Canisius Helps Board Up Woodlawn
Here’s an entry from Nicole Bzibziak about volunteering with us in boarding up the vacant house that 
Karen Chiodo and Rachel Lyons classes from BAVPA adopted during the Neighborhood Peace Mural Project. This was from Saturday, April 12th, but we got so caught up with our subsequent projects, we hadn’t had a chance to document it for the blog–Thanks Nicole!
(click on the photos for more images)
I was excited to wake up the day of the board-up on Woodlawn Ave. It was my first experience as a volunteer with Buffalo ReUse and I had heard so many positive things from others; I knew it was going to be a great day. My fellow classmates joined in as part of MBA Jesuit Care Day to help. At first, I felt a little out of my element with a crow bar in-hand instead of my usual notebook and financial calculator for class but I was able to dive right into tearing off the drab gray boards that were covering the house. A group of us chose a window and began the process of making this vacant house look like a piece of art. Once those drab gray boards were free our team worked to cut one mural panel just enough so it would fit over the window we were working on. One by one, we took turns climbing the ladder and nailing the board secure. Climbing the ladder was so fun and provided a great view for shorter people like me! This was a little challenging for me as it had been a while since I used a hammer and nails. After hitting my thumb a few times I became quite good at getting the nails in. When we completed the first window our excitement heightened and we scurried to the next. Our efficient modus operandi was also due to the cold weather setting in and we wanted to keep our fingers warm. It was great to see the house take on a new look and it definitely caught the attention of passers by. When we 
finished I still had so much energy. Our group had done so much but I felt like I had more. I’m sure there will be other opportunities soon! It was an experience I shared with everyone I came into contact that weekend and urge people to cruise by and see the students’ artwork.
We continue to look for houses near the schools that painted the mural panels; if you can help identify property owners interested in letting us secure their vacant house, please contact us at 716-885-4131
vidabison Said,
May 17, 2008 @ 1:33 pm
Applause for making Buffalo better.
I have to point out that on houses that have, “open floors” spray painted on the outside is a warning to Buffalo Firefighters of dangerous conditions inside these houses during fire searches. I hope that this art project did not cover over any of these warnings.
Caesandra Seawell Said,
May 18, 2008 @ 12:49 pm
Thanks, yes you’re right and we are conscientious about the warnings the firefighters need. The 2 houses we have boarded up have not been marked like that, but we informed the city that we would remark the houses as indicated (just not over the murals). Our hope is that we can find “rehab” houses for the board ups so that the students’ work will last longer. Also, we invited the fire department to assist with board ups. So far, that has not happened, but we have our fingers crossed as we would like to secure upper floors as well. It will cost us quite a bit to rent the necessary equipment to install the panels on second stories.