Buffalo ReUse Blog » Activism

Vote for PUSH!

Kevin Hayes — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 13:50:38 +0000

Our friends at PUSH (People United for Sustainable Housing), the wonderful group developing a green zone on the West Side, are finalists in Changemakers competition for an award for sustainable urban housing. Go here to vote – you have to register first but it’s not a big deal:

www.changemakers.com/en-us/sustainableurbanhousing

PUSH’s project is the only one in the running (ten finalists) that’s not in the developing world. Ah, Buffalo – our little bit of the developing world, so close to home!

Medaille Leadership Discussion Next Wednesday March 30

admin — Sat, 26 Mar 2011 12:53:41 +0000

Next Wednesday, March 30, at 6pm, Buffalo ReUse will be part of a discussion at Medaille College about “Leadership in WNY”.

Some points of discussion:

What goals for community improvement do you and your organization(s) work to achieve? How do these help contribute to building a civic and sustainable future for Buffalo and the region?
Why do you work toward these goals? What is it about Buffalo’s history that makes these goals important? What is it about Buffalo’s history that makes these goals achievable?
What perceptions of (or stories about) Buffalo and the region can sometimes be obstacles or barriers to reaching these goals?
What opportunities and conditions exist to help you and your organization(s) realize these goals?
Why should students learn to “read” and “engage” in writing the story of their community? What can they do to contribute to the long, hard work of building civic and sustainable communities? In what ways is personal success only meaningful in the context of community?
What are the personal challenges and rewards of actively engaging in your community and working to make it a better place?

Medaille Website

From Our Friends at PUSH . . .

Buffalo ReUse Staff — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 21:34:43 +0000

The People's National Fuel Stakeholder Meeting

THURSDAY, MARCH 10TH @ 4PM

St. Paul's and St. Mark's UCC (Niagara and W. Huron)

National Fuel executive are on their way to Florida, where they will be making a plan to increase their profits while we are left out in the cold. But tomorrow the community will have a voice too! We'll be passing our own resolutions and delivering them to National Fuel!

Spread the word far and wide: Buffalo is tired of big corporations like National Fuel taking resources out of our communities and leaving families to make tough choices just to stay warm. Why is National Fuel CEO David Smith making $3,500 an hour while WNY families struggle to pay their bills? National Fuel needs to partner with this community because we have the solutions and we deserve better!

We'll be meeting on Niagara St then marching up to National Fuel to send a strong message that we can't afford to be left out in the cold any longer. When we show up in big numbers, people listen! We need you!

The People's National Fuel Stakeholder Meeting
Thursday, March 10th – 4pm
St. Paul's and St. Mark's UCC (corner of Niagara and W. Huron)

See you all tomorrow,
Your Friends at PUSH

P.S. Check out the National Fuel Accountability Coalition website for more info!

Save AmeriCorps — Help reach 100,000 signatures!

Buffalo ReUse Staff — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 15:22:40 +0000

At Buffalo ReUse, we've received tremendous help from our AmeriCorps workers over the years. Now, some in Congress want to completely defund our national service program.

Our own Amanda Alessandra, who did her AmeriCorps service in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, received this message and request for help from Change.org:

Help reach 100,000 signatures to save AmeriCorps

Dear Amanda,

In the dead of night on Saturday, a Tea Party-driven group of House members voted to kill AmeriCorps, completely eliminating all funding. With a potential government shutdown looming on March 4th, the fate of 85,000 AmeriCorp community organizers, teachers, and tutors will now be decided by the U.S. Senate.

After hearing the shocking news, former AmeriCorps volunteer Caleb Jonas decided he had to do something. From a coffee shop in Massachusetts, Caleb logged in to Change.org from his laptop and created a petition asking Congress to "Save AmeriCorps." Caleb’s inspiring action has already been signed by more than 90,000 Americans.

Thank you for adding your signature to Caleb's "Save AmeriCorps" petition. We're closing in on 100,000 signatures — a huge statement at this pivotal moment — and we need your urgent help to make this critical goal.

Please forward this email and ask friends and family to add their names to Caleb’s "Save AmeriCorps" petition and help him reach 100,000 signatures to the Senate ASAP.

