These events allow students to become active in downtown Buffalo by extending a hand toward volunteer or support-based housing organizations. Homes that Community Action Corps have worked with in the past include: Compass House, Kevin Guesthouse, Little Portion Friary, Benedict House, Altamont Program, and Ronald McDonald House. One way that students can learn about these organizations and actively donate their time toward the community is by cooking dinner for the residents who are living at the home. This also provides the members of CAC with an opportunity to talk to those living there, to better understand the economic, social, or medical situations of the residents.

              - Compass House: Compass House is a safe-house for runaway and homeless                  adolescents. This organization relies greatly on volunteers and interns to support their                  mission: the creation of a safe and supportive environment where runaway youth can                  voluntarily come to seek food and shelter in hard times. The environment of Compass                  House is designed so that homeless youth can make constructive decisions about their                  lives. There are many volunteer opportunities here for students who are interested.

                 For more information on any volunteer or internship opportunities, contact                  Michelle Moore at 716-886-1351 or michellemoore@roadrunner.com.

             - Kevin Guesthouse: Kevin Guesthouse is a "hospital hospitality house" that supports                  the patients and families of those undergoing long-term hospitalization or out-patient                  treatment in the Western New York community and area hospitals. The home offers a                  more affordable alternative for individuals who cannot afford to live in a hotel for the                  weeks or months that he or she might be receiving medical care at a local hospital. This                  is especially important for patients and their families who are not from Buffalo and travel                  many miles to seek the medical services of Roswell Park or surrounding hospitals.

             - Little Portion Friary: Little Portion Friary is a homeless shelter and                  volunteer-based ministry committed to providing food and shelter to 26 homeless                  individuals (18 men and 8 women). Individuals at the shelter are referred there by                  police, mental health agencies, substance abuse treatment/rehabilitation centers, and                  hospitals and could use a source of positive encouragement that comes with energetic                  university students. Little Portion Friary is a non-profit organization run entirely by                  unpaid staff and receives no aid from the government. The shelter operates entirely on                  donations, not only of time, but also of money, household necessities, and clothing.

                 The next CAC event at Little Portion Friary is on Sunday, November 8th from 3:00-                 6:30pm. Email Sarah at sjventre@buffalo.edu if you are interested in volunteering.

             - Benedict House:Benedict House is non-profit, supportive housing program for                  persons eighteen years of age or older, living with AIDS. The organization provides                  non-discriminatory residential shelter and supportive services for HIV/AIDS individuals                  in an environment that encourages pride and self-respect in the face of a debilitating and                  life-changing disease. CAC has taken an active role in this community by taking the                  residents out to their choice of restaurant. In the past, this event has been equally                  beneficial to both residents of Benedict House and students from CAC by generating                  conservations that teach you something about life than cannot be learned in a                  classroom.

             - Altamont Program/Transitional Housing Program: The Altamont                  Program provides emergency and transitional housing for 34 men. The agency provides                  a complete program with case management, referral to treatment, and assistance with                  finding permanent housing.

             - Ronald McDonald House: Ronald McDonald House is a non-profit, global                  organization with local roots in downtown Buffalo. It provides housing for children and                  their families who are undergoing medical treatment in Buffalo and are in need of a safe,                  friendly, and family-oriented place to stay. For nearly 35 years, Ronald McDonald                  House Charities (RMHC) has been creating, finding and supporting programs that                  directly improve the health and well being of nearly 3.7 million children worldwide every                  year, and much of this work relies on donations and help from volunteers.