Hannah Kalmeyer
SUNY Buffalo State
Hannah Kalmeyer, a junior at SUNY Buffalo State College, has volunteered her time to organizations such as Terrace View ECMC, Evergreen, Greenfields Rehabilitation Center, Catholic Charities, and Trinity Food Pantry.
As chair of Buffalo State’s Student Civic Leadership Board (SCLB), Hannah has led significant community service initiatives on campus. The SCLB is a community service-based student group that promotes community engagement across campus. The SCLB has been effective in providing Buffalo State students with opportunities to get involved in service by offering and promoting several on-site community service projects throughout the academic year as well as other service-related events in the community.
In the fall 2019 semester alone, under her leadership 12 SCLB members devoted almost 400 hours of community service and supported organizations such as Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Kenmore Mercy Hospital, and the Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper. She also served as a site coordinator for Buffalo State’s Bengal Day to Care Day, a campus-wide service day event.
Hannah participated in an Alternative Summer Break experience focusing on food justice and issues surrounding food insecurity in Baltimore, MD. She leads with a strong sense of civic responsibility and is eager to educate herself and others about social justice issues.
Personal Statement
Through my involvement in my surrounding community, I have connected with those who belong to oppressed groups and have learned about the challenges that they experience. I strive for equity and social justice in all aspects of my life and have a sincere desire to empower the community around me. As a Buffalo State College student, I have been given the opportunity to work with many different people. While volunteering with soup kitchens, urban gardens, food banks, and local food pantries, I have learned a lot about food insecurity as a human rights issue and I believe that no one should struggle to attain food. In addition to food insecurity issues, I have also been exposed to the refugee and immigrant resettlement process and the work involved in establishing homes for our new neighbors in Buffalo, NY.
As a psychology major and social work minor, helping people is my life’s purpose. Mental health is also an issue that I am very passionate about. We need to address and raise more awareness about mental health. In the future I plan to complete mental health first aid training so that I can be prepared to assist those who might be struggling.
