Buffalo, NY (WBEN) The Tuesday after Thanksgiving is known as Giving Tuesday, an opportunity for people to take time from holiday shopping to help non-profits. One in particular is the Buffalo City Mission, benefiting from WBEN's Mission Give Where You Live.
New City Mission CEO Mark Jentsch says Giving Tuesday is really a special day. "We at the City Mission, give service and provide help to those in crisis in our neighborhood, and we need, we need the gifts and the blessings of the city of good neighbors and our friends in order to help us to do that," says Jentsch.
He says it's going to get busier this winter at the City Mission. "We now are also the designated Code Blue destination for the City of Buffalo, so we provide warming shelters, overnight accommodations and extra meals for the folks who need our help through Code Blue," says Jentsch. He says the mission is more than meals. "We also provide medical services, mental health services, spiritual care, transitional housing and training for people to be successful as they transition towards a future life of hope and dignity that's independent. And so the gifts that we receive are help us to be able to provide those services in love to our neighbors."
Jentsch says donations of any kind are needed. "We have both a men's shelter and a women and women and children shelter and so literally, depending on the week, our needs may change in terms of food, clothing, services to provide to people. So financial donations provide us with the flexibility to best accommodate the guests who we serve, but we also love to have clothing and and food," says Jentsch. WBEN is helping the City Mission with Mission Give Where You Live, where you can make winter clothing and non-perishable food donations at any Dash's location.
Jentsch says there's a greater impact from people when they come to the Mission in person. "It can really be life changing for people to better understand what we do. And it really is inspirational when we do have people here for tours and to volunteer," says Jentsch.
To volunteer, go to www.buffalocitymission.org or call 716-854-8181,