Our vision for GYSD 2010 includes weatherization (including volunteer training in weatherization) and community garden projects in the three low-income communities in the City of Buffalo where we have partnerships: Seneca Babcock, The Fruit Belt, and the West Side. In Fall 2008, Susan Marchione and Cheryl Bird, faculty member Brenda Young, and the WNY Apollo Alliance organized a Community Weatherization Project where 30 student volunteers brought energy conservation techniques and education to low-income homeowners in Buffalo. In April 2009, Cheryl Bird successfully organized a community garden project in Seneca Babcock. Ms. Bird procured nearly $10,000 from LUSH Fresh Homemade Cosmetics, the Baird Foundation, and a YSA Disney Minnie Grant and engaged local representatives in the press conference. These projects successfully engaged youth volunteers--both those in the community and Daemen students--and were very well received, and there is still much work to be done. In the West Side neighborhood of the City of Buffalo, we will partner with the Massachusetts Avenue Project, where CSCCE staff member Sharon Benz is a Board Member. The projects will ultimately be determined by the planning committee and neighborhood subcommittees. Each year Daemen holds a community-wide environmental summit; this year the 5th Annual Summit is scheduled for the last week of September, 2009. Students, faculty, government representatives, and representatives from environmental organizations attend the annual summit. This summit will provide an opportunity for us to announce the GYSD grant and project, develop relationships with prospective sponsors and collaborators, and identify prospective planning team members. We anticipate using the planning grant toward fliers, advertisements, and planning meetings. We will seek out sponsorships for volunteer t-shirts, refreshments and lunch, and supplies for the volunteer activities.Contact Danielle Woodman Kehoe, Director, Office of Academic Grants at dwoodman@daemen.edu / 7168398483 Media Contact: Mike Andrei mandrei@daemen.edu 716-839-8472

Location