Lois Gibbs Fellowship Kicks Off!

Lois Gibbs visited Buffalo Tuesday, January11th to kick off CAC’s fellowship named in her honor. The Lois Gibbs Fellowship is an innovative program that will empower 15 Western New York residents to advocate for a healthy and just environment. The fifteen fellows; Ronata Pokrasky, Joy Africano, Marika Woods-Frankenstein, Bonnie Lawrence, Megan MillsHoffman, Jordan Dalton, Robert Albini, Christopher Romano, Robert Moses, Anthony Orta, Toni Hajdaj, Katy Brown, Debbie Scott, Thomas Lowe and Judith Anderson, all spoke to Gibbs about her experience organizing her home town. Throughout the evening, Gibbs stressed the importance of building relationships and positive messages.

“This is a great opportunity for me,” said fellow Thomas Lowe. “I have grown up learning about Love Canal and the wonderful work that Lois Gibbs has done and I am truly honored to be a part of a fellowship named after such an effective environmental activist. Growing up in the Niagara Falls area, where Ms. Gibbs started her journey, makes this fellowship even more special.”

The fellowship, sponsored by the Community Foundation of Greater Buffalo, consists of a ten month program where fellows will learn and practice skills necessary to organize around environmental justice issues.

Fellow Renata Pokrasky agrees, “I hope to acquire the skills needed to help bring about change in my community. People need to work together in their neighborhood to gain the support of their elected officials in a joint effort to improve the quality of life in their community. We all need to work to make those goals happen.”