Pittsburgh Critical Need: help for the homeless
Pittsburgh Critical Need: Help for the Homeless
Pittsburgh Foundation program to double donations
PITTSBURGH, PA, Dec. 4, 2014 – The Pittsburgh Foundation is leading a second community Critical Needs Alert program to aid individuals and families experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity this holiday season, and is asking the public to make contributions through its PittsburghGives donation portal.
The foundation will conduct a three-week public campaign to address homelessness in Allegheny County beginning Dec. 8. Donations at PittsburghGives.org of $25 or more will be matched dollar for dollar up to $100,000 by the Foundation and distributed to 30 nonprofit organizations that serve those who are without their own housing.
“People in the community often view the homeless as only those who sleep under bridges,” Maxwell King, the foundation’s president and CEO of said in announcing the campaign. “The reality is that such stereotypes are outdated and inaccurate. It could be a child that is attending school each day but then going to a friend’s house each evening and sleeping on a couch.”
One negative life event can force an individual or family into a housing crisis. For many individuals, it is the “one-two” punch of an unexpected illness followed by the loss of regular employment which triggers a downward spiral into poverty and eventually, an unstable housing situation.
“Temporary or emergency homelessness in our community is a chronic problem for people who are our friends and neighbors – even family members,” said King.
Human services workers have had the experience of dealing with veterans, senior citizens and teenagers, as well as women and their children who are attempting to pull away from an abusive home situation.
Last year, The Pittsburgh Foundation led a similar Critical Needs Alert campaign in response to shortages at local food banks. The emergency community-wide appeal raised $617,804 to help food banks in Allegheny and Westmoreland counties meet an unprecedented rise in demand.
“Though Pittsburgh’s economy is looking brighter and there is a renewed sense of momentum, we are still seeing the impact of the Great Recession in our region with many residents facing financial pressures that can lead quickly to a loss of housing,” said King. “No one in the Pittsburgh region should be without a decent place to live, and residents of this community have the opportunity to see their contributions doubled to assist nonprofit organizations that are dedicated to pulling people out of homelessness.”
Visit PittsburghGives.org to make a donation or learn more.
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