Daemen College : Academics & Research : Centers & Initiatives : Center for Sustainable Communities and Civic Engagement : Fruit Belt Partnership

The Daemen College- Fruit Belt Partnership

• Daemen College Reynoldfs Center
• Friendly Fruit Belt Block Club
• Fruit Belt United, Inc. 501C3
• Locust Street Art
• St. John Baptist Church
• Teen Challenge
• UB Eastside Neighborhood Transformation Partnership

In the spring of 2004, Daemen was invited to serve on the St. John Fruit Belt Community Development Corporation Development Team. The Team, lead by Rev. Michael Chapman of St. John Baptist Church on the East Side of Buffalo, works collaboratively to synchronize development efforts in this neighborhood for long-term stability.

As part of the College’s commitment to improving the lives and well-being of the individuals in the community, Daemen College Academic Vice President, Edwin Clausen committed to contributing resources—students, faculty, and expertise, to benefit the education of low-income youth in this community. This commitment to education is written in a shared memorandum of intent, adopted by the CDC in June of 2004.

In July of 2005, Daemen College, together with the UB Economic Development Clinic, Teen Challenge and the Locust Street Art School, received a $35,000 grant from Home Depot for Fruit Belt United, Inc. These funds, in addition to support from M & T Bank, Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, The Christopher Breen Foundation, Hodgson Russ Attorneys LLP, and students and teachers at PS #37 Future's Academy, have been used to match a grant by KaBOOM! , a national non-profit organization that provides resources and assists volunteers in building playgrounds in low-income neighborhoods. Special thanks to their principal, Mrs. Conrad, a teacher, Mrs. Morris and their school clerk, After the students donated their pennies they wrote their names on tickets for prizes. We were very fortunate to get prize donations from Buffalo Bills, Buffalo Sabres, Canisius College Bookstore and Daemen College Bookstore. Building Day for the playground was Friday, July 8, 2005, at 161 Mulberry Street in Buffalo.

In early 2006, Daemen College was awarded a Special Project grant of $327,360 through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. A signification portion of the grant will fund renovation costs for a collaborative partnership between Daemen’s Center for Sustainable Communities and Civic Engagement, The Reynolds Center for Special Education and After-School Programs at Daemen College, The St. John Baptist Church, and Roswell Park Early Childhood Center. The collaboration is housed in the Reverend Dr. Bennett W. Smith Sr. Family Life Center, located at 833 Michigan Avenue. This fall 2006, after-school programs are taking place on Fridays from 2:30-5:30 p.m. The program serves families with children in grades K-8. The after-school program includes fitness (stretching, drill, tennis, TaeBo, and dance), arts with the working with the Locust Street Neighborhood Art Classes, and field trips. Sabrina Graham is supervising the after-school programs for youth. For more information, contact Sharon Benz, Internships & Special Projects Coordinator at sbenz@daemen.edu.

Pictures from Fruit Belt Playground Building Day: Friday July 8, 2005

Playground site at Mulberry Street before building. 

KaBOOM!, Inc. leader and volunteers from Home Depot and the community gather to begin building.

The new playground at the end of the day.

Children's drawings decorating the fence of the new playground.