• Continue the community/volunteer programs in which we are already involved (e.g., Ride for Roswell, Linda Yalem Run);
• Have more opportunities to meet other UB staff and faculty;
• Expand the opportunities to volunteer to places or organizations where capable UB volunteers are really needed – sometimes in our own backyard.

Animal Care

Mission:
The mission of the SPCA is to create a caring and kind community that encourages fair and humane treatment of all creatures. This is accomplished through: proactive measures in the community, education, rescue and shelter of animals in need and placement of animals into appropriate homes.

Individual Opportunities:
If you are able to make a firm commitment at the same time and day weekly, for a few hours at a time, then the SPCA can use you to walk dogs, help in their rehab and surgery areas, work on the Whisker Wagon or help at the Petique Gift Shop. Call Kimberly above to make arrangements. In addition, they have a new “Leash on Life” program which allows someone to house certain animals waiting to be adopted that cannot survive in the shelter environment. Go to their website to check it out if you are interested.

Group Opportunities:
The SPCA welcomes large groups like UB to assist with their big fundraiser, Paws in the Park, which is usually every September. In addition, they welcome assistance with their Radiothon which usually happens in the beginning of December. We will notify you when these opportunities arise. If you would like to be a team captain, please contact Wellness & Work/Life Balance at HR-Worklifebalance.buffalo.edu or call us at 645-5347. 

Children with Serious Illnesses

Mission:
Dedicated to improving the quality of life for children, adults and families whose lives have been touched by cancer and other life threatening challenges.

Individual Opportunities:
There are several different types of volunteer opportunities available for individuals including becoming a camp counselor to kids with cancer. This basically entails attending local events to provide assistance (sporting events, concerts, etc.). Counselors can choose to volunteer locally and/or at "Big" Camp on Keuka Lake. There are also opportunities to help with some of their fundraisers. Every volunteer who decides to work directly with the children must attend a forty minute training program prior to becoming a volunteer. If we are able to get more than five people to attend a training session, we can do it at UB. We have a couple events that are coming up in which we need counselors:

Group Opportunities:
There are a number of opportunities for CORE members to participate in as volunteers throughout the year.  We will notify CORE members of opportunities as they become available. If you would like to be a team captain, please contact Wellness & Work/Life Balance at HR-Worklifebalance.buffalo.edu or call us at 645-5347.

Environmental Stewardship

Mission:
Dedicated to the preservation and restoration of the Buffalo and Niagara watersheds. RIVERKEEPER partners with community organizations, government, business representatives, and preservationists to improve access to ecologically diverse and healthy waterways.

Individual Opportunities:
Want to become an EcoTour guide? If you have a desire to share your love for Buffalo’s unique environmental heritage, we need you! Buffalo Niagara Riverkeeper is partnering with Buffalo Tours, and Roycroft Campus Corporation for docent training. Trainees have a chance to increase their knowledge of Buffalo’s architectural and waterfront history, develop public speaking and tour guiding skills, and take field trips to historical places around Buffalo.

Once training is complete, EcoTour guides will lead paddling tours around Strawberry Island and Cayuga Creek, hiking tours at the Niagara Gorge, biking tours along the Niagara River as well as other programs with Buffalo Audubon. Trainings run from February 14th until March 7th on Saturday mornings from 9:30am to 12:30pm. A one time fee of $75 covers the cost of docent training materials and meeting space. Scholarships are available for those who need economic assistance. To register, please call 716-852-3300 or send an email to info@BuffaloTours.org

Group Opportunities:
We routinely participate in the Fall and Spring Shoreline Sweeps.   Please contact Wellness & Work/Life Balance at HR-Worklifebalance@buffalo.edu or call us at 645-5347 if you would like to participate and/or be a Team Leader/Site Coordinator.

Mission:
Buffalo ReUSE, Inc. is committed to creating an economic and community development program through the practice of green demolition and building materials reuse that provides quality job and educational opportunities for young adults and low-income residents.

Individual Opportunities:
Volunteers can participate in numerous activities including field services (deconstruction, salvage and material pick-ups), special projects and activities such as reusable materials art exhibitions and recycling programs as well as a community tool lending library, fundraising, and special events. Volunteers are welcome to show up at the ReSource, 298 Northampton Street in Buffalo, every Saturday after 9:00 am.

Also, if you have talent in the following areas: marketing, web design, accounting/finance, graphic design, fundraising or photography, please contact Caesandra Seawell at 885-4131 or email volunteer@buffaloreuse.org to discuss unique individual opportunities for volunteering. Just identify yourself as a UB volunteer.

Group Opportunities:
We will be asked to participate in various activities as they occur throughout the year. They might ask us to help with their community gardens and pocket parks, to participate in a tree planting event or "street blitz" or one of a thousand projects with which they are involved. We will contact the entire CORE as these opportunities arise for those who are interested.

