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Last night, East End Cooperative Ministry (EECM) learned of a water advisory affecting our neighborhood. Over 100,000 Pittsburgh residents are currently under this advisory and in an abundance of caution are being asked to flush and boil water before drinking, making ice, washing dishes, brushing teeth and food preparation. EECM took immediate action to ensure that our services remain open, accessible, and safe for our community. Our community lunch is available as normal, packed in bags with fresh bottled water for anyone in need. We thank the volunteers every day, but especially today to ensure uninterrupted service to our community. East End Cooperative Ministry is pleased to be partnering with Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank to distribute clean water to those in need. We will be working together to ensure access to clean water to the affected neighborhoods and anyone in need is encouraged to utilize this resource. EECM will be accepting donations of bottled water from anyone with the ability to give. We will be open for both collection and distribution this weekend, February 2-5, 2017 at the following times: Thursday- Friday from 8:30AM-4:30PM and 7:00-9:00PM & Saturday-Sunday from 10:00AM-4:00PM. Additionally, EECM is offering free community meals this Saturday and Sunday, February 4-5, from 12:00-1:00PM. It is our mission and 47 year legacy to respond to community needs with opportunities and resources. The community kitchen serves hot lunches every Monday through Friday, from 12:15 to 1:00PM. This community meal is provided free of charge to all who are in need, although donations are welcomed! Anyone in need of a meal, clean water, or more information is welcomed to join us. Location: Collection and distribution will both be available on the loading dock on Harvard Street. The Community Kitchen and free meals are available through Entrance G next to the parking lot. (6140 Station Street).

Our entire community is cordially invited to the 33rd annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration sponsored by East End Cooperative Ministry in Honor of Dr. King and held at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. Admission is free, and everyone in the Pittsburgh area is cordially invited to attend. Donations of canned goods or other non-perishable food for the EECM Food Pantry are strongly encouraged and will be collected at the door. Click here to view the official event flyer Sunday, January 15, 2017 Music begins 3:30pm | Service at 4:00pm Pittsburgh Theological Seminary Chapel 616 North Highland Avenue Pittsburgh 15206. Parking available directly behind the chapel.

Our spring newsletter will be coming to a mail box near you in the next week, but here you can get the first look! Stories featuring our PHYSED (Points of Healthy Youth Sustainability Education and Development) Program, Take Our Sons and Daughters to Work Day, news from the Community Garden, and a poem from a participant in our Work Therapy program – and much more!

As we prepared to move into Community House last November, our staff saw the opportunity to do things differently in our programs. For example, we are shifting our focus to provide more than simply a bed or a meal. We want to help the people in our community become self-sufficient and break the cycle of dependency on social services. Essentially, we want to make it so that people don’t need agencies like EECM any more. To that end, we have renamed our Housing Services I.M.P.A.C.T.S (Individuals Making Progress and Change Toward Self-Sufficiency), grouped all of our residential, adult education and employment programs under this umbrella, and added a new component – Work Therapy. The I.M.P.A.C.T.S. Program encompasses all of EECM’s services designed to help individuals move toward self-sufficiency, including our educational, employment, and residential programs. Our case managers and volunteers help individuals break the cycle of addiction, poverty and homelessness by giving them access to the resources they need to achieve their goals. Many of the people we see in our East End neighborhoods have struggled throughout their lives with barriers which have prevented their keeping consistent and gainful employment. These barriers include mental health issues, substance use disorders, chronic poverty, lack of education, and incarceration. Kellie Wild, IMPACTS Programs Director, and her staff saw this as an opportunity to make a new impact and meet these needs in our community. The two biggest additions to EECM are the adult education and employment programs and our Work Therapy program. EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT PROGRAMS WORK THERAPY offers individuals the opportunity gain both hard and soft job skills. The goal of work therapy is to create an environment where one can overcome their personal barriers to learn, grow and move towards a level of self-sufficiency that permits living as a contributing member to the community. Employment leads to improved self-esteem, hope, and relationships and correlates with decreased illegal activity, physical problems, and homelessness. The programs you think of when you think of our Housing Programs still exist, almost exactly as they did before we called them IMPACTS Programs. We still have some beds on the second floor of Community House specifically for Emergency Shelter, for men and women (!) who are looking for overnight shelter. We also have several 4-person suites for a Short-Stay housing program, where men and women can stay for up to 6 months while they work with our staff on a personalized plan to help them become more independent and self-sufficient. FAITH, Bridge, Safe Haven, and PennFree Housing Programs are still running, off-site, and just the way they always have been. The name change from Housing to IMPACTS just signifies that all of these programs are seeking to do more than just give shelter, but help our neighbors find their way back to a more independent and self-supporting life in our community. Coming soon Community Connections Center Reading and Math Classes Computer and Life Skills Training Resume and Job Interview Workshops #eecmhousingprogram #impacts

