servePGH Updates

MAYOR RAVENSTAHL ANNOUNCES NEXT OPPORTUNITY FOR NEIGHBORS TO LOVE THEIR BLOCK

Tue, 14 May 2013 13:00:28 -0400

(PITTSBURGH) May 14, 2013 Mayor Luke Ravenstahl today announced that applications are available for the City’s fall 2013 Love Your Block grant award program. The block revitalization program gives up to 30 local nonprofit organizations $1,000 in the form of a Home Depot gift card to purchase supplies and equipment necessary to implement a block improvement project that mobilizes community volunteers. Project implementation will take place from August 31 to October 31, 2013. Applications will be available until Friday, June 14. Love Your Block is one of the Mayor's 10 servePGH initiatives.

“After four successful seasons of Love Your Block, it is clear that Pittsburgh residents are declaring their commitment to service by having organized over 40 community projects to date in their neighborhoods,” Ravenstahl said.

This fall, special consideration will be given to projects that engage and beautify local business districts. Encouraged projects include installing flowerboxes, creating pop-up cafes and shops, and projects that take place in neighborhoods with a high population of veterans. City department leaders will meet with the grant awardees and provide City services such as trash collection and graffiti removal to support the projects, as feasible. A full list of available City services can be found in the Love Your Block application.

Applications must be received no later than 5 p.m. on Friday, June 14, 2013. Late applications will not be accepted. Applicants will be notified of their acceptance status in early July. A mandatory grantee orientation will take place in August 2013.

To date, grantees have impacted approximately 150 blocks by collecting 16,436 pounds of litter, creating 127 green spaces, leveraging almost $24,000 in donations and recruiting around 1,700 volunteers through the program.

The spring 2013 Love Your Block season is currently underway as 24 projects are set to take place by June 30. Read about the spring 2013 Love Your Block projects here. Love Your Block is funded by The Home Depot Foundation and is supported in part by the Corporation for National Community Service and AmeriCorps VISTA program.

About Cities of Service and servePGH
Founded in New York City in September 2009, Cities of Service supports mayors who leverage citizen service strategies, addressing local needs and making government more effective. The coalition and its member cities respond to the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act's historic call to action by finding new and innovative ways to harness the power of volunteers to help solve pressing local challenges.

By obtaining a Cities of Service grant from Bloomberg Philanthropies and Rockefeller Foundation, Mayor Ravenstahl launched servePGH in March 2011 to engage Pittsburgh’s citizens in service and to answer President Obama’s national call to volunteerism. Through ten new and innovative servePGH initiatives, the Mayor has engaged citizens in volunteer-fueled solutions to revitalize close to over 600 City blocks, restore vulnerable residents’ homes, help middle-school youth navigate life’s challenges, clean up over 35,000 pounds of litter, and more. To date, over 3,700 volunteers have committed over 32,000 hours of service through servePGH.

MAYOR RAVENSTAHL ANNOUNCES 'SUPER SATURDAY' EVENT TO EDUCATE, TRAIN PROMISE COACHES

Thu, 09 May 2013 13:31:46 -0400

(PITTSBURGH) May 9, 2013 Mayor Luke Ravenstahl today announced that his newest mentoring campaign, Promise Coaches, will host a “Super Saturday” training session next Saturday, May 18 to provide residents the opportunity to become a greater positive influence in the lives of others. Promise Coaches, a servePGH initiative, equips adults with resources and skills to guide young people through high school and on to higher education. At the event, participants will learn about resources available in the City of Pittsburgh that can help steer the young people in their lives toward successful futures. The sessions will include information about how to effectively communicate, the importance of an ongoing relationship with your student, and will include presentations by The Pittsburgh Promise and Pittsburgh Public Schools. In addition, participants will have the opportunity to become registered Promise Coaches at the event.

“Our Promise Coaches Campaign equips Pittsburgh residents with the skills and resources they need to make a positive change in the lives of our city's youths,” Ravenstahl said. “Parents, relatives, neighbors, teachers – anyone can help a young person in their life become ‘Promise Ready’ and help grow the college-going culture among our city’s students.”

