“Massage therapy techniques help to improve muscle tone and circulation and promote overall wellness, stress management and rehabilitation,” said Susan Sullivan, LMT, Trocaire’s massage therapy program director. “Our clinic is an opportunity for students to continue to practice the learned techniques in a real-world clinical setting as they work toward completing their program and preparing for their licensure exam.”

The Trocaire student massage therapy clinic runs through May 14 on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1 – 5 p.m. A 60-minute massage is $40 for the public. A paraffin hand dip can also be added for $5. Appointments are required and can be scheduled by calling 716-827-2518.

Ģ����ý’s massage therapy programs include a 10-month certificate offering and a two-year associate in applied science degree. Each program combines lectures, laboratory experiences and clinical rotations at facilities throughout the region for a comprehensive understanding of both Eastern and Western massage therapy techniques. Graduates of both programs are eligible to sit for the New York State board licensure exam. For information on Trocaire’s massage therapy programs, visit .

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“After having various discussions with local Catholic education stakeholders, it became clear that Catholic schools, particularly at the elementary level, are facing a pressing challenge to meet the needs of an increasingly diverse student population and their families,” said Dr. Bassam Deeb, president, Ģ����ý. “As an opportunity college, we understand that sometimes our students need wrap around and support services to help them thrive along their academic pathway. This collaborative initiative will bring that support to the elementary level, to ensure students and families have earlier access to needed resources.”

Ģ����ý will lead this pilot program with the goal of supporting a thriving, cohesive, and enduring Catholic education system in the region. The initiative will provide services that align with the cultural, linguistic, and economic realities of individual communities and offer support in crisis response, grief, housing instability, mental health navigation, and more. In addition, the project will look to connect students and families with appropriate resources and seek the input of existing, successful family support centers in the local public-school sectors.

“This partnership strengthens our ability to meet students and families where they are,” said Joleen Dimitroff, superintendent of Catholic elementary schools. “We are deeply grateful to the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation for its investment and to Ģ����ý for its leadership in expanding access to critical supports that help every child flourish academically, emotionally, and spiritually within our Catholic schools.”

The Mother Cabrini Health Foundation, one of the largest foundations in the United States and the largest foundation focused exclusively on healthcare across New York State, provides grants to improve the health and wellbeing of vulnerable New Yorkers, bolster the health outcomes of diverse communities, eliminate barriers to care, and bridge gaps in health services.

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Spring 2021 Efforts Result in $1,740 Impact in Local Community

April is National Volunteer Month, and Trocaire is marking the occasion by highlighting some of the recent good work by the college’s Mercy Action Project (MAP).

What is MAP?

Service is in Trocaire’s very DNA as a college founded by the Sisters of Mercy. As part of Trocaire’s commitment to its Mercy heritage and the impact service makes in the community, every student must participate in MAP before graduation.

This co-curricular learning experience provides local service opportunities that integrate Trocaire’s mission while connecting that service to a student’s career path. The purpose of MAP is to promote a campus culture committed to personal enrichment and service in the spirit of the Sisters.

Spring 2021 MAP students had the opportunity to serve in a group project supporting (JFS).

Immigrant and Refugee Resettlement Project

One of the ways JFS assists the local refugee, immigrant and asylum-seeking population is by welcoming them to their new homes and providing household necessities to get them started. This spring, MAP students—with help from the generosity of the Trocaire community—collected 20 baskets of household goods to help that effort, which will be placed in houses awaiting their new refugee and immigrant residents.

MAP students raised more than $1,000 worth of basket items, in addition to $500 in gift cards that will allow JFS Resettlement Project families to purchase items needed to settle into their homes themselves.

Catherine McAuley, foundress of the Sisters of Mercy, would be proud as our students committed to working in the name of one of the Sisters’ Critical Concerns, Immigration,” said Colleen Steffen, coordinator of community-based learning at Trocaire. “These baskets give dignity to those needing it most by helping them to set up their home with blankets, comfort items, cleaning supplies and emergency items as they begin new lives.

COVID-19 Relief Fund

MAP students also supported JFS’ COVID-19 relief fund by selling 48 succulents in one week, resulting in $240. These funds will go to benefit the three groups JFS has identified as suffering most as a result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic: children, families and senior citizens.

COVID-19 has definitely shifted the way service and volunteering looks in our world,” said Steffen. “Despite this adjustment, our Spring 2021 MAP students have stepped up and made a difference. We each have the power to carry the Mercy legacy forward, and I am proud to see our students make this impact in our community.

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This month, they are coordinating an art supply drive for the .

