McAuley Ministries announces 16 outreach grants totaling $788,340

Grants will advance health and wellness, community and economic development, capacity-building, education, and out-of-school time initiatives in the Hill District, Uptown, and West Oakland

PITTSBURGH  – McAuley Ministries, Pittsburgh Mercy’s grant-making foundation, today announced 16 outreach grants totaling $788,340. The grants will advance health and wellness, community and economic development, capacity building, education, and out-of-school time initiatives in Pittsburgh’s Hill District, Uptown, and West Oakland communities, as well as ministries that continue to serve in the tradition of the Pittsburgh Sisters of Mercy.

Since its founding by the Pittsburgh Sisters of Mercy in 2008, McAuley Ministries has awarded 679 grants and community support totaling $29.2 million to nonprofit organizations. In 2018, the West Oakland-based grant-making foundation celebrated 10 years of grant making, working collaboratively, and investing in communities that are safe, vibrant, and celebrated, and in which residents are healthy and enabled to reach their full potential. McAuley Ministries awards approximately $3 million in grants annually, making it one of the region’s largest philanthropic foundations. View grants awarded by year at www.mcauleyministries.org.

Grouped by McAuley Ministries’ grant-making priorities, the recipients of the grants are:

Health & Wellness

Center for Hearing & Deaf Services

$50,000 to provide free hearing aids and other assistive listening devices to low-income residents of the Hill District, Uptown, and West Oakland.

Consumer Health Coalition

$10,000 to provide health care navigation services to assist residents in understanding their health insurance options during the Affordable Care Act open enrollment period.

Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh

$5,000 for counseling and support services to families affected by the tragedy at the Tree of Life Synagogue as well as support for general services, reconstruction, and additional security throughout the community.

Jubilee Association

$30,000 to provide support for the Preventing Homelessness Program, addressing food insecurity, clothing, transportation, and emergency assistance for rent and utilities.

Community & Economic Development

Hill Community Development Corporation

$150,000 over three years ($50,000/year) to prevent the demolition of structures that are deemed salvageable and then stabilize and rehabilitate the properties for homeownership and/or commercial development.

Capacity Building

Hill District Consensus Group

$50,000 for education and advocacy initiatives designed to protect and expand the supply of quality rental housing and address environmental justice issues, specifically related to water quality.

Hug Me Tight Childlife Centers
$180,000, payable over three years, for operational support to two early childhood centers that serve 60 children. The grant will be used to enhance worker salaries, professional development, and administrative processes.

Program to Aid Citizen Enterprise (PACE)

$60,050 for executive coaching for African-American leaders. Cohort IV will provide support to eight executives and four next-generation leaders.

Sisters Place

$105,000 over three years for operations to provide permanent supportive housing.

St. Joseph of the Pines

$5,000 for disaster relief for colleagues who were affected by Hurricane Florence.

The Historic Olivet Baptist Church

$1,500 for emergency roof and drywall repair.

The Thomas Merton Center

$5,000 for emergency sewer line repair.

Education

A+ Schools Pittsburgh Community Alliance for Public Education

$500 for publication and distribution of its 2018 Report to the Community.

Carlow University

$36,290 to pilot strategies that offer assistance to minority and at-risk nursing students, providing mentorship, professional networking, tutoring, and other supports to increase retention and graduation rates.

Education: Out-of-School Time

United Way of Southwestern PA: Allegheny Partners for Out-of-School Time (APOST)

$50,000 for Allegheny Partners for Out-of-School Time (APOST), a partnership of funders, intermediary organizations, and out-of-school time providers dedicated to building and advocating for quality after-school, weekend, and summer programs.

United Way of Southwestern PA: Hill Youth Partnership for Enrichment (HYPE)

$50,000 for the Hill Youth Partnership for Enrichment (HYPE). HYPE is a grassroots collaborative effort of Hill District youth service providers that focuses on engaging more youth from kindergarten through 12th grade in high-quality, after-school and summer programs.

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. 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. Since its founding by the Sisters of Mercy in 2008, McAuley Ministries has awarded 679 grants and community support totaling more than $29.2 million. It awards approximately $3 million in grants annually, making it one the largest philanthropic foundations in Southwestern Pennsylvania. To learn more about McAuley Ministries and the initiatives it supports, visit www.mcauleyministries.org.

About Pittsburgh Mercy

Pittsburgh Mercy, a member of Trinity Health, serving in the tradition of the Sisters of Mercy, is   a person-centered, population-based, trauma-informed community health and wellness provider. Pittsburgh Mercy, home to the region’s only Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic, is also one of the largest nonprofit organizations and employers in Southwestern Pennsylvania. Pittsburgh Mercy includes Bethlehem Haven, McAuley Ministries, Pittsburgh Mercy Behavioral Health, Pittsburgh Mercy Community Health, Pittsburgh Mercy Intellectual Disabilities Services, the Pittsburgh Mercy Parish Nurse & Health Ministry Program, Pittsburgh Mercy’s Operation Safety Net®, and Pittsburgh Mercy Family Health Center. Together, these Pittsburgh Mercy programs and their 1,700 employees serve more than 33,000 individuals annually at 60+ locations in Southwestern Pennsylvania. To learn more about Pittsburgh Mercy, or to make a donation in support of its important work in the community, visit www.pittsburghmercy.org.