Catalyst for Change: John R. Oishei Foundation
Or Click Here to download the audio.
After a year spent with leaders in the field of targeted philanthropy, the mission of the organization was revitalized, with the primary addition of the words “economic vitality.” So the statement now reads, “The John R. Oishei Foundation strives to be a catalyst for change to enhance economic vitality and the quality of life for the Buffalo Niagara region.”
The John R. Oishei Foundation is actually the largest foundation in Western New York, providing the most significant support through grants to not for profit organizations in the area. John R. Oishei established the foundation in 1940, and first named it the Julia R. and Estelle L. Foundation. He was founded Trico Products Corporation in 1917 when he recognized the need for windshield wipers on motorcars. The assets of the foundation come from that company, his estate, and his son and grand daughter’s estates. Trico was Buffalo’s largest employer, and the foundation continues his commitment to this community. When John R. Oishei passed away, the foundation was renamed in his honor.
A thorough description of the new initiatives of the Oishei Foundation, as described by Robert Gioia, Paul Hogan and Blythe Merrill, are included in this pod cast.
In the spirit of the season, these three also provided us with some well-rounded holiday wishes for Buffalo Niagara. Mr. Gioia began, “I wish people would understand that change can be for the better. There are numerous communities that have embraced change and you’ve seen the difference, whether it be the waterfront in Cleveland, the waterfront in Baltimore…If we can do our job right, we hopefully can affect some change”
Mr. Hogan hopes that Buffalo be able to recognize the significant improvements that have already been accomplished, “My Christmas wish would be that people stop and look around and take a breath, and look at what really has happened already, and look at the twenty, thirty, fifty projects…Over $2.5 billion has already been done in the central downtown core…with another couple of billion that is ready to go.” He went on, “If people accept that, they might start to think that this is a place that can grow and change.”
Blythe Merrill offers the Christmas wish, “That this community be open to developing new relationships and having those broader conversations…New alliances are being created, and that is when the synergy of a community can really grow.”
“I hope there can be a shared vision for the waterfront development that really has the community and public access at heart. I hope that there is a shared planned for neighborhood development that really looks at the rich architecture of this whole community and is the very foundation on which those neighborhoods were created, and I hope that we find a way to look at and recognize that the small efforts are what matter.” Merrill points out, “The silver bullet projects don’t do anything, and historically have not proven to be the saving graces for any community. Things like a casino in downtown Buffalo are not where it’s at, and I hope that we have an opportunity in this next year to look forward to projects that are really going to be at a community level that we can all work on together to affect positive change.”
To learn more about the John R. Oishei foundation, check out this pod cast, or visit their website at www.oisheifdt.org.
What Others Have To Say
What Do You Think?
Related Articles
-
CMC Presents 4th Annual Queen City Jazz Festival
Last year, around 4,000 people packed in the area between Michigan Ave. and Elm St. by 145 Broadway St. in downtown Buffalo for the Queen City Jazz Festival. This year, president of The Colored Musicians Club (CMC) of Buffalo, George Scott, says “The crowds have been getting bigger and bigger as it goes on.”
As the fourth annual festival, this year promises to be a big event. There will be a beer tent and food vendors and this year the gallery to the CMC will be open. The gal … - Today, 11:46am
- Continue Reading
- 4 Comments
-
"Chess for Beginners"
There are some people who dabble in the game of chess, and then there are those who live the game. I've been reading about a few different chess clubs in Buffalo, but not being an avid player I'm not sure which ones are best for different levels of play. Some of the tournament play that I have heard about is only to be left to the experts. That's why I finally decided to post on a beginners series in August that takes place at the Main Place Mall.
The Archangel 8 Chess Academy is … - Today, 10:25am
- Continue Reading
- 1 Comments
-
Shark Has Teeth in Buffalo
Moe Boukadida grew up in Tunisia, North Africa, attended college in Russia, is fluent in four languages, and calls Buffalo "home".
The owner of the American rights to Shark Energy Drink started his first entrepreneurial venture long ago, at the age of 13, and with the exception of a few glitches that furthered his business sense, he has soared upward ever since.