The Promise Coaches’ Super Saturday event will take place on May 18, 2013 from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Crossroad’s United Methodist Church, 325 North Highland Avenue, in East Liberty. Super Saturday will feature two sets of workshops, allowing participants to select the workshops they wish to attend.

First session:

9:30 to 11 a.m.

Promise Coaches: Helping your Student Navigate to Graduation and Beyond

Communicating with Your Student: Moving from Crazy to Calm

Graduation Guide with Neighborhood Learning Alliance

Second session:

11:15 a.m. to noon

Pittsburgh Promise: For Your Student

Financial Aid and FAFSA: Putting the Puzzle Together

From Middle School to High School: How to Choose the Right School for Your Student

This free event is for both current Promise Coaches and those interested in becoming Coaches. Participants will receive free breakfast and are eligible to win door prizes. To register online, residents are encouraged to visit pittsburghpa.gov/servepgh/supersaturday, email servePGH@pittsburghpa.gov or call servePGH at 412-255-2280.

“This effort will better inform and equip caring adult volunteers to engage and help students navigate high school and prepare for successful, fulfilling and productive careers. It is a win for students, a win for the volunteers and a win for our city. Joining with Mayor Ravenstahl, we are continuing to build on existing mentoring efforts to ensure that all young people know that we care about them and are here to help them reach their fullest potential.” said Colleen Fedor, Executive Director of one of the Campaign’s partner agencies, The Mentoring Partnership of Southwestern Pennsylvania, one of the Campaign's partner agencies.

Last February, Mayor Ravenstahl launched the Promise Coaches Campaign, designed to equip adults in Pittsburgh with the resources and skills necessary to guide young people through high school and onto higher education and careers. The campaign, funded by a $100,000 grant from The Coca-Cola Foundation and led by the Mayor’s servePGH initiative, is supported by The Mentoring Partnership of Southwestern Pennsylvania, the United Way of Allegheny County, Pittsburgh Public Schools and The Pittsburgh Promise. Since its launch, the campaign has trained over 150 Coaches and hosted 10 workshops.

Join Us For Promise Coaches Super Saturday !

Mon, 06 May 2013 12:08:09 -0400

MAYOR RAVENSTAHL ANNOUNCES APPLICATIONS AVAILABLE FOR CITY'S THIRD YOUTH CIVIC LEADERSHIP ACADEMY

Thu, 02 May 2013 11:16:14 -0400

(PITTSBURGH) May 2, 2013 Mayor Luke Ravenstahl today announced that applications are available for the City’s third annual Youth Civic Leadership Academy (YCLA), a free six-session program designed to educate and engage high school students about the inner-workings of City government. From visiting a water treatment plant to meeting with fire fighters and emergency responders, students will learn the ins and outs of Pittsburgh local government. YCLA will take place every Tuesday and Thursday evening beginning July 9 through July 25, 2013 from 5 to 7:30 p.m. YCLA is the youth component of the Mayor’s Civic Leadership Academy, and part of his servePGH initiative.

“The Youth Civic Leadership Academy allows us the unique opportunity to continue educating our young residents through the summer months and help develop their leadership skills,” Ravenstahl said. “More than 125 Civic Leadership Academy graduates have gone on to do great things in their communities. Engaging our local youth now will give them a head start on what they can do for themselves and for our City in the future.”

The sessions will highlight different City departments and the services they provide that help make Pittsburgh America’s “Most Livable City.” Participants will enjoy tours, hands-on demonstrations and fun activities to get an up-close and personal view of how each department helps to operate the City. YCLA will conclude with a graduation ceremony, and graduates will develop a group service project based on their experiences.

Applicants must be a high school student residing within Pittsburgh City limits at the time of application. Special consideration will be given to applicants who are highly motivated, interested in community service and civic engagement, and committed to using the experience to make a positive difference in their neighborhood and/or school communities. The City will provide bus/shuttle transportation to sessions held outside the Downtown area, as well as Port Authority bus passes for all sessions.

Interested youths may apply online at pittsburghpa.gov/ycla or request a hard copy application by contacting the Mayor’s Office of Service & Civic Engagement at 412-255-2280 or servepgh@pittsburghpa.gov. Applications must be received no later than 5 p.m. on June 3, 2013; late applications will not be accepted. Applicants will be notified of their status by mid-June.

