Pharmacy school leads efforts to support arrival of Afghan evacuees
By Kara Sweet
Published October 19, 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.
A Request to the Campus Community
The University at Buffalo School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences (SPPS) is partnering with local refugee resettlement agencies in Western New York to provide Afghan 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. "The world today is connected as much by humanity as by geography."
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 be made directly to the WNY Refugee and Asylee Consortium: https://www.wnyrac.org/donate.
Drop-off locations:
- North Campus
Davis Hall Reception Desk (School of Engineering and Applied Sciences)
Hours: Monday-Friday 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Contact Person: Shannon Phillips - South Campus
281 Pharmacy Building (School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences
Hours: Monday 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m., Tuesday 2:00 - 5:00 p.m., Wednesday and Thursday 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Contact Person: Niki Pizzutelli
There will be a box labeled “Afghan Evacuees Donations” at the following locations:
- North Campus
208 Davis Hall (School of Engineering and Applied Sciences)
Contact Person: Shannon Phillips - South Campus
First Floor Cafe, Pharmacy Building (School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences)
Contact Person: Niki Pizzutelli - Downtown Campus
Main and High Street entrance and Washington Street entrance (near elevators), Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences
For over 130 years, the University at Buffalo School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences has continually been a leader in the education of pharmacists and pharmaceutical scientists, renowned for innovation in clinical practice and research. The school is accredited by the American Council of Pharmaceutical Education and is the No. 1 ranked school of pharmacy in New York State and No. 14 in the United States by U.S. News & World Report.
For more information about the UB School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences visit pharmacy.buffalo.edu.