford St. The home caught fire Monday, Oct. 31, 2022 in Syracuse. (Darian Stevenson | dstevenson@syracuse.com)
On Wednesday, Ryan worked inside the house to try to find things he could save.
Ash and water littered the floor of the home. TVs were melted, the walls and furniture were burned black, and the smell of smoke wafted in the air.
He lost nearly all his clothes and personal possessions.
Gone also were the photos and bracelets from his son’s memorial. Storyboards depicting the history of OGs against violence he created were also destroyed.
“I wanted to document the movement for historical purposes and those boards had sentimental value,” Ryan said. He planned to one day frame them and hang them on the wall to showcase how the nonprofit grew over time.
Here and there he would find things he could save.
OGs Against Violence t-shirts, bags, and signs that he would hold up while walking and speaking against violence suffered little damage.
He was able to salvage a portion of his many certificates, awards and accolades given for his work with the nonprofit and a few of the soaked coloring books he created to teach children about gun safety.
“The coloring book tells stories of real incidents that happened in the community, but they are told in a way that teaches children how to stay away from guns,” Ryan said.
Ryan talked with a smile about the sketch of him and the children he found in one of the coloring books.
He said he was walking down a street holding an OG’s Against Violence sign when he saw a group of kids playing a game of ‘drive-by.’ The game included two opposing sides who were using their toy guns to shoot at one another.
Ryan said he approached them, telling them why it was dangerous to simulate gun violence, even if it was just a game.
He said he took out money and told the kids he wanted to buy their guns. He told them to use the money to buy footballs and basketballs instead.
“The next day I walked by the park and those kids were outside playing with the footballs and basketballs,” Ryan said. “I made an impact, I touched lives.”
Ryan said that’s why he is happy he was able to save the coloring books. It’s also why he plans to go back to work tomorrow.
Ryan said he got his crying out of the way and that he wants to begin the process of rebuilding his life and continue advocating to stop violence in Syracuse.
“I asked myself, ‘What are you going to do?” Ryan said. “Throw in the towel or pick up the pieces and keep moving.”
Staff writer Darian Stevenson covers breaking news, crime and public safety. Have a tip, a story idea, a question or a comment? You can reach her at dstevenson@syracuse.com