Photo courtesy of Pittsburgh Mercy.
The New Pittsburgh Courier has learned that Pittsburgh Mercy, one of the region’s most experienced homeless service providers, is providing temporary emergency shelter services to up to 100 individuals displaced by the June 4 fire Second Avenue Commons, Downtown. Pittsburgh Mercy is the emergency shelter, overflow shelter, and engagement center provider at Second Avenue Commons. Guests staying at the temporary emergency shelter at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center have been invited to move on a longer-term, temporary basis today (Saturday, June 15, 2024) to a 4,620 square-foot gymnasium at Pittsburgh Mercy, 1200 Reedsdale Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15233 (Chateau) while the necessary repairs to Second Avenue Commons are being completed. At Pittsburgh Mercy, emergency shelter guests will have access to restrooms, showers, bunk beds, meals, laundry, air conditioning, and other services.
“Pittsburgh Mercy has served people who are experiencing homelessness for over 70 years. This most vulnerable population needs our help now more than ever,” stated Tony Beltran, president and CEO of Pittsburgh Mercy, a member of Trinity Health, serving in the tradition of the Sisters of Mercy. “In keeping with the traditions of our founding Sisters of Mercy, we rise, we help, and we give hope to the most vulnerable in times of greatest need,” Beltran continued. Pittsburgh Mercy had been serving upwards of 150 individuals a night at the Convention Center, he noted.
Pittsburgh Mercy and Allegheny County Department of Human Services (DHS) are working to find appropriate locations for guests at the Convention Center, across multiple settings. DHS identified several alternate care sites that Pittsburgh Mercy visited with them. Many of the sites were ruled out because they did not meet safety requirements or have air conditioning, Beltran said. “The safest, most viable alternate care site for longer-term, temporary emergency shelter is our gymnasium,” Beltran said. “It’s accessible, air conditioned, available, and has the capacity to serve up to 100 individuals. It will also reduce the number of times people have to move.”
Individuals staying at the Convention Center will move today (Saturday, June 15, 2024). Pittsburgh Regional Transit (PRT) will provide transportation from the Convention Center to the new space.
Guests will have access to personal belongings.
Traditional engagement center services and overflow shelter operations at Pittsburgh Mercy continue are suspended due to the fire emergency.
People experiencing homelessness should contact the Allegheny Link at 1-866-730-2368 for support. In-person services are available Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., at the Allegheny County Department of Human Services at the Human Services Building, located at 1 Smithfield Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15222 (Downtown).
“Pittsburgh Mercy thanks the City of Pittsburgh; the City of Pittsburgh Bureau of Public Safety, Police, Fire, and EMS; Allegheny County DHS; the American Red Cross; the David L. Lawrence Convention Center; Pittsburgh Regional Transit (PRT); our partner homeless service providers; and others who have reached out to support some of the most vulnerable in our community. This emergency is not over. The needs continue to be great,” stated Beltran.
To our generous community: If you would like to make a monetary donation to help during these extraordinary times, please visit https://donate.pittsburghmercy.org/secondavenuecommons.
To make a direct in-kind donation to Pittsburgh Mercy or to volunteer, please email Pittsburgh Mercy volunteer coordinator Brendan Copp at Brendan.Copp@pittsburghmercy.org. The items most needed include all sizes of new men’s and women’s sweatpants, t-shirts, and boxers, socks, slide sandals, and flip flops.
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