Friday, January 4, 2013
The South Hills Interfaith Ministries organized a large holiday gift drive for struggling families in the Pittsburgh area.
- VOLUNTEERS IN THE NEWS
- Mike Jones
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Friday, January 4
South Hills Interfaith Ministries (SHIM), which runs the Prospect Park Family Center in Whitehall Borough, organized a large holiday gift drive recently for struggling families in the Pittsburgh area. SHIM enlisted the support of local schools, congregations, businesses and residents to give thousands of donated gifts to those families. The group offered gifts for both adults and children to "shop" for during the holidays. Volunteers from area high schools then helped the families to wrap the gifts to exchange with their loved ones at a later time. "Gleeful secrecy is the mood of the day as families leave with their gifts," said Kate Snyder, community relations manager for SHIM. SHIM also put together a video so that participants could …
Tuesday, December 25, 2012
'Tis the season.
Participants in the Greater Pittsburgh Literacy Council's English-as-a-second-language (ESL) classes at the Prospect Park Family Center in Whitehall Borough have collected between 250 and 300 toiletries to be given to the homeless at Pittsburgh's Light of Life Rescue Mission. The ESL students, many of whom belong to refugee families in Whitehall, collected the items as part of a holiday giving project. "The response was much greater than expected," ESL teacher Susie Backscheider said, "and I am so proud of our students for their selflessness and willingness to contribute." The giving project led to much ESL classroom discussion about homelessness and helping others. "They (the students) know all too well what it means to 'go without' and …
40.364937
-79.965177
Prospect Park Family Center
1450 Maple Dr, Pittsburgh, PA
/articles/prospect-park-folks-collect-items-for-homeless
1253708
/locations/8436033
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
You can catch video from the event here.
The Whitehall Church along East Willock Road played host on Nov. 15 to an annual Thanksgiving celebration, and the event's organizers—South Hills Interfaith Ministries (SHIM)—captured video from the event. (See video above.) Originally organized in 2006 to celebrate both Thanksgiving and the announcement that SHIM was opening the Prospect Park Family Center in Whitehall Borough early the next year, the event has grown by leaps and bounds. Dinner at the event features meals prepared by families serviced by SHIM, as well as SHIM employees. The choices range from American Thanksgiving staples, such as turkey, mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie, to items more typical of some SHIM families' native countries. According to its website, SHIM's …
40.359228
-79.966158
The Whitehall Church
4935 E Willock Rd, Pittsburgh, PA
/articles/watch-refugees-enjoy-thanksgiving-at-whitehall-church
1253309
/locations/8246579
Saturday, June 9, 2012
Kelly honored at PNC Park for literacy programs.
Whitehall Borough knows that it has a gem in Paula Kelly, the director of the Whitehall Public Library. And after Friday night, on the diamond of PNC Park, a good bit of the rest of the Pittsburgh area knows that, too. The Pittsburgh Pirates honored Kelly on Friday as one of its 2012 Community Champions. She joined Pirates Chairman Bob Nutting and a number of other front-office types for an awards ceremony at PNC prior to the team's 4-2 win over the Kansas City Royals. "This award is given to six area individuals who are 'champions' in their community," said Chaz Kellem, manager of diversity initiatives for the Pirates, "and have positively contributed to the betterment of the diverse community in our region." Many Ly, program services …
40.44817
-80.00421
115 Federal St, Pittsburgh, PA
PNC Park
/articles/video-whitehall-library-s-kelly-is-pirates-community-champion
/locations/7177622
Thursday, April 5, 2012
On Wednesday, the Whitehall Library screened a video that tells the story of a transportation program that brings refugees to the building.
In collegiate fiction-writing courses, a common piece of advice goes something like this: If you hit a block and can't figure out where the plot should go, put your characters in a moving vehicle. The Whitehall Public Library has been doing something of the sort since 2002, when it launched its LEARN Bus program, transporting refugee residents from Whitehall Borough's Wallace (Prospect) Park area to the library for a monthly literacy initiative. The program has done so well that the Office of Commonwealth Libraries honored Whitehall for it last year, and a video that the library's leaders screened this past Wednesday night tells its story—one that those involved in the program hope will provide a road map for other libraries serving …
40.35093
-79.978899
Whitehall Public Library
100 Borough Park Dr, Pittsburgh, PA
/articles/video-spotlights-refugee-literacy-program-in-whitehall
1834990
/locations/7177547
Monday, December 19, 2011
The organization's Pantry Plus program, as well as other local organizations, will benefit from Wal-Mart donations.