From guest blogger, Dan H., Safe Haven Case Manager Safe Haven is an independent permanent housing program for men who have been homeless, and also face mental health challenges.  For many reasons, mental health can be a very difficult barrier for someone looking for a stable home. Many mental health challenges are also barriers to employment, making it difficult to focus at a job, or even keep an individual from being hired at all. However, having a safe place to live can be the stability that someone with mental challenges needs to take steps to manage their mental health, find a job or advance their education, and become a member of a community. Because Safe Haven is a permanent housing program, our success stories are our long time Safe Haven residents. (Most of our Safe Haven residents have lived with us for at least five years!) For the men who have stayed with us for several years, success is their ability to adjust their lives and mental health conditions, and come to a point where they are able to maintain housing.  Success also means that none of these men have been hospitalized for any mental health or substance abuse problems, while living here at Safe Haven.  Safe Haven is a drug and alcohol-free program, and all of the residents live their daily lives, free from drugs and alcohol.

2014 Annual Report

Written by: Kate Snyder, Development and Donor Communications Coordinator // Photographs by Joshua Franzos The students crowded around the table watched with wide-eyed revulsion as EECM staffer Cedrice held up the beaker of thick, viscous, brown liquid. A chorus of “ewww” and “gross” and “sick” could be heard throughout the room.And that was just the reaction he’d hoped for! And if the looks on the kids’ faces after that particular science project were any indication, we’re on the right track!

Bowling, biking, and swimming are just a few of the activities that children enjoyed at EECM’s Summer Day Camp this year. As always, it was an eventful five weeks filled with summer fun and most of all God’s love. This year, EECM’s Summer Day Camp Registration exploded, reaching full capacity (200 campers!) in record time, and even requiring a waiting list. The large size of the group hindered neither counselors nor campers from having an awesome summer experience! Counselors as well as campers had the opportunity to experience and witness personal developments, achievements, and overall growth. We could go on and on about the bonds that were built or strengthened, about children who came out of their shell, tried something new, learned an important lesson, or became leaders. Though it may not be clear looking from the outside in, to the parents, friends, and families of the campers these developments and achievements became all too obvious, when their child took to the stage for the grand finale of Day Camp: production night. A dancer who didn’t think she could act captured the audience in the lead female role. A young man who didn’t like to interact with his peers broke out of his shell on stage. A young man with severe behavioral struggles pulled it together and was able to focus himself to play his role in the show. A long-time camper was a break-out leader behind the set, encouraging and inspiring her fellow campers. These are just a few success stories of the campers we worked with this summer, and there are many more to share. These campers may not know it yet, but these camp days will be the ones which they will always remember, that they keep with them, and the ones which they will draw from as they grow older. How great it is to watch and be a part of the creators plan as it manifests!

Written by:  Lauren D. Lloyd, Guest Blogger I am raising a three year old daughter, LPL, which is terrifying. The world is a much scarier place than it used to be and as a result, young children regularly struggle with self-esteem issues. With the hope of offsetting some of the challenges she’ll face in the modern world, I’m teaching her values that will help her to be a better, stronger person. LPL is an only child, so I am particularly focused on helping her to understand the values of generosity and compassion. Last Christmas, we bought gifts for a child in need. LPL understood that we were helping someone else. We talked about how the little girl’s mommy and daddy weren’t able to buy presents for her and that she might even be hungry. That experience stuck with LPL. It helped her grasp the concept of sharing with others without asking for anything in return. When LPL’s birthday approached, she asked to have a party to celebrate with her friends. She just wanted her friends to eat cake and sing happy birthday, but we knew that they would show up with presents. Rather than say no gifts and have people still bring them, we asked LPL’s friends and family to bring food to the party so that she could make a donation to the local food pantry. Her friends (and their parents) happily obliged. The kids brought bags of canned goods and talked about helping others. Because of their generosity, we were able to fill two large boxes and LPL dropped them off on the morning of her birthday. She loved sharing her birthday experience with the EECM Food Pantry and plans to make a donation next year too!