Homelessness

Mission:
Heighten public understanding of homelessness and poverty issues…to provide basic and essential support services to the homeless. This organization “continues to help the hungry and homeless of Western New York”. They provide a hot meal to several hundred people in the Buffalo area every night.

Individual Opportunities: 
There are some individual opportunities, but they generally schedule groups of 8-10 people from organizations to help on every day of the year. Also, in the winter, they are desperate for old coats, blankets, and winter wear (gloves, mittens, hats, etc.) to distribute to those living on the streets.  These can be dropped off at any time. 

Group Opportunities: 
The University at Buffalo has reserved November 30, 2009 to help prepare, serve and clean-up after the meal. The time commitment would be from about 4 pm to 7:30 pm. Participants should carpool as arranged by the Team Captain. We need 10-12 participants for each date. If you are interested in volunteering or being a Team Captain, contact Wellness & Work/Life Balance at HR-Worklifebalance@buffalo.edu or call us at 645-5347.

Individual Opportunities:
If you are able to make a firm commitment at the same time and day weekly for a three to four hour span, the City Mission and Cornerstone Manor welcomes your individual volunteer contribution at their downtown locations. In addition, The Mission has thrift stores that always need help with sorting and hanging donated clothes. The Buffalo City Mission Thrift store has two locations: one is located at 2303 Union Road in West Seneca. The other store is located at 510 Dick Road, Depew, New York, located in the Dick-Urban Plaza. Please contact Peggy Johnson if you are interested in any of these individual activities.

Group Opportunities:
The Mission has various group needs that come up throughout the year. We could be asked to do an outside clean-up in the spring and fall, sort their pantry, do an indoor cleaning activity or provide other miscellaneous services. In addition, if someone is interested in being a Team Captain, groups of 10-12 people can organize to assist as a group at the thrift stores. Wellness and Work/Life Balance will contact CORE members when opportunities arise. To volunteer to be a Team Captain, please contact Wellness & Work/Life Balance at HR-Worklifebalance@buffalo.edu or call us at 645-5347.

Literacy

Mission:
Read to Succeed Buffalo is a coalition of over fifty local organizations dedicated to improving literacy in the city of Buffalo. They work with the community to develop and implement solutions that address the literacy needs of people across the entire age span including general literacy, as well as financial, computer, health, and workforce literacy.

Individual Opportunities:
There are numerous opportunities to assist people throughout the WNY area with their reading and writing skills. Go to www.readtosucceedbuffalo.org and click on The Coalition to see a list of about fifty coalition members spread through the WNY community. Complete the volunteer application forms and then call one of these groups directly to find out how you can help. In addition, if you have professional expertise in marketing, web creation and maintenance or research expertise that you would like to donate to Read to Succeed, call 645-5357 to be put in contact with the organization.

Group Opportunities:
We will keep you updated about any opportunities.

Revitalization of Buffalo/WNY

Mission:
Brush Up Buffalo is a not-for-profit organization whose primary mission is the revitalization of Buffalo, NY neighborhoods. Brush Up Buffalo organizes an annual, one-day event that brings together sponsors, donors of goods and services, and teams of community-minded volunteers to paint the exteriors of low-income, City of Buffalo homeowner's homes

Individual Opportunities: N/A

Group Opportunities:
We will notify CORE members of opportunities as they become available. If you would like to be a team captain, please contact Wellness & Work/Life Balance at HR-Worklifebalance.buffalo.edu or call us at 645-5347.

Mission:
Habitat works with low-income families toward the goal of safe, clean and affordable home ownership by renovating existing houses or building new houses and selling them to the new owners at no profit with payment to Habitat Buffalo through a zero interest mortgage.

Individual Opportunities:
In addition to needed help at construction sites, Habitat can always use help in the office doing various administrative tasks or working on committees. ReStore, their retail outlet (located at 501 Amherst Street between Elmwood and Grant) that sells new and gently used goods to benefit Habitat, can use help stocking, pricing, merchandising and assisting customers from Wednesday thru Saturday from 9 am to 4 pm and Sunday from 12 to 4 pm. Construction sites are active on Tuesdays thru Thursdays from 9 am to 3 pm and Saturday from 9 am to 3 pm. On the third Saturday at each month, there is an introductory training course to provide volunteers with information about projects. Please call the Habitat office at 204-0740 to schedule volunteering opportunities.

Group Opportunities:
On occasion, we shall ask the members of CORE if they are available to work at a site as a group. To volunteer to be a Team Captain, please contact Wellness & Work/Life Balance at HR-Worklifebalance@buffalo.edu or call us at 645-5347



* Denotes a SEFA/United Way Agency