- VOLUNTEERS IN THE NEWS
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Monday, December 19, 2011
South Hills Interfaith Ministries (SHIM), which runs the Prospect Park Family Center in Whitehall Borough, was the recipient on Thursday of a grant presented by Wal-Mart and The Walmart Foundation. SHIM, headquartered in Bethel Park, received $30,000 to run its Pantry Plus program. “Poverty is usually hidden in suburban communities, but all of that is beginning to change as the needs keep growing,” said Jim Guffey, executive director of SHIM, which has a pantry that distributes more than 250,000 pounds of food per year. Funding from Wal-Mart and The Walmart Foundation targets organizations working to help those in need in the Pittsburgh area. SHIM's pantry enables needy families to choose from a large variety of fresh breads, canned goods…
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Starting Dec. 13, St. Clair will donate 50 cents to SHIM for every retweet of the hospital's original hashtag message (#Tweet2Help)—up to $1,000.
St. Clair Hospital is calling all tweeters to help South Hills Interfaith Ministries (SHIM) provide holiday meals for needy area residents by participating in St. Clair’s upcoming #Tweet2Help drive. SHIM is based in Bethel Park and runs the Prospect Park Family Center in Whitehall Borough. SHIM is a nonprofit, human services organization that provides family and children services to the suburban poor and to refugee families living in Pittsburgh’s South Hills area. SHIM’s suburban poverty programs include a food pantry, a community clothing closet and financial literacy classes. SHIM’s programs are designed to serve as a bridge toward self-sufficiency—meeting the emergency needs of the individuals and the families that they serve by …
40.376499
-80.06742
1000 Bower Hill Rd, Pittsburgh, PA
St. Clair Hospital
/articles/shim-st-clair-hospital-seek-help-via-social-media
/locations/6000440
40.364937
-79.965177
Prospect Park Family Center
1450 Maple Dr, Pittsburgh, PA
/articles/shim-st-clair-hospital-seek-help-via-social-media
1253708
/locations/6000441
40.32847
-80.029
5301 Park Ave, Bethel Park, PA
South Hills Interfaith Ministries
/articles/shim-st-clair-hospital-seek-help-via-social-media
/locations/6000442
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
A roundup of the region's top stories.
Here are today's top stories from Patch sites in your area: Kidnap-Murder Case Still 'Not A Lost Cause' 34 Years Later KO Teacher, CUP Beneficiary Shawn O'Donnell Succumbs to Cancer South Hills Interfaith Ministries Asks Whitehall Council for Support Fort Couch Middle Named a 'School to Watch,' Again Boyce Middle Redesignated as a 'School to Watch' CV Grad Films Doritos Super Bowl Commercial Brown Eyed Baker Makes Thanksgiving with a Twist --- Follow the Baldwin-Whitehall Patch on Facebook and Twitter.
Saturday, November 19, 2011
An estimated 200 people from refugee and immigrant families gathered at The Whitehall Church on East Willock.
An annual Thanksgiving celebration organized by South Hills Interfaith Ministries (SHIM) fed about 50 happy people at its first run in 2006. On Thursday night, that number grew to about 200 people, and that's only because The Whitehall Church auditorium couldn't hold anymore. Originally organized to celebrate both Thanksgiving and the announcement that SHIM was opening the Prospect Park Family Center in early 2007, SHIM's annual November dinner has grown to where it took two full bus trips to bring refugee and immigrant families from Whitehall Borough's Wallace (Prospect) Park area to The Whitehall Church on East Willock Road on Thursday. Volunteers from Duquesne University, the University of Pittsburgh, Seton-La Salle Catholic High School…
40.359228
-79.966158
The Whitehall Church
4935 E Willock Rd, Pittsburgh, PA
/articles/photos-south-hills-interfaith-ministries-thanksgiving-celebration
1253309
/locations/5840349
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Also, budget planning for 2012 is discussed in these remaining notes from the Nov. 16 Whitehall Borough meeting.
“Do you build prisons, or do you invest in children?” were the words of South Hills Interfaith Ministries (SHIM) Executive Director Jim Guffey as he spoke to the Whitehall Borough Council on Wednesday night, asking for its support in the continued funding of his organization. Particularly, Guffey wanted the Whitehall Council to formally back his organization’s efforts by contacting higher-ranking government officials and asking for their support, as well. Guffey told Whitehall council members that SHIM is looking at cutting programs and/or a block of employees should it not receive a favorable amount of Allegheny County funding soon. According to its website, SHIM’s Prospect Park Family Center (in Whitehall) was established in February …
40.35093
-79.978899
Borough of Whitehall Municipal Complex (Administrative Offices and Outdoor Recreation)
100 Borough Park Dr, Pittsburgh, PA
/articles/south-hills-interfaith-ministries-asks-whitehall-council-for-support
1833209
/locations/5840297
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9:57 pm on Wednesday, November 28, 2012
It is great to see humanity to these refugees. But we also have millions of Americans that can't feed their families, pay their bills, have places to live because there isn't any jobs. We need to take care of American Citizens who though no fault of their own lost jobs and are homeless. more ›