Why does Caleb care so much about AmeriCorps? Because he spent a year improving the quality of tutoring programs for low-income kids in Minnesota — and witnessed AmeriCorps members build houses for Habitat for Humanity, help political refugees start new lives, improve reading test scores for elementary school students, and help disadvantaged high school students get into college.

As Caleb told us over the phone, it breaks his heart that this vital national service program could be shut down at a time when people in the most marginalized communities in America need it the most. That’s why Caleb was inspired to start his "Save AmeriCorps" petition — and why AmeriCorps supporters are sharing it on Facebook and forwarding messages like this to their friends around the country.

With AmeriCorps on the chopping block, it’s time for all of us to stand up for Caleb and thousands of other volunteers who have committed years of their lives to community service. Please forward this email to friends and family and ask them to join you in telling the Senate not to kill AmeriCorps:

http://www.change.org/petitions/save-americorps?alert_id=TdPLdiPsal_PKxVyTFVIG&me=aa

Thank you for joining Caleb and Change.org members across our country fighting to save AmeriCorps before it’s too late.

- Patrick and the Change.org team

P.S. A coalition of grassroots organizations are planning a "Save Service District Day" for this Friday, where supporters of AmeriCorps and National Service will visit local House and Senate offices to ask members of Congress to save funding for crucial service programs. Click here to get involved in actions near you:

http://www.saveservice.org/

Buffalo Green Code

Scott Kozak — Tue, 09 Nov 2010 15:41:31 +0000

Starting next Tuesday, November 16th there will be a series of three public meetings to inform city residents about the new zoning code that the City of Buffalo is going to create over the next couple years.

As stated from the Buffalo Green Code website;

The new Buffalo Green Code will be the first opportunity Buffalonians have had in nearly sixty years to establish a new regulatory framework for the development of our neighborhoods.

Zoning is the tool by which we build our communities. It determines what gets built and where. It’s essentially Buffalo’s DNA. The process to re-imagine the city’s future and write a code that matches the community’s vision will be an exciting opportunity for the people of Buffalo. As this process gets rolled out, over a period of three years of serious work, encouraged that all citizens in every section of the city participate and take an active role.

If you do not know what zoning is, the question and answer section of the green codes website does a decent job covering the topic. It definitely is a very important tool in creating and maintaining cities and is going to be a key part to Buffalo’s accrued success moving forward.

We have one of the most friendliest and enthusiastic cities out there and it shows as you walk up and down the streets of Buffalo, no matter what neighborhood you are in. So please come out and continue the support and give your input on our City’s own future. If you want something done you have to go out and do it. Things don’t happen on their own. So come out and have a say next week, there will be three different meetings that are held to provide Buffalonian’s an opportunity to have a say in our promising future we all have known this City is capable of.

Tuesday, November 16th, 7pm. Central Public Meeting

Buffalo Musuem of Science. 1020 Humboldt Parkway, Buffalo, NY, 14211

Wednesday, November 17th, 7pm. North Region Public Meeting

Bennett High School. 2885 Main Street, Buffalo Ny 14214

Thursday, November 18th, 7pm. South Region Public Meeting

Tosh Collins Community Center. 35 Cazenovia St. Buffalo NY 14210

Keep up with the Buffalo Green Code’s development by becoming a fan of their facebook page and signing up for the website’s newsletter. Issue #1 is already out. Follow this link to read more.

PUSH Takes Manhattan!

Buffalo ReUse Staff — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 14:28:42 +0000

From our good friends at PUSH:

Let’s Go Buffalo!

The countdown to Buffalo Takes Manhattan IV continues. Thousands of wings, Bocce’s pizza, a tailgate party with Labatts and Flying Bison, an array of Buffalo-themed prizes, and a great dance party to boot.

We know that the Bills are a better team than their record suggests. To give them the extra edge they need to win a game, we will ask Steve Mesler, Olympic Gold Medalist, to lead us in a moment of silence, during which we will focus all of our positive energy on our favorite team as they prepare to beat the Lions the following day and garner their first win.

Other reasons to be there include:

At 7:30 PM, right at the start of the party, we’ll screen two short films highlighting organizations, including PUSH, that are working to rebuild Buffalo’s historic neighborhoods and preserve its architectural treasures
Several of Buffalo’s leading artists will show work at the party.
A date with Steve Mesler, Buffalo’s Olympic Gold Medalist, will be auctioned off.
Bocce’s pizza will be in effect. What else do you need to know!

