Grant supports capital campaign for new Main Street Vive Shelter
BUFFALO, NY (May 1, 2023) – Jericho Road Vive Shelter is pleased to announce that it was awarded a $400,000 grant by the John R. Oishei Foundation. The Oishei Foundation grant to A Path to Hope: The Campaign For Jericho Road Vive Shelter supports Jericho Road in its effort to raise $6 million for the new Main Street location.
“We are so grateful for the generous support of the Oishei Foundation,” says Magdalena Nichols, Chief Operating Officer, Jericho Road Community Health Center. “The need for shelters like the Scott Bieler Foundation Vive Shelter continues to grow with greater numbers of asylum-seekers arriving in our state this year and many more expected in the coming months.”
Vive Shelter is the largest shelter in the United States for asylum-seekers. Funding the capital campaign will allow the shelter to continue its long-standing history of providing safe refuge for those fleeing persecution and other desperate conditions from across the world. The new 1500 Main Street property will undergo renovations to create a more efficient infrastructure to meet the need for a more conducive and trauma-informed space for those served by Vive.
Vive’s residents are a mix of individuals and families passing through on their way to Canada (short-term residents) and those who wish to make an asylum claim in the United States (long-term residents). Vive also serves immigrant survivors of human trafficking and immigrant survivors of intimate partner violence.
“Jericho Road Vive has consistently demonstrated their commitment and expertise in supporting immigrant communities and asylees who have overcome unimaginable challenges to arrive here,” said Lawrence H. Cook II, Senior Vice President for Programs at the Oishei Foundation. “The Oishei Foundation is proud to support the Jericho Road Vive Shelter and its new location on Main Street that will better serve asylum-seekers from all over the world.”
“We are incredibly grateful for those who have invested in this project. The impact is remarkable and tangible as we change the trajectory of the lives of those who seek asylum in our city, town, and community,” said Scott Bieler, campaign co-chairperson.
About Jericho Road:
Jericho RoadCommunity Health Center provides wholistic healthcare for the underserved and marginalized communities in Buffalo and across the world in order to demonstrate the unconditional love of Jesus. Our vision is for Buffalo to become a city with abundantopportunity for the underservedand marginalized to be healthy,educated, and whole. Vive was founded in 1984 by members of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious of the Catholic Diocese of Buffalo, NY. In 2015, Vive was acquired by Jericho Road and is now one of Jericho Road’s community programs.
About the John R. Oishei Foundation
The John R. Oishei Foundation is one of the most comprehensive private foundations in Western New York focusing on a broad range of interrelated issues and offering philanthropic support that goes far beyond funding. Our mission is to enhance the economic vitality and quality of life for the Buffalo Niagara region through grantmaking, leadership, and network building. The Foundation was established in 1940 by John R. Oishei, founder of Trico Products Corporation.