Senator April Baskin and Majority Leader Crystal Peoples-Stokes Announce $3 million for Roswell Park’s Community Outreach Expansion

Courtesy of State Senator April Baskin's Office

New York State Senator April N.M. Baskin and Assembly Majority Leader Crystal Peoples-Stokes today announced $3 million in State investment for an expansion project at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center’s Community Outreach & Engagement Center.

Senator Baskin allocated $2 million in the FY2025 State Budget and Majority Leader Peoples-Stokes committed $1 million in Assembly funding toward the project. 

The funding will support the development of the HOPE (Health, Outreach and Prevention Excellence) Center, a new wing at 907 Michigan Ave. dedicated to advancing Roswell Park’s cancer prevention and early detection mission. Construction on the $4 million expansion is slated to begin in the fall of 2026.  

Opened in October 2023, the 5,900-square-foot Community Outreach & Engagement Center transformed and preserved a historic 1878 home in Buffalo’s Fruit Belt neighborhood, adding a modern wing with floor-to-ceiling glass and a window-lined corridor. The center houses services focused on advancing health equity and improving health outcomes across Western New York, including cancer awareness, educational programs, navigation to cancer screening, financial wellness programming and space for community gatherings.

Since opening its doors, the center has welcomed more than 16,000 community members and hosted over 800 events, of which approximately 500 were led directly by community partners. In one year alone, Roswell reported nearly 9,000 visitors, with 66% of visitors self-identifying as Black. More than 200 new community organizations have engaged with the center’s work in just two years.

This critical investment will expand access to life-saving cancer screening services in Buffalo’s historic Black Fruit Belt neighborhood, a community of deep cultural significance and home to many marginalized residents who face significant barriers to healthcare. The 907 Michigan location is a trusted resource for residents who may feel apprehensive about visiting Roswell’s main campus. This expansion will enable Roswell to further address health disparities and provide care to those most in need.

The HOPE Center will build on the success of the original space by centering new initiatives focused on mitigating the social determinants of health, including employment programming, healthcare career pathway programs, interventions to reduce housing instability among cancer patients, caregiver support connections, and expanded Spanish and foreign-language outreach. 

"From the moment I visited the Community Outreach & Engagement Center for its grand opening, I was deeply moved by the thought, care, and purpose behind this space,” said Senator Baskin. “I am proud to provide this $2 million investment to strengthen the center’s impact in Buffalo’s Fruit Belt, ensuring that historically marginalized residents have access to life-saving cancer prevention, education, and support services they deserve. Thank you to Majority Leader Crystal Peoples-Stokes for her partnership and commitment to making this expansion possible.

"Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center continues to make good on their promise to better serve the community,” Majority Leader Peoples-Stokes said. “This new H.O.P.E. Center is a part of that promise. The breadth of services provided is remarkable, and we as residents of Western New York, are truly blessed to have a place like Roswell Park in our community. I am happy to join Senator Baskin in allocating state funding for this incredible project. 

"The expansion of 907 Michigan marks an important milestone in Roswell Park’s ongoing commitment to serve and uplift the neighborhoods we call home,” said Candace Johnson, PhD, President and CEO of Roswell Park. "We’re grateful to Senator April Baskin for championing this work and helping us bring more resources directly to the community.

"We are excited that this expansion will focus on cancer prevention, community-based research and action-oriented initiatives that address a spectrum of cancer related concerns facing our community, said Elizabeth Bouchard, PhD, Senior Vice President and Associate Director for Community Outreach and Engagement.

"The relationships this team has built and nurtured across Buffalo has created real, measurable impact,” said Nikia Clark Robinson, a Director of Community Outreach and Engagement at Roswell Park. “In just two short years, we’ve welcomed over 16,000 community members through our doors, hosted nearly 800 events and established 200 new partnerships.

Roswell Park maintains one of the oldest and most active Community Outreach and Engagement teams in the nation, focused on reducing cancer’s disproportionately high burden on communities of color, Indigenous communities, and high-risk populations in rural, urban, and suburban areas. The HOPE Center expansion will further solidify 907 Michigan Avenue as a model for authentic, long-term collaboration and ensuring that every member of the community has access to the resources, support, and opportunities they deserve.