Niagara Area Habitat for Humanity receives John R. Oishei Foundation grant

The John R. Oishei Foundation has funded a $100,000 grant payable over three years to Niagara Area Habitat for Humanity. The grant will support the “Building Capacity to Strengthen Our Impact” initiative. It will be used to partially fund two AmeriCorps members and a part-time bookkeeper for three years.

Currently, Niagara Area Habitat for Humanity’s staff consists of two full-time administrative positions and an AmeriCorps member.

“We are delighted to support Niagara Area Habitat for Humanity's plan to become more established and to enhance its capacity to serve more residents,” stated Robert D. Gioia, president of The John R. Oishei Foundation. He continued, “By providing more opportunities for homeownership, we can continue to strengthen the overall community and provide a strong foundation for more Niagara County families."

Executive Director of Niagara Area Habitat for Humanity Gina Beam said, “We are incredibly grateful to The John R. Oishei Foundation for funding this strategic initiative. It will help us build capacity so that Niagara Area Habitat can strengthen the foundation of its work in Niagara County and Niagara Falls. Thus, helping more families attain affordable housing and stability.”

Niagara Area Habitat for Humanity has been part of Niagara County’s history for 27 years. From humble beginnings in 1993, it consisted of a small, but strong core group of dedicated volunteers. It hired its first full-time employee in 2018 and has grown to a full-time staff of three. During these 27 years, the organization has built 29 homes for local families – helping more than 66 children grow up in a safe and affordable home and returning almost $1 million in tax revenue back to the local community. The homes are located in Niagara Falls and North Tonawanda, each one creating more than $70,000 in positive impact to the respective cities while providing strength, stability, self-reliance and shelter for numerous families and the neighborhoods they live in.