Michelle Rone Cooper, Executive Director
McAuley Ministries, the grant-making arm of Pittsburgh Mercy Health System, sponsored by the Sisters of Mercy, has awarded 19 grants totaling $1.2 million to 17 nonprofit organizations. Announced today, the majority of the grants will support business development, education, services to persons who are homeless, and capacity-building initiatives in Pittsburgh’s Hill District, Uptown, and West Oakland communities.
The organizations and grants awarded, in alphabetical order, are:
ACH Clear Pathways
$10,000 to support a summer camp for 50 youth in the Hill District. The camp will focus on creative and performing arts, exercise, and health education.
Bethlehem Haven
$40,000 to assist women who are homeless to identify safe, appropriate, and affordable housing. The program links income, housing, and social supports to help women end homelessness.
Center that C.A.R.E.S.
$70,000 for after-school programming that will serve 100 students, grades PreK-12. C.A.R.E.S. will also implement two college and cultural tours for middle and high school students.
Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank
$30,000 to support 24 food pantries and two farm stands in the Hill District, Uptown, and West Oakland.
Hill Community Development Corporation
$150,000 over three years to build the capacity of the organization by adding staff to focus on three key revitalization efforts: creating mixed income housing, developing the commerce district along Centre Avenue, and maximizing community reinvestment through the redevelopment of the Lower Hill District.
Hill House Association: Garden of Hope
$3,000 for the Ujamaa Collective to re-open the Garden of Hope for community gardening. The grant will support evening and Saturday staff to provide access to the garden, vegetables, herbs, and fertilizer for planting.
Macedonia Family and Community Enrichment Center (FACE)
$100,000 to pilot a partnership with the Allegheny County Department of Human Services, the Hill District Education Council (HDEC), and other community-based organizations to implement a truancy intervention and prevention initiative. FACE will target chronically-truant students enrolled in the University Preparatory School at Pittsburgh Milliones 6-12, and engage the family and the community to identify and remove the barriers that are preventing students from attending school regularly and on time.
Mercy Housing Inc.
$5,000 in emergency support to relocate residents of the Franconia Apartments, a Mercy Housing community in Denver serving a senior population with special needs. The residence was severely damaged by a fire and all residents were displaced.
MGR Foundation
$16,800 to implement an Arts-in-Action Classroom Residency at Pittsburgh Miller PreK-5 School. Artists will work with 4th and 5th grade science, social studies, and emotional support teachers to integrate music, art, drama, dance, and/or media to enhance the curriculum.
Oakland Planning and Development Corporation: Safe, Healthy, Affordable Housing
$20,000 to purchase and demolish a deteriorated Terrace Street property for new home construction. Oakland Planning will promote home ownership for middle income families in West Oakland.
Oakland Planning and Development Corporation: School 2 Career 2013-14
$75,000 to provide homework assistance, tutoring, SAT preparation, and mentored work experiences to 40 high school students. School 2 Career is directly focused on student achievement and preparing students for graduation, Pittsburgh Promise-eligibility, college, and career.
Pittsburgh Mercy Health System: Operation Safety Net ®
$100,000 to replace the Operation Safety Net medical van which delivers primary care services and mental health counseling to persons who are homeless. The van is staffed to provide free medical care, case management, and behavioral health services.
POISE Foundation
$66,000 over two years to support a community-based approach to address racial disparities and establish a plan for the long-term sustainability of the Black community.
Program to Aid Citizen Enterprise (PACE)
$30,000 for PACE to deliver its year-long Intensive Services Capacity-Building Program to the Center that C.A.R.E.S.
Regional Housing Legal Services
$50,000 over two years for legal and technical support to Hill District organizations that are implementing the equitable development principles from the Hill District Master Plan. The grant will focus on two specific projects: the development of the Lower Hill District and the development of housing options along the Centre Avenue corridor.
Schenley Heights Development Program
$50,000 to provide out-of-school academic and recreational programming to 100 students in the Hill District. Schenley Heights will emphasize homework support, arts and cultural enrichment, parent engagement, and professional staff development. Students will be exposed to academic enrichment that focuses on STEAM, i.e., Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math.
Shepherd’s Heart Fellowship: Operating Support
$150,000 over three years to provide support services, such as food, shelter, and transportation to persons who are homeless.
Shepherd’s Heart Fellowship: Renovation of the Drop-in Center
$86,000 to enhance and expand the Drop-In Center to include a fitness room and exam/counseling room. The Drop-In Center serves 50-100 homeless people daily with food, counseling, shower, and laundry facilities.
Urban Innovation21
$175,000 to provide funding to start and/or grow businesses owned by Hill District residents and deliver long-term, culturally-competent business consulting. The grant will also assist businesses to leverage other capital.
“As McAuley Ministries marks its fifth anniversary, we celebrate the relationships we have been able to develop with our neighbors in West Oakland, the Hill District, and Uptown,” stated Sister Sheila Carney, RSM, a Sister of Mercy and chairperson of the McAuley Ministries Board of Directors. “These most recent grants exemplify our ongoing commitment to helping create neighborhoods that are safe, healthy, and vibrant.”
McAuley Ministries was established by Pittsburgh Mercy Health System and the Sisters of Mercy in February of 2008. Since then, it has awarded more than $11.1 million in grants to local nonprofit organizations. To view a list of grants awarded by year, visit www.mcauleyministries.org.
About McAuley Ministries
McAuley Ministries, the grant-making arm of Pittsburgh Mercy Health System, is guided by the mission, tradition, and legacy of the Sisters of Mercy. The organization’s mission is to be a catalyst for change, committing resources and working collaboratively to promote healthy, safe, and vibrant communities. McAuley Ministries focuses its grant making on the neighborhoods of the Hill District, Uptown, and West Oakland in the City of Pittsburgh, and on community initiatives in Southwestern Pennsylvania that are sponsored by or associated with the Sisters of Mercy. Funding priorities include projects that support entrepreneurship and workforce development; affordable housing; educational success; health and wellness; community development; and capacity building assistance to nonprofit organizations. Since its establishment in February of 2008, McAuley Ministries has awarded more than $11.1 million in grants to local nonprofit organizations. For more information about McAuley Ministries or its important work in the community, visit www.mcauleyministries.org.
About Pittsburgh Mercy Health System
Pittsburgh Mercy Health System (PMHS), part of CHE Trinity Inc. and sponsored by the Sisters of Mercy, is one of the region’s largest health and social service nonprofits and also one of its largest employers. PMHS includes A Child’s Place at Mercy, McAuley Ministries, Mercy Behavioral Health, Mercy Community Health, Mercy Intellectual Disabilities Services, Mercy Parish Nurse and Health Ministry Program, Operation Safety Net®, and Pittsburgh Mercy Family Health Center. Together, these PMHS programs and their 1,700 employees serve more than 26,000 individuals annually at 60+ locations in Southwestern Pennsylvania. To learn more about PMHS, or to make a donation in support of its important work in the community, visit www.pmhs.org.
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