Staff

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Lu grew up here in Buffalo and left to pursue her undergraduate education at Georgetown University in D.C.  Following that, she spent several years in the Jesuit Volunteer Corps on the Colville Reservation in Omak, Washington before continuing on to earn her M.A. from the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, California.  Lu returned to Buffalo and spent 12 years as a campus minister at Canisius College before becoming the Executive Director of Family Promise of WNY.  She is motivated each and every day by the children and parents FPWNY serves to make this program better.  She lives with her husband and two children on the West Side of Buffalo.

Stephanie is a New York City native who moved to Buffalo to pursue her education at Buffalo State College.  She has spent the last few years in classrooms working one on one with students. Her recent position at Erie 1 BOCES gave her the inspiration to join our team here at Family Promise. She is looking forward to helping all the children and parents that we serve here at Family Promise.   

After graduating from SUNY Fredonia with a Music Business degree, Susana has spent most of her career in marketing/communications; starting off in concert promotion, working at a number of advertising agencies as well as several firms in their in-house marketing departments.  She decided it was time to use her skills for the greater good, serving the community and helping others in any way she can. She's extremely grateful to be a part of Family Promise. 

Hannah is native to Trinidad, having moved to the United States in the early 2000s. She started as a housekeeper at Family Promise and moved up to be our House Manager. Hannah is passionate about this position because she believes in the power of faith and positivity in difficult situations.

Grace is a recent graduate of Houghton College with a degree in Writing and Intercultural Studies.  She loves working with children and her passions include getting to know new people, creative writing, reading, and exploring new places- especially ones with mountains or waterfalls.  Grace comes to us from BUMP (Buffalo Urban Mission Partner), a faith-based organization that works to place young adults in non-profit organizations around the city of Buffalo. 

Matthew currently works for Verizon as the Senior Manager of Learning and Development. In this role, Matthew is responsible for overseeing the L&D needs for Verizon vendor partners from a national perspective. Matthew is a native of Buffalo, New York and currently resides in Amherst with his wife, Asia, and 2-year-old son, Matthew2. Matthew graduated from St John Fisher College with a degree in Business Management. Matthew is involved with serving with Buffalo Prep and is passionate about helping serve the city of Buffalo. 

Marissa Desiderio is the Program Manager of Case Management Services with Child & Family Services of Erie County. Prior to Child & Family Services, Marissa was a Supervisor with Say Yes to Education Buffalo and Catholic Charities. She has been working with children and families for over 15 years in various capacities. Marissa is also a clinical social worker who maintains a small private practice. 

Katherine Dibble is a Pro Bono Staff Attorney at ECBA Volunteer Lawyer's Project, Inc.  Her interest in joining the Board of Family Promise stems from both her personal and professional life.  As an attorney, she has had the opportunity to be on all sides of difficult situations, and has had to counsel people through some of the most trying parts of their lives.  In these moments, she has realized how important it is to have robust support systems in place to help anyone and everyone who needs a hand.  As a life long Buffalonian, she could not be more proud to be part of a community that fosters places like Family Promise and protects the most vulnerable people in their most vulnerable moments.  She finds having some small role in assisting in the mission of Family Promise to be a privilege.

Christian Hoffman is the Director of Communication at Community Missions in Niagara County, the largest private provider of basic human needs and of mental health services in the area. Since joining the Mission in February 2013, Mr. Hoffman has garnered unprecedented media coverage for the agency, launched several new initiatives, and helped secure hundreds of thousands of dollars in grant funding.  He resides in Cheektowaga with his wife, Toni, and two children, Elliana (6) and Jack (3). He has served on the Board of Family Promise of WNY since 2014.  

James is a Vice President and Community Office Manager for BankonBuffalo in Amherst, NY. James has spent his career in banking and his experience ranges all over the country having worked for some of the nation’s largest banks in Arizona, Florida, and Buffalo.  He is a native of Syracuse, attended Canisius College, and left Buffalo after graduation for “greener” pastures.  Not long after leaving James found his true love for Buffalo and Western New Yorkers.  After 10 long years, James returned to Buffalo for good in 2014.  James is a resident of Williamsville with his fiancée and two children.  He is a proud Graduate of Leadership Buffalo Class of 2020. 

Kaylei Russell, CPA is a Senior Accountant with BS&P CPA's and Consultants where she focuses on providing taxation and attestation services to small businesses and individuals. After graduating from SUNY Fredonia with a degree in Public Accountancy, Kaylei relocated to Buffalo and is passionate about becoming involved in the local community. She is eager to use her professional experience to aid the mission of Family Promise and play a small role in making a lasting impact in the lives of others. Outside of work Kaylei enjoys hiking with her dog, cycling, kayaking and spending time with friends and family. 

Ms. Aundrea Sanders is the Supervisor of Student Support Services for the Buffalo Public Schools (BPS). She has been employed by the BPS for the past 20 years. A school social worker by training, Aundrea has focused on service to others through the development of youth mentoring and enrichment programs and church-community building programs. Service to others has allowed her to provide advice and direction as students navigate education, college, career, and life choices. As an educator and social worker, she believes it’s necessary to create networks and share life's journey to make life a little easier for someone else. Aundrea is married with three children and enjoys spending time with family, traveling, and event planning.