Grants support safe, affordable housing; workforce development; health and wellness; education; community and economic development; and capacity-building initiatives
PITTSBURGH (September 3, 2015) – McAuley Ministries, Pittsburgh Mercy Health System’s grant-making foundation and one of the largest philanthropic foundations in Southwestern Pennsylvania, has awarded 23 grants totaling $1,968,868 to expand outreach to vulnerable populations. The grants support safe, affordable housing; workforce development; health and wellness; education; community and economic development; and capacity-building initiatives in Pittsburgh’s Hill District, Uptown, and West Oakland communities; as well as ministries that serve in the tradition of the Sisters of Mercy in Pittsburgh.
Since 2008, McAuley Ministries has awarded 426 grants and community support totaling more than $17.9 million. It awards approximately $3 million in grants annually.
Grouped by category, the recipients of the grants are:
Safe, Affordable Housing Initiatives
Community at Holy Family Manor
$25,000 for Nazareth Housing to make vital home repairs for five to 10 low-income, elderly, or disabled homeowners, thus enabling them to live in healthy, safe, and comfortable housing.
Oakland Planning and Development Corporation
$40,000 to support housing initiatives in West Oakland through a matching façade improvement program and support of transaction costs for housing purchase, rehabilitation, and resale.
Rebuilding Together Pittsburgh
$250,000 to provide health and safety repairs to the homes of 20 low-income homeowners. In addition, Rebuilding Together will collaborate with FOCUS Pittsburgh to target a specific neighborhood block for improvement and provide work experience in the construction trades for six residents.
Workforce Development Initiatives
Community College of Allegheny County Education Foundation
$138,178 over two years to provide training in welding, HVAC, or plumbing for 15 residents of the Hill District, Uptown, or West Oakland at the CCAC West Hills Center. The grant will also provide academic support and guidance for 30 students to prepare for entrance to skilled trades union programs.
Health and Wellness Initiatives
American National Red Cross
$25,000 to educate residents on fire safety, heighten awareness of preventable risk factors, and increase the number of smoke alarms in homes. The Red Cross will reach 560 households through a fire prevention awareness event, door-to-door canvassing with fire prevention literature, and distributing and installing smoke detectors to those residences in need.
Pittsburgh Mercy Health System: Geriatric Services
$150,000 to provide support, preventive care, psychiatric evaluation and treatment for the growing geriatric patient base at the Pittsburgh Mercy Family Health Center. The center will hire a certified nurse practitioner with expertise in geriatrics to manage the health of this population, decrease barriers to care, and provide education regarding nutrition and wellness to enhance quality of life.
Education Initiatives
Higher Achievement
$50,000 to operate the Hill District Achievement Center, a college-preparatory after-school option for fifth- through eighth-grade students. The Achievement Center provides 3-4 years of uninterrupted focus on rigorous academics, enriching electives, and mentoring to prepare students for college tracks in high school.
Moving Lives of Kids Arts Center
$28,000 to work with after-school programs to create four permanent works of public art in the Hill District. The project will employ 15 youth to work with younger students and professional artists to create the murals.
Orchestra on the Hill
$50,000 for year two support of an after-school music program based at St. Benedict the Moor School in the Hill District and modeled after El Sistema, the National System of Youth Orchestras of Venezuela. The current program will reach 30 students and expand to a second site in the Hill District.
POISE Foundation
$32,250 for the Hill District Education Council to engage parents and the community to advocate for educational equity and school safety, and establish a welcoming and respectful culture in Hill District schools.
YMCA of Greater Pittsburgh
$150,000 over three years to support the after-school program at the Thelma Lovette YMCA. The Y will deliver tutoring and homework support to 40 students.
Community and Economic Development Initiatives
FOCUS Pittsburgh
$200,000 over two years to address community trauma by establishing a trauma-informed community development strategy. The initiative will recruit and train a Behavioral Health Community Organizer; implement neighborhood interventions that connect families to resources to improve health and well-being; establish transitional housing while creating a longer-term cooperative housing strategy; and collaborate with Duquesne University and the University of Pittsburgh to develop a methodology to measure and track individual well-being.
Hill House Association: Self-Sufficiency Grants
$82,750 to offer support to families who are on a journey to self-sufficiency through home ownership, education, and enhanced employment.
Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy
$8,200 to provide transportation from Ammon Pool to other city pools. The Hill District’s Ammon Pool did not open for the summer season because a critical, custom-made replacement part did not arrive in time to open the pool. The City of Pittsburgh will provide a shuttle bus to transport youth from Ammon to other city pools.
Capacity-Building Initiatives
Blind and Vision Rehabilitation Services of Pittsburgh
$150,000 to support the construction of a rooftop sensory garden at the organization’s new Uptown facility. The garden will provide a controlled environment for adaptive training for persons who are blind or vision-impaired while providing a park-like setting that will be available to Uptown residents.
Carlow University: Leadership Development Pilgrimage
$70,000 for two pilgrimages to Mercy International Centre in Ireland to prepare students, faculty, and future leaders to be conversant with and about the mission and values of the Sisters of Mercy.
Carlow University: Social Justice Institutes
$50,000 to recruit and hire a director to launch the new Social Justice Institutes with a focus on issues that impact women.
Hill Dance Academy Theatre
$50,000 in general operating support to deliver dance education and community outreach.
Neighborhood Allies
$50,000 for The Neighborhood Allies Fellowship Program, designed to attract, mentor, and connect emerging, under-represented leaders to the local community development field.
NeighborWorks of Western Pennsylvania
$200,000 over three years to support the NeighborWorks Leadership Collaboratory, which will engage 16 Hill District and Uptown residents to build leadership capacity, professional, and community development skills as they advance community-driven change.
Reading is FUNdamental Pittsburgh
$9,490 to support an AmeriCorps member to provide community outreach and engage youth in literacy activities.
Uptown Partners of Pittsburgh
$150,000 over three years for general operating support. Uptown Partners will provide community outreach and engagement, economic development, and neighborhood enhancement to achieve sustainable revitalization of the Uptown neighborhood.
Emergency/Disaster Relief Initiative
Catholic Relief Services
$10,000 to support emergency relief efforts in Nepal following a devastating earthquake.
To view these and other McAuley Ministries grants awarded by year, visit www.mcauleyministries.org.
About McAuley Ministries
Named in honor of Catherine McAuley, founder of the Sisters of Mercy, McAuley Ministries is the grant-making foundation of Pittsburgh Mercy Health System. Established in 2008, McAuley Ministries serves as a catalyst for change, committing resources and working collaboratively to promote healthy, safe, and vibrant communities. Grant-making priorities include health and wellness, community and economic development, education, and capacity-building initiatives for nonprofit organizations which focus on the Hill District, Uptown, and West Oakland, communities historically served by the Sisters of Mercy. McAuley Ministries also provides support to organizations that are sponsored by and/or affiliated with the Sisters. McAuley Ministries is one the largest philanthropic foundations in Southwestern Pennsylvania. Since 2008, it has awarded 426 grants and community support totaling more than $17.9 million. It awards approximately $3 million in grants annually. View a list of grants awarded by year at www.mcauleyministries.org.
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