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August 3, 2005
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Media Contact: |
Mike Andrei
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Daemen College Awarded $2000 from the Buffalo Renaissance Foundation for Summer Reading Camp for West Side Youth
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Daemen College has been awarded $2,000 from The Buffalo Renaissance Foundation to assist low-income youth on the West Side who are participating in a summer reading camp. The Center for Sustainable Communities at Daemen College, the Thomas J. Reynolds Center for Special Education and After-School Programs at Daemen College, and the Massachusetts Avenue Project are collaborating on the project.
During the month of August, the reading camp will be offered to 50 students who are identified as struggling with serious reading difficulties. The camp will meet every Monday and Wednesday morning during the month. The Center for Sustainable Communities will provide 15 volunteers at the reading camp each day, in coordination with the neighborhood. The Reynolds Center will supply graduate students to serve as the lead teachers for each class, and will also supply books and materials. The Massachusetts Avenue Project, at 382 Massachusetts Avenue, is providing the space for the summer reading camp. A celebratory graduation ceremony and carnival for all of the participating students, their families, and volunteers will take place on Wednesday, August 24th starting at 11:30 a.m. at 382 Massachusetts Avenue. The youth will be provided durable backpacks and school supplies, funded through the Buffalo Renaissance Foundation grant, as a reward for their completion of the camp and in preparation for the school year. According to the 2000 census report, 50% of households on the West Side reported an income of less than $20,000. "The need for this reading camp is so great in this diverse community, where many families are struggling to make ends meet and do not have the resources to provide extra programs during the summer months," states Cheryl Bird, Executive Director of the Center for Sustainable Communities and Civic Engagement. "These new backpacks and supplies are a gift for the children, and they will instill pride and excitement in them as they begin the new school year." The Daemen College-West Side Partnership is a project of the Center for Sustainable Communities & Civic Engagement . By offering direct services and collaborating with community agencies, the Daemen College-West Side Partnership aims to address educational, economic, and environmental problems impeding the development and vitality of this neighborhood and the success of its youth. The Center for Sustainable Communities & Civic Engagement and its projects have been made possible through The John R. Oishei Foundation, The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), KeyBank USA, The Providence Fund, The Junior League of Buffalo, Computers for Children, Inc., The New York Campus Compact, The Bettina Weary Trust, and The Josephine Goodyear Foundation. The Buffalo Renaissance Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to Building a Better Buffalo. Since 1981, the foundation has worked to foster a better quality of life in Buffalo and the Western New York region, through active support of public, educational, charitable and benevolent organizations and activities. This is the second grant the Buffalo Renaissance Foundation has awarded to Daemen to support educational projects for low-income youth in the City of Buffalo. |