Creative Restorations Inc

*Here is a link to a message of support from Buffalo’s very own Benny the Butcher and Balistic Man!*

🎥 https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZP8ra1J7B/

🎥 Watch our PBS Documentary: “Opioid Epidemic: Boots on the Ground”

🔗 https://youtu.be/0w3yRvUg1Vg

💛 Our Story: Creative Restorations INC

Creative Restorations INC (CR INC) was born from lived experience. Founded by individuals who have walked the path of incarceration, addiction, and recovery, we know firsthand how hard it is to rebuild your life when everything feels lost—and how powerful it is when someone believes in you.

We created CR INC to be that source of belief, compassion, and support for others.

What started as a small grassroots effort has grown into a community-driven organization serving hundreds across Buffalo and Western New York. We help people meet their basic needs—like food, hygiene, and clothing—while also providing critical services like peer recovery support, mental health referrals, housing assistance, and reintegration support for those returning home from incarceration.

We’ve:

1. Served over 1,099 families through our food pantry
2. Provided 408 people with clothing and hygiene supplies
3. Distributed 3,500+ pounds of food through weekly Harvest of Hope giveaways
4. Served 450+ hot meals during community dinners and holidays
5. Linked 67 individuals to inpatient treatment, 89 to health insurance, and 47 to housing
6. Made 200 kids’ holidays brighter with gifts, games, and stockings
7. Helped justice-involved individuals reclaim their futures through peer-led reintegration programs

Every initiative we offer is run by people who’ve lived it—people who know the system, the struggle, and the way out. That’s what makes our work different. It’s not charity—it’s connection.

At CR INC, we don’t just provide services—we build community. We meet people where they are, and walk alongside them toward a future filled with dignity, purpose, and hope.

This Give716, we invite you to be part of our story. Your support helps us continue restoring lives, one act of service at a time.

💛 Creative Restorations INC: Restoring Lives, One Act of Service at a Time

What We Do:

Creative Restorations INC (CR INC) is a grassroots, peer-led nonprofit that provides critical support to individuals and families impacted by incarceration, addiction, mental health challenges, poverty, and food insecurity. We address basic needs and promote long-term recovery and reintegration.

How We Do It:

We are founded and led by individuals in long-term recovery with lived experience in incarceration. Our lived experience guides every program we run—from food access to housing linkage to recovery support. We have:

1. 🍎 Supported over 1,099 families through our community food pantry
2. 🧼 Provided hygiene items and clothing to 408 individuals in just the last 6 months
3. 🥦 Distributed more than 3,500 pounds of fresh produce, baked goods, and shelf-stable items
4. 🍽️ Served over 450 hot meals through community dinners and special holiday events
5. 🎁 Brought joy to 200 children through Christmas gifts, board games, and stockings over the last two years
6. 📦 Host weekly “Harvest of Hope” food giveaways at Trinity Church and Frederick Douglass Towers—serving 457 household members in under 2 months
7. 🏠 Linked 47 individuals to housing in the last 120 days
8. 🤝 Connected justice-involved individuals to peer support, treatment, employment, and mental health care through our reintegration programs
9. 🧠 Linked 67 individuals to inpatient treatment for substance use or mental health disorders in just 6 months
10. 🩺 Helped 89 individuals secure health insurance in the last 10 months

Why We Do It:

Because we know what it’s like to face these barriers—and overcome them. Our work is driven by compassion, experience, and an unshakable belief in the power of second chances. We serve the community because we are the community.

Mission

To support individuals and families impacted by incarceration, addiction, and poverty through peer-led programs that address basic needs, promote recovery, and foster successful reintegration into the community.

Vision

A world where lived experience is valued, recovery is celebrated, and every person has access to the tools they need to thrive.

Core Values

🔹 Empathy – We lead with compassion and nonjudgment

🔹 Authenticity – We see lived experience as strength, not stigma

🔹 Equity – We serve all people with dignity and fairness

🔹 Restoration – We believe in second chances—and third, if needed

🔹 Community – We rise by lifting others

This Give716, help us continue the work of rebuilding lives and restoring hope.

Give where it counts. Join us. Restore hope. Fuel change.

🎥 Watch our PBS Documentary: “Opioid Epidemic: Boots on the Ground”

🔗 https://youtu.be/0w3yRvUg1Vg