Buffalo Takes Manhattan IV!
Saturday, November 13th, 7:30 PM to 1 AM
A Tailgate Party in Times Square
330 W. 42nd Street, 33rd Floor
$25 online, $30 at the door, food included

A free drink to those dressed in Buffalo tailgate apparel

Get your tickets now at this link.

This Place Matters

Buffalo ReUse Staff — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 11:57:21 +0000

That’s right we compost, and so can you!

Brad Kujawski — Wed, 03 Nov 2010 04:09:54 +0000

Fall is here — leaves are flying and clear plastic bags full of them are piling up at the curbs. Some of those leaves have made their way to our compost piles, thanks to some happy volunteers raking in our neighborhood, and one of our crew members, Brandon, who filled his van full of bags and brought them for us to (re)use. Leaves are great fuel for the compost pile — they’re an excellent source of carbon (see below) to feed your compost pile, bin, or bucket. Having a compost pile reduces the amount of garbage you generate, and using the fallen leaves you rake helps take a bit of the burden off the street sweepers and garbage collectors, providing you with some “black gold” for your garden and good Karma for reusing your waste. Putting compost in your garden soil improves its structure and its ability to hold water, and also provides essential nutrients and beneficial micro-organisms to the soil and the plants you grow in it. Still not convinced that you should start your own compost pile? Wait until you see how easy it is…

Here is the new compost bin we setup at our garden to help us reuse our garden waste and the leaves we have been raking up. The container that you use for a compost setup can be just about anything, or nothing — 5 gallon buckets, straw bales, an old garbage bin with holes drilled in the sides (for air circulation), a circular frame of “chicken wire” (welded wire), or a simple, large, static pile right on the ground. In the picture, we used a forklift pallet and some reclaimed 2×4′s and slats to build a frame, and closed up the front with a bit of welded wire mesh. Every container may have a slightly different process to how you compost in it, but you’ll figure it out as you go. Compost is a great learning experience because of just that — there isn’t an absolutely “right” way to do it, but you learn ways to do it better as you go.

When choosing or building a container, important things to keep in mind are the amount of space you have to work in, the amount of materials you have to work with, air circulation, and where the container will go. If you have, for example, a small upper apartment, you might be better off going with an indoor worm bin or a Bokashi composter. Also, the 3-bucket compost system utilizes three small containers (like 5 gallon buckets) to quickly decompose small amounts of waste at a time in a small space — and it’s especially helpful in winter.

Compost is the product of nature’s decomposition process. You can make it scientific or simple. Bacteria, mold, and fungi break down waste with a little help from their friends — the worms. As they break down the materials, it consumes oxygen, carbon and nitrogen, creating heat and releasing water. Having a good balance of oxygen, moisture, carbon-rich and nitrogen-rich materials creates an ideal atmosphere for the beneficial bacteria and other decomposers hard at work making your compost. Learning how to get that balance is part of the experience. It’s not completely necessary (anything will break down over time), but it helps reduce odors, speeds up the process and makes a better product.

When you begin your pile, and while you build it, try to balance the kinds of ingredients you put into it by adding a layer of one when you add the other. If you put a layer of kitchen scraps in your bin (primarily “greens”), put a layer of leaves or shredded paper or wood chips (“browns”) to even it out. You can get very technical, but you don’t have to — it’s your compost pile. Compost 101 has a good article to reference for carbon-rich and nitrogen-rich materials. They have a very rigid, technical approach to balancing the carbon to nitrogen ratio (25:1 C:N) — which is a bit over-complicated for the beginner — but is helpful to think about. They also have some great tips to consider as well.

There are two types of ingredients for your compost: browns and greens (or carbon-rich and nitrogen-rich). Browns include: paper, ashes, cardboard, cornstalks, leaves, and wood chips. Greens include: grass clippings, garden waste, coffee grounds, vegetable scraps, and weeds. See the link above or google for a more complete list. AVOID Adding: meat scraps or bones, sawdust from treated woods, grease or fatty foods, domesticated animal feces, clippings from chemically treated lawns, etc. Think about what you add to your pile before you add it.