The City of Pittsburgh is thankful to the Corporation for National & Community Service for its dedication of AmeriCorps VISTA resources to servePGH.

ABOUT SERVEPGH

Mayor Ravenstahl is a founding member of Cities of Service, a bipartisan coalition of more than 100 mayors from across the country dedicated to engaging more Americans in community service and harnessing the power of volunteers as a serious strategy to address local challenges. Founded in New York City, the coalition and its member cities respond to the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act's historic call to action by finding new and innovative ways to harness the power of volunteers to help solve pressing local challenges.

Today is the first-ever Mayors Day of Recognition for National Service!

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 10:15:15 -0400

Dear Friends,

In 2009, I pledged that the City of Pittsburgh would join cities across the nation to help our country achieve the goals of the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act by joining Mayor Bloomberg and fifteen other Mayors from across our nation to launch the Cities of Service coalition, which now includes more than 150 mayors who have committed to work together to engage citizens in a multi-year effort to address pressing city needs through impact volunteerism. Today we celebrate the first-ever Mayors Day of Recognition for National Service to thank those who met our call to service with a resounding response, and to highlight the critical needs they've addressed.

Today, over 800 bipartisan mayors across the country are taking time to recognize the impact of national service in their cities and thank those who serve. I am proud to join in this nationwide salute that will highlight the importance of citizen engagement, recognize the dedication of national service members and inspire more residents to get involved in their communities.

In a short report compiled by national service programs and members you can catch a glimpse of the collective impact that AmeriCorps resources have had in Pittsburgh. We believe that the information within is a testament to how federal investment in national service makes a difference. I am personally inspired and grateful for the contribution of national service members to Pittsburgh’s strong tradition of neighbors-helping-neighbors.

More than 1,600 AmeriCorps members and Senior Corps volunteers serve in the City of Pittsburgh, providing vital support to residents and improving quality of life. As Mayor, I am grateful for the dedication and sacrifice of these citizens, who are helping to make our great city stronger, safer and healthier. I have seen their impact first-hand, and know that national service is a cost-effective strategy to meet critical city needs.

In recognition of AmeriCorps and Senior Corps members' efforts, I am proclaiming April 9, 2013 a day to thank national service members for their commitment here in the City of Pittsburgh. Please join me in letting them know that the impact of their work does not go unnoticed by visiting our Facebook page and saying thank you.

MAYOR ANNOUNCES FOUR OPEN AMERICORPS VISTA POSITIONS WITHIN CITY

Thu, 28 Mar 2013 12:02:51 -0400

(PITTSBURGH) March 27, 2012 Mayor Luke Ravenstahl today announced that the City is seeking four qualified year-round AmeriCorps VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America) members to support his servePGH program. These positions will involve management and hands-on work on a number of service initiatives designed to impact Pittsburgh’s neighborhoods, ranging from reducing blight to mentoring youths to providing fresh produce to underserved neighborhoods. Applications will be accepted until April 30th, 2013, or until the positions are filled.

“One reason why servePGH has been so successful is the level of commitment to service these AmeriCorps VISTA members have shown, and I’m excited to continue this opportunity,” Ravenstahl said. “They will work closely with City departments and local organizations on programs that engage citizen volunteers to help tackle Pittsburgh’s greatest challenges, and further fuel our city’s Third Renaissance.”

Full-time applications are being accepted for a Youth Service Associate, Community Engagement Associate, Neighborhood Service Associate and Civic Engagement Associate. These associates will serve full-time in the Mayor’s Office of Service and Civic Engagement (servePGH) for one year, beginning July 2013. Successful applicants will be given the unique opportunity to gain professional experience in City government, community organizing, partnership building and neighborhood revitalization. The four available positions were made possible through a successful application to the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) AmeriCorps VISTA program.

Applicants must have a minimum of a Bachelor’s degree, strong written and oral presentation skills, experience in project management, and commitment to collaboration and problem solving. A basic living allowance of $946 per month, a $5,550 education award or a $1,500 end-of-service stipend upon completion of a year of service, and basic health coverage is provided by the CNCS.

