BBBS of Erie County and Media Sponsor Kiss 98.5 & Janet Snyder are excited to celebrate Sister Mary Augusta Kaiser as today’s Women Who Move the City Wednesday Honoree!
Sister Mary Augusta Kaiser founded the Teaching and Restoring Youth (TRY) Program, a home for homeless young women ages 16 to 21. These young women have suffered victimization, violence and are at risk for prostitution. TRY provides case management, counseling, health and wellness programs and classes in independent living skills. Each client is provided an individual bedroom and help from staff to return to school or to work on obtaining a GED. Since 1997, over 290 young women have been served and have begun to heal from the scars of abuse they have suffered.
As shared in the nomination for Sister Mary Augusta, “The dedication of Sister Mary Augusta is inspiring and courageous. Sister Mary Augusta has received no pay for her work over the past 19 years where she serves as grant writer and Vice President of the Board of Directors. Her work has inspired others to serve on the Board of Directors, to come to share a meal with the girls or to take the young women out for a cultural or recreational experience.”
In the past, Sister Mary Augusta has served as a teacher, high school principal and Vice President of Sisters of St. Joseph. She was the first woman in the Catholic Diocese to be appointed by the Bishop as an administrator of a parish. As pastoral administrator at St. Mary of Sorrows Church, she reached out to help and support the homeless in the community. Sister Mary Augusta has served on the Board of Directors for the Interfaith Hospitality Network for Homeless Families and the Center for Justice. She presently is a board member for the Homeless Alliance of Western New York.
Sister Mary Augusta has received numerous awards for her work to better the community including the Outstanding Community Service Award from the NAACP Buffalo Branch, Buffalo Good Neighbor of the Year from Buffalo Neighborhood Housing Services and Board of Directors Service Award from St. Mary’s School for the Deaf. A member of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Buffalo, she has resided in the City of Good Neighbors her entire life. In her free time, Sister Mary Augusta gardens as a way to relax and to continue to improve the planet for future generations.
Congrats Sister Mary Augusta! To celebrate with Sister Mary Augusta and our other five Women Who Move the City Honorees on Wednesday, April 20th at Buffalo RiverWorks, click here to purchase your tickets today (ticket sales end Monday, April 18th)!