"I started my first venture when I was 13. My friend's father sold computers, and I would buy parts from him and se … - Today, 10:01am
- Continue Reading
- 5 Comments
-
Construction Watch: Seneca Creek Casino
On July 8, US District Court Judge William M. Skretny determined the Seneca Nation of Indians could not legally operate a gambling casino on their nine-acre Michigan Avenue site. “Business as usual,” said Seneca Nation President Maurice A. John, Sr. the day after the decision. Nearly two weeks later, gambling continues in the temporary facility and work on the permanent casino is proceeding. - Today, 12:53am
- Continue Reading
- 81 Comments
Comment Options
hashma
Good for them..change is in the air. I think people need to take a step back and look at where we are in relation to only five, seven years ago!
Has anyone heard how Paladino's court hearing went in Rochester today over his Court Street tower?
Report this
Joshua
yeah - and why isn't paladino building a tower in bflo, huh?
Report this
LivingForge
Hey, all you folks who were complaining the other day that there were no photos taken of the new condo tower going up, you can see it to the upper left of the mustachioed dude's head!
Report this
LivingForge
Kinda wish Trico had continued its commitment to the community after NAFTA.
Ani put it best:
"The TRICO plant moved to mexico left my uncle standing out in the cold said there's your last paycheck have fun growing old"
Report this
chris69
Can we continue the trend to redevelop endangered Buffalo Buildings? We are encorporating a remaining list and if we cant save the buildings then can we atleast save the facades?
Can we try to add additional centers for excellence?
Can we help Buffalo State expand by helping build small business incubators along Grant & Tonawanda?
Can we get a light rail extension and a new convention center and perhaps another canal attraction by rewatering the Ohio Basin.
Perhaps something impressive with the Presidential Libraries for Fillmore and Cleveland which would have a big national impact of Buffalo being home to two presidential libraries...and once established we could ask for donations from those presidents from the Library of Congress to expand our exhibits.
oh gosh so much and I too wish TRICO could have stayed but as long as OSHEI is continuing its philanthropy in Buffalo it would be nice to keep the TRICO signs above their factories. I just wish that there was a list of efforts we could put forward and see which would have the greatest benefit.
Report this
allthingsbuffalo
chris69, its the national archives not the library of congress that runs presidential libraries but as a rule they dont do any before truman i believe
the new head archivist would like to change that but the people who run the grover cleveland library are libertarians and i doubt they would want the feds touching their library.
my dad works at the archives and he asks me about these two library projects...maybe he'll put in a good word.
Report this
chris69
allthingsbuffalo, thank you but I was pretty sure that the committee for the Presidential Librarys was headed by the former MrSeiner at the Buffalo and Erie County Historical Society (a really great guy) and the correspondence was definitely to the Library of Congress....perhaps the National Archives is a branch of the Library of Congress.
Im pretty sure that there was some falling out in Buffalo with Cleveland and he donated his papers to a library in another location. However, as we learned when Jackie Kennedy remodelled the white house there are vaults of furniture and documents going all the way back to washington. Therefore, we really wont know what kind of partnership we canhave until we get our own library going, start the donation/endowment process and make requests.
In anycase, Buffalo may be the only city in the nation with two presidential libraries!
PS: lets also not forget that for we have another historical legacy to rebuild for our tourists relating to:
1) building a replica LaSalles Griffon that explored the Great Lakes
2) French and Indian War
3) The revolutionary War
4) The Warof 1812 which burned Buffalo and building a replica naval ship that won the battle of Lake Erie.
5) The Erie Canal and the building of Canal Boats that could tour the harbor, buffalo river, city ship canal and of course erie barge canal and erie canal.
Buffalo has a huge amount of undocumented history....possibly second only to Boston and Philadelphia...but it does little good if its only in books instead of actual sites.
Report this
RaChaCha
Wonderful to see Blythe Merrill, who did wonderful work with our Landmark Society here in RaChaCha before shuffling off to Buffalo to continue to do great work in Your Fair City. Buffalo, what's to become of My Fair City if you continue to steal our best and brightest--?
But seriously, my Christmas wish here would be that our two fine cities - struggling now, but whose best days are without question ahead - continue to share ideas, best practices, and common purposes and ambitions. And, before long, a legendary joint celebration of a Superbowl win--?
Report this