Within the past two years, VISTA members in the Mayor’s Office have been extremely successful. Their work has helped servePGH grown from five to 10 robust service plans tackling high-priority City challenges. To date, servePGH has engaged 3,700 volunteers in 32,000 hours of service, revitalized over 600 City blocks, removed 35,600 pounds of litter from City streets, and weatherized and repaired over 70 homes of veteran, senior and disabled residents.

To view additional requirements and to find out how to become an AmeriCorps VISTA, click here. Applications will be accepted until Tuesday, April 30.

More than 50,000 citizens are helping to meet local needs, strengthen communities, and increase civic engagement through national service in Pennsylvania. The 3,400 AmeriCorps members alone have recruited nearly 62,000 volunteers, tutored or mentored more than 110,000 disadvantaged children and youth, provide more than 2,330,530 hours of service valued at over $49 million dollars and raise more than $27 million dollars in cash or in-kind resources.

ABOUT SERVEPGH

Mayor Ravenstahl launched servePGH in March 2011 to engage Pittsburgh’s citizens in service and answer President Obama’s national call to volunteerism. Through 10 new and innovative servePGH initiatives, Mayor Ravenstahl engages citizens in volunteer-fueled solutions to revitalize City blocks, restore vulnerable residents’ homes, help middle-school youth navigate life’s challenges, and more. ServePGH is funded by a competitive Cities of Service Leadership Grant from Bloomberg Philanthropies and the Rockefeller Foundation – along with private foundation, government and corporate grants – and is supported by the Corporation for National and Community Service and AmeriCorps VISTA. In total, servePGH has secured $1.3 million in funding sources. Additional information is available at pittsburghpa.gov/servepgh

Mayor Ravenstahl is a founding member of Cities of Service, a bipartisan coalition of more than 150 mayors from across the country dedicated to engaging more Americans in community service and harnessing the power of volunteers as a serious strategy to address local challenges. Founded in New York City, the coalition and its member cities respond to the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act's historic call to action by finding new and innovative ways to harness the power of volunteers to help solve pressing local challenges.

ABOUT AMERICORPS VISTA

AmeriCorps VISTA members commit to serve full-time for a year at a nonprofit organization or local government agency, working to fight illiteracy, improve health services, create businesses, and strengthen community groups, with the ultimate goal to eliminate poverty in the United States. Since 1994, more than 37,000 Pennsylvania residents have served more than 47 million hours

MAYOR RAVENSTAHL, COMMUNITY MEMBERS CELEBRATE 2ND ANNIVERSARY OF SERVEPGH INITIATIVE, HONOR IMPRESSIVE COMMUNITY IMPACT

Thu, 21 Mar 2013 15:53:30 -0400

(PITTSBURGH) March 20, 2013 Yesterday, Mayor Luke Ravenstahl joined community members and volunteers to celebrate the second anniversary of his service initiative, servePGH. Mayor Ravenstahl released servePGH’s second annual report to the community, which highlights the program’s successes and charts the course for 2013-2014, which will engage even more resident volunteers to help tackle the City’s most pressing challenges. The celebration also included the completion of a Love Your Block revitalization project in the Elliott neighborhood.

“I am extremely proud of the great strides our City has accomplished together through servePGH over the last two years,” Ravenstahl said. “Today is a celebration and true testament of how much we can accomplish when partnerships are built between businesses, organizations, local government and community members. It is my hope that this celebration will inspire even more residents to join our efforts and work alongside us as we continue to tackle our City’s greatest challenges.”

In just two years, Mayor Ravenstahl’s servePGH initiative has doubled from five to 10 robust service programs tackling high-priority City challenges, ranging from reducing blight to mentoring youths to providing fresh produce to underserved neighborhoods. To date, servePGH has engaged 3,700 volunteers in 32,000 hours of service, revitalized over 600 City blocks, removed 35,600 pounds of litter from City streets, and weatherized and repaired over 70 homes of veteran, senior and disabled residents.

In 2013, Mayor Ravenstahl will continue to mobilize volunteers and serve an even broader group of Pittsburgh residents and communities with the addition of new youth and green initiatives.

