McAuley Ministries awards $480,440 in grants to 11 Pittsburgh-area nonprofit organizations

PITTSBURGH – McAuley Ministries, Pittsburgh Mercy’s grant-making foundation, today announced the awarding of 12 grants totaling $480,440 to 11 Pittsburgh-area nonprofit organizations. The grants support affordable housing, after-school programs, health and wellness, community development, education, and collaborative funding initiatives in Pittsburgh’s Hill District, Uptown, and West Oakland communities.

The grant-making foundation awards approximately $3 million in grants annually. Since 2008, McAuley Ministries has awarded 517 grants totaling more than $20.9 million to nonprofit organizations in support of their work in these communities, as well as ministries that serve in the tradition of the Sisters of Mercy.

To view a list of grants awarded by year, visit www.mcauleyministries.org.

Grouped by category, the recipients of the grant awards are:

Affordable Housing

Community at Holy Family Manor: $35,000 to Nazareth Housing to make vital home repairs for 7-10 low-income, elderly, or disabled homeowners.

After-School Programs

Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh: $42,000 to establish a sixth site for “The Labs @ CLP” at the Carnegie Library Hill District branch. The Labs provide access to new technology, digital media, specialized equipment, and resources that spark, encourage, and support curiosity and interests among youth.

Higher Achievement: $50,000 to operate the Hill District Achievement Center, a college-preparatory, after-school option for middle school students. The Achievement Center provides 3-4 years of uninterrupted focus on rigorous academics, enriching electives, and mentoring to prepare students for college-preparatory courses in high school.

Orchestra on the Hill: $40,000 to expand an after-school music program based at St. Benedict the Moor School in the Hill District and build the organization’s infrastructure.

United Way of Southwestern PA: $25,000 for Allegheny Partners for Out-of-School Time (APOST), a partnership of funders, intermediary organizations, and out-of-school time providers, dedicated to building quality after-school, weekend, and summer programs.

United Way of Southwestern PA: $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.

Health and Wellness

412 Food Rescue: $35,000 for volunteer outreach and food recovery initiatives to connect food that would otherwise go to waste to organizations that serve persons at risk for food insecurity.

Community Development

GTECH Strategies: $25,000 to collaborate with the Hill District Consensus Group and the Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh to engage, equip, and empower 8-10 residents from the Bedford Dwellings and Middle Hill neighborhoods of the Hill District to participate in a targeted education and training program. The program will culminate in residents reclaiming and improving vacant land in the Middle Hill District.

Hill Community Development Corporation: $36,240 to install an elevator in the MOKA Art Gallery on Centre Avenue in the Hill District.

Education

Center that C.A.R.E.S.: $10,000 to provide a transportation service for high school students who attend Pittsburgh Milliones 6-12 University Preparatory School but do not qualify for transportation from the Pittsburgh Public School District. The goals are to reduce student absenteeism and tardiness, and demonstrate the need for a modified transportation policy.

Collaborative Funding

Program to Aid Citizen Enterprise (PACE): $57,200 to provide executive coaching for a second cohort of 10 nonprofit leaders.

Pittsburgh Foundation: $75,000, payable over three years, for the Jail Collaborative, a public/private partnership designed to improve prisoner re-entry to the community and, by doing so, reduce recidivism and strengthen families and communities.

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. 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. The grant-making foundation awards approximately $3 million in grants annually. Since 2008, McAuley Ministries has awarded 517 grants and community support totaling more than $20.9 million. View a list of grants awarded by year at www.mcauleyministries.org.

About Pittsburgh Mercy

Pittsburgh Mercy, a member of Trinity Health, serving in the tradition of the Sisters of Mercy, is one of the largest health and human service nonprofit organizations and also one of the largest employers in Southwestern Pennsylvania. Pittsburgh Mercy includes Bethlehem Haven, 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 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.

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