The Seneca Street CDC’s mission reads: “The SSCDC partners with our neighbors in the Seneca Babcock community to provide a supportive environment to overcome educational, social and economic barriers. We provide opportunities for the entire community to acquire skills that build resiliency and self-reliance, enhancing the quality of life and potential for current and future generations in neighborhood.”

Interested in contributing? Drop off items in the boxes around the Choate campus, or donate using the project’s . The drive will continue through Oct. 30.

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One of the best parts about working at Ģ����ý is the ability to connect and engage with our Buffalo and Western New York communities. Whether it’s as a faculty or staff member, working here is the chance to be part of an institution that possesses a mission that truly encourages participation such as volunteerism, civic engagement, and other means of engaging and interacting with members of our community. This environment is influenced by our founders the , their , and because of their influence and the college’s heritage, it’s truly a great place to work.

As we are always looking for amazing people to join our college community, if you are interested in job opportunities with the college, !

How I’m Involved- National Federation for Just Communities of WNY (NFJCWNY)

One of the ways I am active in my community is as a Board of Directors member of the (NFJCWNY). All of the organization’s programs promote understanding and respect among people of all races, religions, and cultures through advocacy, conflict resolution, and education. In accomplishing our work, we seek first to raise awareness and then to educate and empower our youth, as well as emerging and community leaders to become agents of change in transforming our society. To accomplish our goals requires the dedication of the organization’s hard working staff, my fellow board members, and volunteers, as well as the support of individuals, corporations, and foundations. We actively open dialogue in the community others may be hesitant to discuss in safe, respectful forums. This work is meaningful and crucial given today’s divisive political and social climates.

The NFJCW recently and it was a wonderful opportunity to hear a bit about his personal and professional journey, and how he has made an impact within higher education and our community. Individuals are awarded this citation based in part to their devotion to the spirit of human relations. In addition to Dr. Deeb, this year’s honorees were: Pamela Jacobs Vogt (Community Leader), Gary P. Hall (WTS, Inc.), and Dr. Sol Messinger (Community Leader). Each are inspirational leaders and it was a wonderful celebration of their contributions to our community. Ģ����ý was honored to be included in the festivities!

I’m very proud of my board membership and of the activities and events of the NFJCWNY. They are truly working towards greater understanding within our community, and the work they do could not be any more important than it is today. If you’d like to learn more about them, make sure to check out their website or on and !

What it all Means to Me

When I began my work at Ģ����ý, I had no idea how the five critical concerns of the Sisters of Mercy would affect me so deeply. Getting to know the mission and values of Trocaire and seeing them in action every day on the job while working with staff, faculty, and students, I recognize now that I identify with and care deeply about those critical concerns and feel passionate about making sure that I weave them into my everyday life and work. That’s why I’m involved with organizations like the NFJCWNY and that’s why I’m proud that my college community encourages my active participation.

Working toward greater good in Buffalo and Western New York makes me happy and makes me feel as though I am putting my skills and education to good use, making a positive impact and a difference in my community. Working at Trocaire allows me to do that and so much more. I am working somewhere that changes people’s lives. That is because our students choose their individual career-oriented path here, and through hard work and perseverance they go on to change the trajectory of their lives and that of the members of their families, many of them going on to have one-on-one contact in the healthcare professions, taking care of our citizens and making their own unique positive impact on our community and the world.

Coming to work every day is challenging, rewarding, and a wonderful way to make an impact and I’m glad to be a part of this very unique college community.

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Community relations and community outreach refers to the various methods used to establish and maintain mutually beneficial relationships with the community and Trocaire’s most important stakeholders.

Part of that work ensures that Trocaire is well represented and that our college community makes positive contributions to the community we are a part of. We can’t accomplish that unless we head out into Western New York and meet with and talk to people and organizations to learn about them and identify where there may be opportunity to connect and collaborate.

Recently, Trocaire’s Director, Marketing and Public Relations made contact with several amazing Western New York nonprofit organizations that are doing incredibly important work within the community. In fact, many of their missions and visions align well with the of Trocaire’s founders and thus, you can see a Mercy spirit alive and well within many areas of Buffalo Niagara.

Here are a few of the organizations she got to know better. Check them out to learn more about the ways they contribute to our community and make sure to contact them if you are interested in learning more!

– aims to increase access to and the utilization of preconception, prenatal, perinatal and postpartum health care services within vulnerable populations to enable improved birth outcomes.

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Raises awareness, develops systems and provides advocacy that improves engagement and outcomes with
restorative solutions for offenders, victims and community.

works to integrate foreign born Western New Yorkers through a diverse array of support services including those within the healthcare sector.

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