4th annual Poverty Conference explores social change

The Niagara County Coalition for Services to the Homeless, along with Buffalo/Niagara Falls and Erie/Niagara Counties Continuum of Care, and Niagara University, will host the fourth annual Poverty Conference on Friday, March 4, featuring keynote speaker Paul Hogan, executive vice president of The John R. Oishei Foundation.

Hogan's presentation will address how notions of achieving social change have shifted dramatically over the past decade, and how that has led to a fundamental impact on how philanthropy works.

"I'll be bringing it back down to earth in highlighting some new methods, new ways of engaging both communities and ourselves, and new understandings of the roles of the public and private sectors," Hogan said. "I also plan to spend some time on 'hybrids' - both social enterprise or benefit corporations, as well as 'venture philanthropy' and mission investing and the like."

This year's conference, "Agents of Social Change: Community Engagement," will take place from 8:15 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Niagara Falls Housing Authority Doris W. Jones Family Resource Building. It features additional speakers and presentations, including John Klein-Geltink of Operation Sharing of Ontario, the Playback Theatre of Buffalo Inc., and chef Bobby Anderson of the F-Bites program. The conference will also feature a number of breakout sessions and advocacy/action breaks throughout the day.