Buffalo, NY – Today, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, a member of the Environment and Public Works Committee, congratulated the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo (CFGB) for winning the 2012 Environmental Quality Award. The organization, which Senator Gillibrand nominated this past February, is set to receive the Environmental Protection Agency’s prestigious honor for their commitment and significant contributions to greening New York State.
“I congratulate the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo for their dedication to securing a cleaner New York,” Senator Gillibrand said. “By fostering collaboration among more than one hundred environmental groups in an effort to improve the region’s quality of life, and by eliminating lead poisoning risks for at-risk children through the Green and Healthy Homes Initiative, this foundation has helped lead the way towards a green energy future for Western New York.”
“On behalf of the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo, I thank Senator Gillibrand for nominating the Foundation for this great honor,” said Cara Matteliano, Vice President for Program at the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo. “In accepting this award I would like to recognize and thank the many Foundation donors who make our work possible by giving generously to support efforts to preserve and restore our region’s environment, as well as the organizations that make up the Western New York Environmental Alliance.”
The CFGB has been a champion for environmental initiatives and organizations throughout Western New York, coordinating a network of more than 100 environmental organizations in an effort to execute a regional agenda for the environment, including the elimination of lead poisoning risks for hundreds of at-risk children through the partnership’s green and healthy homes initiative. CFGB also launched GrowWNY.org, a website that is designed to connect regional environmental experts and organizations with the general public, and created the Western New York Environmental Alliance (WNYEA), a collaborative group aimed to rally those working toward a greener Western New York. The Foundation’s support has strengthened local environmental organizations to build their capacity, as well as create and strengthen partnerships.
Awards, which recognize individuals and organizations that have improved the environment and public health in EPA Region 2 (New York, New Jersey, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and seven federally-recognized Indian Nations), will be formally presented to New York organizations in a ceremony on Friday, April 27th at the EPA Regional Headquarters in New York City.