The Matt Urban Center is kicking off the holiday season by announcing a fundraising campaign for its critical human services programs that will run through December 31, 2021.
As the holiday season approaches, our thoughts go to the warmth and comfort of being home with our loved ones at this special time of year. For many, home means a warm, secure place with a strong roof and sealed windows and doors. It is a place where there is nutritious food for the whole family, where children are learning and thriving, and where elders have what they need to feel safe and comfortable as they age. Home is where we have dignity. Creating this sense dignity is key to the mission of the Matt Urban Center.
Located in the Broadway Fillmore neighborhood on Buffalo’s East Side, the Matt Urban Center has been providing human services programs to the community for 45 years, including housing repair and weatherization programs, youth afterschool programs, services for senior citizens, a homeless outreach team, permanent supportive housing, emergency rental assistance, food pantries and a soup kitchen called the Urban Diner. Through each of these programs, the Matt Urban Center strives to create a sense of home for individuals, families and the larger Broadway Fillmore community.
“At the Matt Urban Center, we take great pride in helping some of the most vulnerable members of our community obtain something that many of us take for granted: safe and reliable shelter,” said Ben Hilligas, Executive Director. “Across all of our programs, however, we take this idea many steps further. We do not simply provide housing. We provide support, case management, food, clothing, personal care items and community. At the Matt Urban Center, we provide resources, but together with our clients, collaboratively, we create home. We are very excited to spend the next eight weeks sharing the stories of our many amazing departments and we hope, if you are in a position to do so, you make the decision to donate to support our mission of providing all the warmth, security and comfort of home to our clients and community.”
The Home for the Holidays campaign will highlight the Matt Urban Center’s programs’ impact on social media, sharing their 2021 accomplishments and how to support the work of each program and the clients it serves. There will also be in-kind donation drives to support the Matt Urban Hope Center’s annual Thanksgiving and Christmas meals, and to collect warm clothing, non-perishable items, and personal essentials to help clients get through the winter months.
The campaign will also feature two signature fundraising events. The “Santas of Swig” homebrewing competition will take place on Saturday, December 4, 2021 from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. at Buffalo Iron Works. Guests will have the chance to
sample over 20 different beers and cast their vote for the winner. The event also features basket raffles and a toy collection for youth in the Matt Urban Center’s programs. The second event, “Cookies for a Cause” will take place on Saturday, December 11, 2021 from 2:00 to 6:00 p.m. at Flying Bison Brewery. Buffalo’s home bakers will team up to bake off thousands of cookies for this annual cookie exchange. Supporters can pre-order online or stop by the event to pick up a mixed pack of cookies for their family or for gift giving. A home delivery option will be available for an additional donation. All proceeds from both events support the Matt Urban Center’s programs.
Those interested in making a donation to the Home for the Holidays campaign to support the Matt Urban Center’s programs can visit www.urbanctr.org/donate. This page also has links to ticketing for the Santas of Swig event and a cookie order form for Cookies for a Cause. For more information on the Matt Urban Center and this campaign, please contact Ben Hilligas, Executive Director, at bhilligas@urbanctr.org or (716) 893-7222 x325.
