In honor of a historic and unprecedented $1 million gift from the Paul A. Saffrin Foundation in 2016, Daemen University proudly renamed its Center for Sustainable Communities and Civic Engagement (CSCCE) the Paul A. Saffrin Center for Sustainability and Civic Engagement. The endowed gift advances the Center’s mission to build inspirational academic-community partnerships that address community-identified needs and create new and purposeful civic engagement opportunities for students, faculty, and staff. In line with our mission, we pursue opportunities to engage with individuals and organizations in underserved and marginalized communities across Western New York and beyond, in order to effect meaningful change.
In the coming decade, Daemen will endeavor to grow the Center’s highly successful efforts in building a more sustainable and inclusive world and will provide targeted educational programming and events for the campus and larger community to address issues of economic and environmental sustainability, and social justice.
The Center believes that when campus and community work together toward mutual goals, we create positive change. The Center is supported by funding from the University and various agencies, foundations, and corporations.
Our Mission
We build academic-community partnerships that inspire students and faculty members to address community-identified needs, thereby creating a more just, inclusive, and sustainable world.
Our Values
Creating academic-community partnerships that mutually benefit Daemen University and the Western New York community that:
- Advance civic engagement
- Build community capacity and resources
- Support trauma-informed collaboration
- Foster belonging and inclusion
For more information, please contact:
Elizabeth R. Wright, J.D., M.S.W., Associate Vice President for Academic Relations, ewright2@daemen.edu, DS 226, 716-839-8442
Susan M. Marchione, M.S., Ed.D., Associate Vice President for Program Development, smarchio@daemen.edu, DS 226, 716-839-8447
History
The former CSCCE was established in the fall of 2001 through a grant of $600,000 from the John R. Oishei Foundation. Annual and ongoing events sponsored by the CSCCE, and more recently, the Center, have included the Environmental Summit, WNY Earth Day at the Buffalo Zoo, free income tax preparation through VITA, health fairs and refugee panels, and literacy and summer camps for youth in marginalized neighborhoods. Through the years, other funders have included the Providence Fund, Erie County Youth Bureau, Key Bank, M&T Bank Charitable Foundation, The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Bettina Weary Trust, Josephine Goodyear Foundation, Fannie Mae, Children’s Foundation of Buffalo & Erie County, the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo, First Niagara Foundation, and Buffalo Renaissance Foundation.