Some of you already know we are participating in WNY AMERICORPS’ ‘A DAY ON, NOT A DAY OFF’ for community service, January 19, 2009.

For our part, Buffalo ReUse and PUSH Buffalo are collaborating to board up 6 vacant houses on Buffalo’s west side!

Last January over 30 local schools painted 4×8 panels with images of peace to cover the windows/doors of blighted vacant houses.  Now we have the opportunity to secure some properties that PUSH Buffalo is going to rehab for low income families while the funding and work is done over the next few years.

Join us in making the city a little brighter and a little safer! If you can use a hammer or a measuring tape–great–if you can’t–we’ll teach you!

The board up team will assemble at the first house, 397 Massachusetts Ave at 9am on Monday; the other properties are nearby.  We believe we’ll be finished by 3:30pm.  There is no age minimum or maximum–assist in any way you are able.
We’ll need folks to help clear debris around the houses using rakes, shovels and trash bags.  We’ll need folks to measure window and door openings, remove some of the gray panels and trim down the painted panels, then hammer on the murals.
We’ll need an MC (Master of Cocoa) or two to man the cocoa kettle and distribute mugs of warmth and marshmallows.

Please dress warm and in layers!  If you have the following, please bring them for yourselves, work gloves, safety goggles, a hat/hardhat, measuring tape, hammer and a smile.  We will have a small supply of pry bars, hammers, nails, measuring tapes, hard hats, ladders, rakes and shovels, but if you have extra, please bring them.  We have access to 2 circular saws, but one more would be great.  If someone has another generator and a pickup truck, that would also be really helpful for transporting the panels to the houses.
Other ways to assist: baked goods, sammiches, packets of cocoa, cider or other hot liquids or bottled water, sleeves of cups or mugs . . . and MARSHMALLOWS!
Photogs are always welcome!!!
Trust me, it will be fun, action-packed day and you will meet lots of great folks.  If you doubt me, then by all means bring us some great folks–like your mamala, your bff or that pirate you saw on CraigsList!

ReUse folks will be loading the panels and tools into our box truck Saturday around 4pm if you want to stop in and help with that. The panels are currently stored at 298 Northampton St.

We’ve boarded up 4 houses in 2008 with the murals.  The following links will take you to photos of volunteers boarding up Woodlawn and Breckenridge.

Here is an article we wrote about the students painting the murals and it has links to many of their teachers’ photos of the students painting.  The Neighborhood Peace Mural Project was a way for us to engage students in caring for their city/neighborhoods and combat the blight that they see on a daily basis when headed to school.  It was a way to open guided dialogues and lessons about peace, community and active citizenship during Black History Month.  We held an exhibition at Karpeles featuring some of the murals as well and the murals have been displayed during several public events and festivals.
If you have questions, please email volunteer {at} buffaloreuse(.)org
We’d love to help groups facilitate more events like this; the best way to learn, is to just show up!  See you soon.