Aeration and moisture are the only other elements that you may have to provide, depending on how you establish your compost system and how you maintain it. If you purchase a bin composter, or build one from a old garbage can, you may need to turn it every now and then to give it some air. If you build a large static pile, you may only turn it over once or twice. If you add too much nitrogen-rich materials, you might end up with a wet, stinky mess — and too much carbon leaves your pile dry and cold. My suggestion is to keep it simple: start small and add a little bit of brown every time you add a little green, and experiment with different kinds of compost techniques to learn how the materials work. As your experience grows, so will your pile (and vise versa).

Salute to Women Veterans

Kevin Hayes — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 13:23:48 +0000

A neighborhood ensemble invites you to attend a performance honoring women veterans. Marisa Robinson, of Riley Street, and the SIBYLS THEATRICAL ENSEMBLE are devoted to the representation of women in a positive light. This year we would like to invite you, your family and friends to our production of WHITE, PINK AND BLUE: A HISTORICAL LOOK AT WOMEN’S ROLES IN AMERICA’S MILITARY. This production will be honoring women’s roles by using historical documents and personal experiences. The production is a form of vignettes demonstrating the allegiance; personal determination and expressing the courage and forthrightness demonstrated by these individuals. This production gives an overview of women’s place in the fight for freedom, equality and justice to be called true American Heroes.

NOVEMBER 7, 13, and 14, 2010
3:00PM to 5:00PM
TICKETS
ADULTS $15.00
SENIORS AND STUDENTS $12.00
CHILDREN 4 – 12 $10.00
(VETERANS ARE FREE)

1412 MAIN STREET
BUFFALO, NEW YORK 14208
For ticket information contact Marisa 935-7859 or Sandra 882-3715

Teen Volunteers

Caesandra Seawell — Tue, 05 Oct 2010 14:40:51 +0000

Did you know that many of Buffalo Public Schools require students to do community service before graduation? Unfortunately, there is not a set policy or a set number or hours required across the board, so it’s important for parents, students and teachers to discuss the benefits of community service at home and in the classroom. You can ask your child’s teacher, “Do you engage my child in any service learning?” Over the summer we saw a lot of students but it has tapered off a little now that the school year has resumed.

TEENS LISTEN UP! At ReUse, we want students to know that whether or not your parents or your school requires you to volunteer you should find an organization or project that interests you now and begin volunteering. Yes, you may learn about team work and leadership from participating in sports, but there are lots of other things to learn too (I was horrible at sports). If you volunteer at ReUse you learn very practical things–like how to use tools and how to organize projects and groups. You learn creative problem solving and planning. You see how your attention and involvement make a difference in the neighborhood and the environment. Some projects are FUN, like harvesting strawberries or painting and some are just part of our chores, like raking, denailing lumber or measuring doors for customers. No matter what we’re doing, we want you to learn that hard work can still be enjoyable.

The other big reason to volunteer is so that you build relationships. After just a few volunteer sessions you have more people (besides your teachers or parents) who can speak positively about your work ethic, talents, skills, enthusiasm and self discipline. You may be a horrible math student, but that doesn’t mean you aren’t good at other things. When you volunteer you interact with other adults and people who can recommend you for employment, scholarships or other opportunities. Plus, sometimes you might meet experts in fields that interest you, like Architecture, Urban Planning or Photography and they can mentor you. Besides that, you might actually make new friends too.

Please click on this link or the photo to see other young people volunteering.

PARENTS LISTEN UP! From our perspective, volunteering is a very important value to instill in every child because volunteering teaches awareness, responsibility, leadership and citizenship. I don’t think they are hokey concepts. When you stop and think about what kind of human being you want to raise–independent, considerate, generous, reliable etc know that those traits can be developed through volunteerism. ReUse offers all kinds of meaningful projects to engage you and your child. Please have a conversation with your child about volunteering. In the spring and summer months we definitely have a lot more opportunities for children under 14, but we still expect for parents to join their younger kids.

Please click on the link to hear one parent’s perspective on bringing his child to ReUse this summer.

Right now the weather is changing over. Most of our projects are outdoors and we work even in very cold conditions. It’s very important for students and parents to make plans to volunteer now while there are still lots of projects to do during the tolerable weather. Please don’t wait until Christmas Break because we will be minimally staffed as well.

Please contact Danielle about volunteering at volunteer {at} buffaloreuse(.)org and visit our volunteer page for more details