We would truly be lost without our volunteers, and we are extremely grateful for each one. The members of Temple Sinai – a member of EECM’s Council of Congregations – are active volunteers in EECM’s programs. Their volunteer efforts are coordinated through Temple Sinai’s Tikkun Olam Center for Social Justice. Temple Sinai members work regularly in EECM’s Food Pantry and also serve the evening meal at the Men’s Emergency Shelter. Below are a few first-person accounts of their experiences. Serving Dinner at the Men’s Shelter “I have volunteered to cook and serve dinner for homeless men at the shelter in East Liberty for many years now. I am always proud of the truly delicious and high quality food we serve at these meals – food we ourselves would and do enjoy eating. I particularly enjoy the community of Sinai members who help out at the shelter, and who often bring along their children to help serve the meal. Working at the shelter I have met congregants I would have not otherwise known and have enjoyed their energy and infectious good spirits. Volunteering there I am touched and a little embarrassed by the gratitude of the men we serve. I have talked to several over the years about their life stories and how they came to be at the shelter. Although many suffer from some form of mental illness, some have told me exciting stories of life on the road, or in one case, life on the river, working on tow boats. I know afterwards I always feel grateful that I have a home of my own and a close family to rely on, and that I have enough to be able to share with these men who have neither.” ~ Peggy Fried Packing Food at the EECM Food Pantry “Harry Back [Temple Sinai’s Council of Congregations representative] called me one day last spring and asked me if I could possibly ‘fill in’ at EECM, as they were short one volunteer. I immediately agreed, and have been volunteering at the East End Cooperative Ministry Food Pantry ever since. I am so glad I did. Besides contributing to our community, I have made new friends who just happen to be volunteers and fellow Temple Sinai members! Each week for about two hours, I sort items and then pack up bags of groceries for people whose families are in immediate need of emergency groceries and supplies. It is a minor physical chore that puts food on the tables of some not-so-fortunate families. I enjoy packing the grocery bags, communicating with the others at EECM and helping people in need. Occasionally, EECM needs extra workers for their daily soup kitchen, so being right there makes it easy to volunteer my time to the soup kitchen as well.” ~ Debra Mendelson Many thanks to the volunteers of Temple Sinai for all that you do! #tempesinai #volunteerspotlight

The Pittsburgh Foundation is launching their second Critical Needs Alert for #homelessness on Tuesday, December 8. A dollar-for-dollar match on all gifts of $25 or more will support EECM’s IMPACTS (Homeless and Housing) Program. www.pittsburghgives.org opens at 8am on Tuesday, December 8. Double the power of your gift by giving to EECM through the www.pittsburghgives.org portal and provide homeless men and women with their needs for today and hope for tomorrow. Here’s how your gift helps: $55 provides one night of emergency shelter for one client $100 provides two hours of behavioral health support for one client $200 provides one month of stipends for a student in the Education & Employment program $525 provides one week of shelter, food, and support for a Bridge Housing resident $1000 provides a month of rent, utilities, and supportive services for one family in Penn Free Housing It costs $6293 per day to run ALL of our shelter, housing, and education and employment programs. While we’ve been greatly impacted by the state budget crisis we are committed to serving homeless men and women in our area, and have been self-funding to do so. We need your help to fill the gap. With your support, doubled by The Pittsburgh Foundation, we can continue to fight the ravages of homelessness and poverty, while helping homeless men and women realize their greatest potential.

Let Peace Shine: Candlelight Vigil for Peace from your Home to the World Violence exists in all aspects of our lives and throughout the world. Regardless of race, religion, or region we are all touched by violence both locally and globally. As a community we must unite together against violence. We will provide a brief prayer from a multitude of faiths with a community-wide candle lighting to show our unity against the violence in our homes, neighborhoods, city, state, nation, and the world. A diverse crowd of thousands will gather in prayer and silent reflection. We will honor the faith traditions of many to have our voices and prayers united. We will give a voice to those who are voiceless due to any one of the many forms of violence prevalent in our world. To address this violence in a meaningful and effective manner this is an opportunity for people of all faiths to come together to support each other, and light a candle to illuminate the Path to Peace. As each candle is successfully lit the light extends to the next person to the entire world. So will our prayers for peace. Together we can Let Peace Shine. Event Details EECM Community House, Main Entrance A 6pm Arrival & Line-Up 6140 Station Street 7pm Prayers & Candle Lighting Pittsburgh, PA 15206 Candles provided Individuals and groups will be guided to line up along the sidewalks, beginning at EECM’s Main Entrance A and weaving through East Liberty. Adults and children of all ages are welcomed and encouraged to participate. Please sign-up via Facebook or Event Brite: Facebook: www.facebook.com/eastendcooperativeministry Event Brite: www.eventbrite.com/e/let-peace-shine-a-candlelight-vigil-for-peace-from-your-home-to-the-world-tickets-19623743144