CoNECT

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History, Mission, Vision & Values

School Health & Wellness Collaborative

Youth & Parent CHWs

Peace Love & Power

Freedom Schools

CHW Core Competency Training

Student / Parent CHW Training

Other Training Offerings

Research & Publications

Conferences & Meetings

CoNECTING Nationally

Board of Directors

History, Mission, Vision & Values

School Health & Wellness Collaborative

Youth & Parent CHWs

Peace Love & Power

Freedom Schools

CHW Core Competency Training

Student / Parent CHW Training

Other Training Offerings

Research & Publications

Conferences & Meetings

CoNECTING Nationally

Board of Directors

Folder: About Us

History, Mission, Vision & Values

Folder: Programs & Initiatives

School Health & Wellness Collaborative

Youth & Parent CHWs

Peace Love & Power

Freedom Schools

Folder: Trainings

CHW Core Competency Training

Student / Parent CHW Training

Other Training Offerings

Folder: Resources

Research & Publications

Conferences & Meetings

CoNECTING Nationally

Board of Directors

Building Relationships, Trust, and Power

for Healthier Individuals, Organizations, and Communities

The Challenge

Health happens holistically- where we live, work, go to school, play, and worship. Most organizations only address specific populations or issues, leading to disconnections on an individual, family, neighborhood, and systemic level. To address these divides, we need more than just services or policies—we need trusted advocates weaving together a strong and diverse network, helping everyone to have their needs met and be engaged and connected in community.

Our Solution

We cultivate Community Health Workers as leaders of and from the communities they serve, equipping them with knowledge, skills, and professional connections to turn lived experience into community power. From service navigation to family accompaniment to grassroots advocacy, we don’t just bridge systems—we transform them through relationships and collective action.

Our Network For Impact

CoNECT is a braided network where each person, initiative, and policy change fuels the success of the next—turning job training, youth empowerment, and collective healing into a unified force for change. By weaving these efforts together, we create the lasting power for communities in Buffalo and beyond to thrive.

Our 2025 Impact in Numbers

500+

Training Participants

CHWs and others participated in our trainings and workshops

200+

Families Assisted

Received accompaniment and advocacy support

100+

Collaborative Events

Meetings and gatherings throughout the year

2.5K+

Youth Development Hours

Positive youth development and service learning

How Our Plan Works

Our programs are not isolated efforts; they are a scaffolded strategy designed to build capacity and foster sustainable change in the lives of individuals and in the well-being of communities. By recruiting directly impacted individuals into a workforce and movement for health and wellness, we have built an intergenerational, multicultural network that works both top-down and bottom-up. This integrated approach ensures that we aren't just responding to an isolated crisis or need, but cultivating connections necessary for true community transformation.

Meet Rehma: A Youth CHW Story

Rehma was our first student co-chair of the Buffalo Public Schools CHW Parent and Student Association, where she championed expanded food access and the "solutions not suspensions" campaign. She is currently a first year student at Canisius University.

"I enjoy how health and wellness has been our foundation, and there are so many avenues that students are supported in- professional development, being better people in community, along with mental and emotional health supports." Rehma Kashindi, CHW

TAKE ACTION - Join The Movement

Make A Donation

Financial contributions sustain our training programs and community work

Become A Partner

Collaborate with us on research, policy work, or community initiatives

Training Questions

Join our network of CHW’s, allies and advocates providing on the ground and administrative support