Cynthia Silverstein began volunteering more than eleven years ago when she recognized that the Martin House was a “jewel shining in the city” and in her own neighborhood. College studies brought her to Western New York, but the city’s potential for historic renovation, tourism, and community engagement kept her here – and made her a huge ambassador of Buffalo.
Cynthia’s role at the Martin House is far-reaching and, in many ways, has focused on connecting the success of the Martin House restoration project to the narrative surrounding Buffalo’s continued resurgence. She has also been involved in numerous initiatives to extend the Martin House impact within our own community, including the creation and launch of educational offerings. The school programs created through various initiatives have inspired students of all ages. Her extensive work on connecting the Martin House to community organizations also extends outside of schools and includes our popular yoga and wellness programming.
In addition, Cynthia helps foster engagement within the volunteer ranks. As a certified docent, she is involved in running the Pier to Pier program (named after the pier clusters in the house), which provides educational programming to Martin House docents and chaperones. She refers to the volunteers as “an incredibly talented pool of people.” Along those same lines, she serves as a mentoring docent, helping new docents understand how to provide the best tour experience to our guests. Given our consistent high praise from visitors, it’s working!
What does Cynthia enjoy most about giving so much of her time to the Martin House? “I can continue to use my skills in program planning while also interacting with fellow volunteers and guests. I’ve developed meaningful friendships with interesting people while continuing to learn and grow in my role.”
Thank you to Cynthia Silverstein for so many years of impactful service to the Martin House.
Interested in hearing about volunteer opportunities at the Martin House?
