Homeless Alliance celebrates 20 years, honors Pillars of Homeless Service award-winners at 20th anniversary luncheon

Homeless Alliance of Western New York Press Release & Photos

More than 350 community members gathered Friday, Dec. 5, at Samuel’s Grande Manor in Williamsville as the Homeless Alliance of Western New York celebrated its 20th anniversary and recognized long-serving leaders in the region’s homelessness response system.

A highlight of the afternoon was the presentation of the Pillars of Homeless Service Awards, which honored individuals whose dedication, compassion, and decades of service have brought hope and stability to people experiencing homelessness. Each of the 21 honorees has contributed 20 or more years to this critical work in Western New York.

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2025 Pillars of Homeless Service awardees include:

• Grant Babcock (Community Missions of Niagara Frontier Inc.)
• Maria Dockery (The Salvation Army)
• Norman Felschow (Community Missions of Niagara Frontier Inc.)
• John Ferby (Compass House)
• Melissa Figini (Transitional Services Inc.)
• Lisa Freeman (Compass House)
• Nyla Gaylord (United Way)
• Alyssa Hebeler (Spectrum Human Services)
• Tracy Hunt (Buffalo City Mission)
• Robyn Krueger (Community Missions of Niagara Frontier Inc.)
• Jan Mansfield (Cornerstone Manor, Buffalo City Mission)
• James McClain (Buffalo City Mission)
• Karen Rybicki (Erie County Department of Social Services)
• Annette Slaughter (Cornerstone Manor, Buffalo City Mission)
• Adrian Smith (Buffalo City Mission)
• Amy Smith (Compass House)
• Chris Syracuse (Living Opportunities of DePaul)
• Daniel Szewc (Erie County Department of Social Services)
• Reno Tabone (Living Opportunities of DePaul)
• Joy Tedeschi (Belmont Housing Resources for WNY)
• David Zapfel (Gerard Place)

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The program opened with a video highlighting the Homeless Alliance’s 20-year history, followed by a reflection and toast from Executive Director Kexin Ma. Awardees Joy Tedeschi and Robyn Kreuger shared remarks on behalf of all honorees, offering moving reflections on the collective commitment that has shaped homelessness services across the region.

In a special moment of national recognition, Walt Koch, deputy district director and senior caseworker for Congressman Tim Kennedy, presented Ma with an Extension of Remarks – a tribute that will be entered into the Congressional Record and archived in the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C.