"Women and Homelessness" -- Buffalo Poverty Research Workshop II to be Held March 4

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- The University at Buffalo invites scholars and community agencies to participate in Buffalo Poverty Research Workshop II: Women & Homelessness, to be held March 4 from 1-5 p.m. in the St. Stanislaus Church Social Center, 389 Peckham St., Buffalo.

"This free public program is designed to enhance collaborations between community groups and scholars, particularly in relation to issues of poverty focusing on women and homelessness," says Laura Mangan, coordinator of the UB 2020 Civic Engagement and Public Policy Initiative, one of the principle sponsors of the event.

Onsite parking is available and refreshments will be served. Pre-registration is requested by March 1 by e-mailing Megan Connelly or calling 716-852-4191 ext. 110. Details are available at http://ub2020.buffalo.edu/civic and http://www.ppgbuffalo.org.

The workshop will feature a keynote address by Maureen Hayes, senior research associate, National Center for Family Homelessness, who will present findings of a multi-year study on long-term outcomes for mothers and families who enter shelters, transitional housing programs and permanent supportive housing programs in Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse and Albany, N.Y.

Responses to Hayes' talk will be offered by Kevin Blair, PhD, professor of sociology, Niagara University; William O'Connell, HUD Region II Community Planning and Development director and former executive director of the Homeless Alliance of Western New York; and Karen Carman, director of the Matt Urban HOPE Center.

Additional presentations will be made by Ellen Grant, former Erie County Commissioner of Mental Health and a member of the advisory board; Monique Watts, director of development, WNY Women's Fund; Kathleen Granchelli, CEO, YWCA Niagara; Lauren Breen, director, Community Development Clinic; Suzanne Tomkins, clinical professor and director of The Women, Children and Social Justice Clinic, UB Law School; Teresa Miller, associate professor, UB Law School, who will address homelessness among women ex-offenders; Jessica Walker, director, Community Health Worker Network of Buffalo; and substance-abuse counselor Kenneth Gaston of GROUP Ministries Inc.

The presentations will be followed by a one-hour networking fair with tables staffed by community organizations and opportunities for faculty and students to meet with community groups to discuss research needs and possible collaborations.

"In addition to fostering community-academic connections," says Sam Magavern, clinical professor, UB Law School, and co-director of the Partnership for the Public Good "we want to make it easier for faculty and graduate student scholars to connect with each other across disciplines and institutions.

"If a participant is not currently engaged in community-based research but is interested in learning more about it," he says, "we encourage them to attend the workshop as there will be a number of informative presentations and networking opportunities."

The workshop is sponsored by the UB 2020 Civic Engagement and Public Policy Initiative, in partnership with the Homeless Alliance of Western New York, National Center for Family Homelessness, Partnership for the Public Good and Western New York Service Learning Coalition. It is co-sponsored by the UB Gender Institute and the WNY Women's Fund.