Pharmacy school leads efforts to support arrival of Afghan evacuees

Aerial photo of the Pharmacy building.

Published November 2, 2021

In the coming weeks, the City of Buffalo will welcome 350 Afghan evacuees, including men, women and children. These evacuees will not be arriving under the traditional refugee process, but through humanitarian measures. Because of this, they will receive minimal public assistance and will have difficulty in accessing jobs, housing, medical insurance and food aid.

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The University at Buffalo School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences has partnered with local refugee resettlement agencies in Western New York to provide evacuees with urgently needed resources. They are reaching out to the UB community for help.

“We are hopeful UB faculty and staff will assist the new members of our community in their time of great need,” says Gina Prescott, PharmD, clinical associate professor and global health outreach coordinator at the School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences.

Items being requested for the Afghan evacuees include grocery store gift cards, new or gently used winter apparel and financial donations.  Donations will be accepted October 25 through November 12.

Items Needed and How to Donate

Financial Donations

Can be made directly to the WNY Refugee and Asylee Consortium: 

Donate online

Grocery Store Gift Cards

Drop Off Locations

  • North Campus:
    • Location: Davis Hall Reception Desk (School of Engineering and Applied Sciences)
    • Hours: Monday- Friday, 8:30am-5:00 pm
    • Contact Personnel: Shannon Phillips
  • South Campus:
    • Location: 281 Pharmacy Building (School of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences)
    • Hours: Monday, 10:00am-3:00pm, Tuesday, 2:00-5:00pm, Wednesday and Thursday, 10:00am-4:00pm
    • Contact Personnel: Niki Pizzutelli

Winter coats, hats, gloves (New or Gently Used and Cleaned)

Drop Off Locations

Drop Off Locations. There will be a box listed “Afghan Evacuees Donations” at the following locations.

  • North Campus: School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Davis Hall
    • Location: 208 Davis Hall (School of Engineering and Applied Sciences)
    • Contact Person: Shannon Phillips
  • South Campus: School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Pharmacy Building
    • Location: First Floor Café, Pharmacy Building (School of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences)
    • Contact Person: Niki Pizzutelli
  • Downtown Campus
    • Location: Main and High Street Entrance and Washington Street Entrance (near elevators), Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences