Women’s Respite: monetary donation supports sabbaticals at Stella Niagara for women raising their grandchildren, women with autistic children, and women with breast cancer. We have additionally provided fruit, biscotti, and other items for these sabbaticals, and participated in their fundraisers, for example running 50/50, providing baskets and a money tree, etc. The goal is to support women who might otherwise not have a respite from their daily life burdens and provide renewal and support.
Teach and Restore Youth: a group home for young women taken off the street, and given a supportive living situation. We provide a yearly donation that helps supports the program, and additionally birthday gift bags, Christmas gifts, outings to places as the Albright Knox, Buffalo Zoo, and Niagara Falls. Until recently we provided regular mentoring time with the girls at the home with hands-on various activities. One fun activity was creating blankets and other items for donation to sick kids at Children’s Hospital.
SANES (Sexual Assault Nurse Exam) is part of the Victims Advocacy Program through Crisis Services. We have provided a yearly monetary donation which goes for incidentals as phones, changing of locks, etc. We collect garments, underwear, and toiletries (Comfort bags) so victims of assault may return home from the hospital with dignity. One particular event was the immediate support by Buffalo Zontians to a woman who had been assaulted, and needed a new mattress and box spring, as she could not sleep in her own bed. This was taken care of in 48 hours.
Crossroads Springs Africa: A Secondary School Scholarship is provided to a student in Kenya, who otherwise would not be able to afford the tuition and boarding fee required.
Immaculata Home: A monetary donation is provided to women recently incarcerated and victims of abuse, to begin to put their lives together through group living in a 12 step program. Hands-on support has been given in the past during the United Way Day of Caring, assistance with structural issues at the home ( put in a shower and vanity), provided dinner out, furniture and linens, Christmas gifts and gift cards, and supported their fundraising efforts.
Stitch Buffalo: A monetary donation supports the integration of refugee women, in the Buffalo area. This program provides embroidery skills, social and language support, and a source of income for women newly settled in Buffalo. Additional support has been the donation of items as sewing machines, cloth, beads, thread, etc. We recently created a “win/win” situation with the women of Stitch Buffalo when we commissioned the sewing of our 100th-anniversary conference bags.
Theatre of Youth: A theatrical experience is provided to children from School 18. A mostly immigrant, and poorer population, these children may be exposed to the arts for the first time through this event.
Heifer International: a monetary donation of spare change purchases a gift of chickens, sheep, geese, bees and the like for a woman across the globe to provide food and income for her family. Animal husbandry is usually taught simultaneously, and the recipient shares the gift of animal offspring with her village.
Kiva Loans: a microloan program for women across the globe. This allows women to start and grow their businesses which help support their families, provide food, and foster independence.
Birthing kits: we have provided supplies for the creation of birthing kits, and hand on the assembly of the kits. The goal is to provide impoverished women and their midwives, birthing items such as a blade, lace, plastic drape, glove, and gauze to provide a clean environment in which to give birth.
International Institute: a Buffalo program that helps provide for the integration of refugees to the Buffalo area, and assists individuals who have been victims of human trafficking. In addition to monetary donations, we have provided household items as rice cookers, kitchenware, school supplies, first aid kits, cleaning supplies, bus tokens to aid in transportation to classes at the International Institute. Most recently a large monetary donation was made to help with housing for victims of human trafficking and in the recent past, we provided a donation that helped create a book used to teach homebound women with children the English language.
Kevin’s Guest House: Donation of hot chocolate, coffee, and tea to families living temporarily in the Buffalo area while a family member receives treatment for cancer.
Family Justice Center: A center for victims of domestic abuse located in Buffalo, and satellite areas in the local suburbs. We have posted informational posters in public areas to provide anonymous information to possible victims, helped create educational cards listing the signs of abuse and numbers to call, and are looking forward to providing other joint advocacy and service projects.