The Daily Bulletin Archive

Members of the Buffalo State Alumni Association will participate in a community-wide volunteer event, Brush Up Buffalo, on Saturday, September 10. We are currently seeking members to join our team.

Brush Up Buffalo is a not-for-profit organization whose primary mission is the revitalization of Buffalo 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 homeowners' homes.

Each year, Brush Up Buffalo selects a Buffalo neighborhood for the one-day event. Between 500 and 1,000 volunteers from businesses, unions, community groups, and city and county government form teams and  work with members of the Painter's District Council 4 to paint an average of 15 to 20 homes—all in one day, and at no cost to the homeowners.

The most obvious result is the beautification of Buffalo homes each year, but there are other benefits to Brush Up Buffalo that are less obvious but every bit as significant to the short- and long-term health of the Western New York community at large:

• Volunteers, sponsors, and donors are given the opportunity to help homeowners who take pride in their homes but, for one reason or another, just need a little help.
• Volunteers gain access to residential areas that they might not otherwise have the opportunity to appreciate for their contributions to the quality of life: traditional, pedestrian neighborhoods that are rooted in historical significance, surrounded by historical landmarks, and steeped in cultural diversity.
• Volunteers, homeowners, sponsors, and donors collaborate in the creation of an event that enhances community pride and the health and value of city neighborhoods.
• Helping others feels really good, and painting with friends (old and new) is actually a lot of fun. There's a party afterward, and it's a great way to spend a Saturday in September!

Our team name is Buffalo State Alumni. Register here.