McAuley Ministries awards more than $480,000 in grants to nonprofits

PITTSBURGH - In December, McAuley Ministries, Pittsburgh Mercy's grant-making foundation, announced they awarded 12 grants totaling $480,440 to 11 Pittsburgh area nonprofit organizations. The grants will support affordable housing, after-school programs, health and wellness, community development, education, and collaborative funding initiatives in Pittsburgh'sHill District, Uptown and West Oakland communities.

The grantmaking 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:

*$42,000 to the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh to establish a sixth site for "The Labs @ CLP" at the 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, afterschool 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 will receive $40,000 to expand an afterschool music program based at St. Benedict the Moor School in the Hill District and build the organization's infrastructure.

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

*$50,000 to United Way of Southwestern PA for the Hill Youth Partnership for Enrichment. 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:

*$35,000 to 412 Food Rescue 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:

*$25,000 to GTECH Strategies 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.

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

Education:

*$10,000 to Center that C.A.R.E.S. to provide a transportation service for high school students who attend Pittsburgh Milliones K-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 will receive $57,200 to provide executive coaching for a second cohort of 10 nonprofit leaders.

*$75,000 to Pittsburgh Foundation, 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.