Current News

NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. - In August 2013, Lewiston resident Angelo Sarkees put into action an idea that he had for some time. A recent retiree, Sarkees began collecting bottles and cans at the Lewiston Jazz Festival, with the idea of turning them in to raise funds for local Niagara County food pantries. So began his "Deposits 4 Food" initiative.

In these last days of the Season of Lent, many opportunities to celebrate and worship during Holy Week and on Easter Morning. As there are many to choose from, Community Missions is happy to highlight a few of the in-person and online opportunities.

Community Missions will hold its 25th Annual Sweetheart Dinner presented by United Healthcare on Friday, April 1 at Sheraton Niagara Falls. After holding last year's event virtually, this in-person celebration will benefit the agency's Crisis Services.

Seven restaurants from the Niagara community will partner with Community Missions on its Ninth Annual #GivingTuesday event on Tuesday, November 30.

Community Missions, Inc. will present its 11th Annual Interfaith Community Prayer Service for Mental Illness Recovery and Understanding on Tuesday, Oct. 5, at 4:00 PM.

Project Connect Niagara, an event designed to connect those in need with critical services in a "one-stop" venue, will return on Wednesday, September 15 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Heart, Love, and Soul Food Pantry & Dining Room in Niagara Falls, N.Y.

Artwork created by individuals living with mental illness will be showcased in a new art gallery located at TReC, the co-working incubator operated by Niagara University's Niagara Global Tourism Institute. The exhibit, a partnership between TReC and Community Missions, will be unveiled during an opening reception on Wednesday, June 30, from 4-6 p.m. at TReC, 616 Niagara St., Niagara Falls, N.Y.

In honor of Earth Day 2021, Deposits for Food (D4F) presented checks totaling $2,000 to Niagara Falls food pantries Heart, Love, and Soul and Community Missions. The donations were the result of returnable container and scrap metal collections over the past six weeks.

Over the past several months, Community Missions sold 1,000 raffle tickets for a 2021 Chevrolet Corvette as a fundraiser for its Crisis & Community Services. Jeff Tornabene of Niagara Falls had his name drawn, and picked up his Corvette last week.

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, Community Missions regretfully had to cancel its 24th Annual Sweetheart Dinner. Instead, the agency solicited donations from its supporters, and raised $12,000 for its Crisis & Community Services through the campaign!

Community Missions is proud to announce that tickets are now SOLD OUT for a 2021 Corvette, to be raffled off on March 26, 2021. Only 1,000 tickets were sold at $100 each.

Community Missions' scheduled 2020 Meat Raffle has been cancelled, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Please stay tuned to our social media pages and website for upcoming events and opportunities to support our mission!

Over the course of the past week, I have listened to countless speakers and read even more reports and articles with a troubled heart trying to determine what the voice of Community Missions should say about George Floyd's death and about racism, inequity and the ensuing protests.

Destination Niagara USA is launching The Heart of Niagara campaign to help support two Niagara County charities. Now more than ever is it evident how essential both Heart, Love & Soul, Inc. and Community Missions of Niagara Frontier, Inc. are to the local community.

Greetings from Community Missions! We once again pray that this email finds you safe and healthy. As the calendar flips over to a new month, we find ourselves continuing to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. While the days and nights have not been easy for anyone, there have been wonderful acts of compassion that have helped brighten our spirits along the way.

Though the past four weeks have been anything but normal, a common theme has arisen, one that carries through no matter the circumstances: Our community cares about our neighbors in need!

Sometimes we just don't know where to turn when we are in need of help. Here are a few resources that we have seen that may be helpful for you:

Let's begin by saying that the past few weeks have been different to say the least around Community Missions!

Community Missions (CMI) has launched a website and companion Facebook page to provide a resource for spiritual help and hope to Niagara during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Greetings from Community Missions. I wanted to pass along an update as to what we are seeing within our programs at this time related to the COVID-19 pandemic. For nearly a century, Community Missions has been an outlet for the community to help one another to get through difficult times. Already in the first few days of this situation, we have seen this generosity of spirit in many ways!

NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. - For the past 95 years, Community Missions has provided compassionate support to its Niagara neighbors during their times of need. In keeping with this tradition, the organization is announcing the following changes to its programming in response to the current COVID-19 pandemic, in order to protect the health and well-being of those we serve.

NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. - Community Missions will hold its 23rd Annual Sweetheart Dinner on Friday, February 7 at Sheraton Niagara Falls. The annual event benefits the agency's Crisis Services, including the Community Soup Kitchen, Food Pantry, Clothes Closet and Emergency Housing Shelter, and will feature more than 120 baskets, gift cards, lottery tickets, silent auction items, and numerous raffles.

Community Missions mourns the passing of Rev. Calvin W. Babcock, who led the agency from 1976 to 1994. "If he thought it needed to be done and he didn't see somebody doing it, he did it himself," said Robyn L. Krueger, Mr. Babcock's successor as executive director of Community Missions.

NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. - After the holidays, everyone is stuck with a gift or two that they just cannot use. Community Missions is giving everyone an opportunity to put those gifts to work for good, and throwing you a party, too!

NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. - More than 100 volunteers and eight restaurants from the Niagara community will partner with Community Missions on its Seventh Annual #GivingTuesday event on Tuesday, December 3.

NORTH TONAWANDA, N.Y. - One of the duckiest fundraising events of the summer is on deck this week, as Community Missions will hold its Annual Duck Race at the Canal Fest of the Tonawandas on Saturday, July 20th at 3 p.m. The event has been a fun part of the week-long festivities for more than 10 years, and raises funds for the organization's Crisis & Community Services.

NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. - Community Missions of Niagara Frontier, Inc. (CMI) held its 27th Annual Compassion in Action Awards Brunch on Wednesday afternoon at the Four Points by Sheraton Niagara Falls.

NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. - Community Missions is partnering with Wine on Third to present a showing of artwork from its Niagara Visions PROS program over the next month. The works of art, produced in the Mental Health program, will be featured from May 20-June 17 at the restaurant, with an opening reception scheduled from 5-8 p.m. on Monday, May 20.

LOCKPORT, N.Y. - Community Missions, Inc. and the YWCA of the Niagara Frontier, Inc. will come together for an evening of fun and art by hosting an Art Auction on Friday, June 14.

Community Missions will hold its 22nd Annual Sweetheart Dinner, presented by KeyBank, on Friday, February 8 at the Sheraton Niagara Falls. The annual event benefits the agency's Crisis Services, including the Community Soup Kitchen, Food Pantry, Clothes Closet and Emergency Housing Shelter, and will feature more than 100 baskets, gift cards, lottery tickets, silent auction items and numerous raffles.

NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. - More than 100 students and nine restaurants from the Niagara community will partner with Community Missions on its Sixth Annual #GivingTuesday event on Tuesday, November 27.

NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. - Community Missions will hold its Annual Antiques and Fine Arts Auction on the afternoon of Sunday, November 11 at the First Presbyterian Church in Youngstown. Admission is $10 per person and $15 per couple, with all proceeds benefiting Crisis Services and Mark's Place (HIV/AIDS residence) at Community Missions.

Community Missions, Inc. and Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center, a pair of prominent mental health service providers, will again join to host the Eighth Annual Interfaith Community Prayer Service on Tuesday, Oct. 9 at 3:30 p.m.

A recent Buffalo News article included incorrect information regarding the status of Aurora House. The program is not closed now, is not closing, and has no intention of closing.