Buffalo ReUse extends congratulations to Devin Crowle who won a scholarship from UB School of Management – sponsored by Target – for her volunteer experience with Buffalo ReUse. Devin spent over 60 hours with us as Marketing Intern. Devin was an integral part of the success ReUse had at the Buffalo Home & Garden Show and also at our most recent Earth Day E-Waste Recycling Day!! Thank you Devin!

An all you can eat pancake extravaganza to benefit the Growing Green Urban Youth Farm!

Saturday April 9th, 2011
at Trinity Church – 371 Delaware Avenue, Buffalo NY

Just pick a time -
8:30 am
10 am
and
11:30 am

and follow this link to purchase tickets-
Link to MAP website

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!

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

Our friend Aminah Johnson at PUSH passes this along:

A Unique Shopping Experience

Not The West Side Bazaar, but like it

Open Thursday through Saturday 11:00 AM- 6:00 PM

• Delectable desserts and appetizers from Pure Peru
• Baskets and other unique Sudanese gifts from Rmah Market
• Incense and teas from the Middle East
• Handmade handbags from Sagarmatha of Nepal
• Jewelry, silk scarves, and home décor items from Thailand, Namibia, Rwanda and South Africa
• Handmade craft jewelry from Ivory Coast and Tunisia
• Warm blankets and special furniture from around the world
• Gorgeous clothing and hand printed fabrics from Liberia
• Artisan-made jewelry, accessories and specialty clothing from the West Side of Buffalo

Treat yourself and meet merchants from many different countries who are starting their businesses at the Bazaar.

Bonnie Smith
Economic Development Director
Westminster Economic Development Initiative
bsmith {at} wedibuffalo(.)org

PEEPSHOW 2011 IS TONIGHT!

Spend Saturday night helping out an amazing Buffalo organization – Squeaky Wheel.

Eat, Drink, Dance, ART, ARTISTS and great Architecture.

Saturday February 26

8PM

DNIPRO Center 562 Genesee St.

Tickets at Sweet_ness 7.

for more info squeaky.org.

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/

The Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo (CFGB) will award three $3,000 grants for student-initiated environmental projects for Western New York. If you're a Facebook user, go to this link and vote early and often:

GROWWNY’s Facebook Contest Site