Help Make your Community Lead Safe
Lead poisoning is 100% preventable, and the Lead Safe Task Force is open to everyone. Join the Lead Safe Task Force to lend your voice to raising awareness and eliminating lead poisoning for our most vulnerable citizens. Please contact Cara Matteliano, Senior Director, Policy and Strategic Partnerships at the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo at caram@cfgb.org or Anna Falicov at anna@buffaloleadsafe.org to learn how to get involved.
About The Lead Safe Task Force
The Buffalo and Erie County Lead Safe Task Force seeks to amplify the voices of parents with young children, increase the volume of grassroots engagement, and engage a broad array of stakeholders in making Buffalo lead-safe. Join parents, caregivers, nonprofit organizations, as well as faith-, neighborhood-, and community-based groups that serve families with young children who may be affected by lead poisoning. There are many opportunities to contribute your time and talent to protecting our children.
Participation in the Lead Safe Task Force is open to any individual and/or organization committed to preventing childhood lead poisoning in our community. The work of the Task Force is spread across three working groups.
Communications Work Group
The Communications Work Group promotes lead awareness in the community and develops strategies for reaching families with young children, landlords, and community members who can play a role in reducing lead poisoning. This group also works on marketing and outreach campaigns.
Community Engagement Work Group
The Community Engagement Work Group works to ensure lead poisoning prevention and intervention services meet community needs. They partner with residents and community-based organizations to amplify individual voices, elevate lived experiences, and co-create solutions to reduce lead poisoning.
System Improvements (Policy) Work Group
The System Improvements Work Group develops and strengthens the processes, policies, resources, and regulations needed to reduce lead exposure. Join us in learning more.
Members of the Lead Safe Task Force
Trinetta Alson
The Community Health Center for Greater Buffalo
Cathy Amdur
City of Buffalo
Jessica Bauer Walker
CoNECT
Fallon Beecroft
WNY Lead Resource Center
Rachel Bonsignore
Liftoff WNY
LuAnne Brown
Buffalo Pre-Natal PeriNatal Network
Melinda Cameron
WNY Lead Poisoning Prevention Center
Maribel Cancel
Buffalo Pre-Natal PeriNatal Network
Melanie Desiderio
Erie County
Anna Falicov
Buffalo Lead Safe
Aaron Figueroa
City of Buffalo
David Hahn Baker
Community Member
Franchelle Hart
Open Buffalo
Marc Hennig
Beyond WNY/Lead 716
Lauren Howard
Buffalo Sewer Authority
Katarzyna Kordas
SUNY University at Buffalo
John Lipsitz
Lipsitz Ponterio
Cara Matteliano
Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo
Yvonne McCray
City of Buffalo
OJ McFoy
Buffalo Water Authority
Natasha Mehta
Buffalo Public Schools
Crystal Middleton
City of Buffalo
Monica Miles
SUNY University at Buffalo
Isabel Murphy
NYS Attorney General’s Office
Thomas Muscarella
Erie County
Jennifer Nalbone
NYS Attorney General’s Office
Truc-Mai Nguyen
Buffalo Public Schools
Henry Nowak
NYS Supreme Court
John O’Brien
Community Member
Patrick Omilian
NYS Attorney General
Kinzer Pointer
Concerned Clergy
Deirdre Quain
City of Buffalo
Marixsa Sanhchez
Buffalo Pre-Natal PeriNatal Network
Stephanie Simeon
Heart of the City Neighborhood
Kelly Sullivan
LiveWell Erie
Lisa Vahapoglu
UB Renews Institute
Michael Weise
Erie County Office of Health Equity
Barry Weiss
Rise and Run Solutions
Arthur Wheaton
The IRL School- Cornell University
Kelly Wofford
Erie County Office of Health Equity
Sarah Wooten
Partnership for the Public Good
Benefits of a Lead Safe Home for Children
Increased Academic Performance in School
Higher IQ
Increased Ability to Pay Attention