With additional supportive partnerships, in 2013 the Mayor expects to:

plant 10-15 edible gardens in targeted “food deserts” throughout the City to harvest 2,000 pounds of fresh produce for 200 families, through the new Green Up Pittsburgh: Edible Gardens program.
recruit 500 adults to become Promise Coaches to guide Pittsburgh’s young residents toward educational success.
coat 50,000 sq. ft. of City-owned rooftops with reflective paint to reduce the City’s carbon emissions by 45 metric tons and decrease electricity usage in coated buildings by 10-15 percent, through the new Cool Roofs program.
complete 50 high impact revitalization projects and engage 1,500 volunteers, including at least 250 veterans, through Love Your Block.
establish 30 new Redd Up Zones, bringing the total to 100 Redd Up Zones in the City.
repair over 70 homes through the Sustainable Home Improvement Partnership by engaging over 700 volunteers.
remain the number one employer partner for the Be a 6th Grade Mentor program and increase mentorship by 30 percent through the Mayor’s Mentoring Initiative.
educate 75 community leaders about City government through the Civic Leadership Academy.
recognize 52 outstanding volunteer residents and organizations with Citizen Service Awards.

Mayor Ravenstahl's servePGH is supported by the Corporation for National and Community Service and AmeriCorps VISTA. Mayor Ravenstahl's Office of Service and Civic Engagement hosts six AmeriCorps VISTA members to support the initiative's ten programs.

Read Mayor Ravenstahl’s servePGH Year Two Report to the Community, or learn more about or volunteer with servePGH, at pittsburghpa.gov/servePGH.

Before the celebration event, more than two dozen volunteers mulched, cleaned up and prepared a garden site on Lorenz Avenue for spring cleaning. The site, in Elliott, was a former Love Your Block project, when volunteers – with the help of City services and a $500 grant from The Home Depot Foundation – transformed a vacant lot into a community garden.

ABOUT SERVEPGH
Mayor Ravenstahl launched servePGH in March 2011 to engage Pittsburgh’s citizens in service and answer President Obama’s national call to volunteerism. ServePGH is funded by a competitive Cities of Service Leadership Grant from Bloomberg Philanthropies and the Rockefeller Foundation – along with private foundation, government and corporate grants – and is supported by the Corporation for National and Community Service and AmeriCorps VISTA. In total, servePGH has secured $1.3 million in funding sources.

ABOUT CITIES OF SERVICE
Mayor Ravenstahl is a founding member of Cities of Service, a bipartisan coalition of more than 150 mayors from across the country dedicated to engaging more Americans in community service and harnessing the power of volunteers as a strategy to address local challenges. Founded in New York City, the coalition and its member cities respond to the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act's historic call to action by finding new and innovative ways to harness the power of volunteers to help solve pressing local challenges.

ABOUT THE CORPORATION FOR NATIONAL AND COMMUNITY SERVICE
The City of Pittsburgh is grateful to the Corporation for National & Community Service for their support of the servePGH initiative. AmeriCorps VISTA members commit to serve full-time for one year at a nonprofit organization or local government agency, working to fight illiteracy, improve health services, create businesses and strengthen community groups, with the ultimate goal to eliminate poverty in the United States. In Pennsylvania, there are currently over 200 VISTAs serving on 30 projects.

Mayor Ravenstahl Invites You to Celebrate our 2nd Anniversary!

Thu, 14 Mar 2013 16:23:42 -0400

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A Celebration of Service

Tue, 05 Mar 2013 14:37:10 -0500

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Deadlines for Spring servePGH Programs Fast Approaching

Fri, 08 Feb 2013 13:57:56 -0500

According to one very famous groundhog, Spring will be here shortly. In anticipation of warmer weather, Mayor Luke Ravenstahl's servePGH has three very exciting opportunities for you and your community to get involved with. Don't delay, apply today!

The deadline for Mayor Ravenstahl's Love Your Block program is only one week away! The block revitalization program will give up to 30 organizations $1,000 to purchase supplies and equipment to implement a neighborhood block improvement project that mobilizes community volunteers. The spring 2013 season will be unique in that special consideration will be given to projects that engage local veterans and veterans’ organizations. Each grant cycle, an award is given to the “best block revitalization project,” providing the winning group with an additional $2,000 Home Depot gift card for future block enhancements.

Local nonprofit organizations have until February 14, 2013 at 5:00 P.M to submit their application.

The Mayor Ravenstahl's Civic Leadership Academy is accepting applications for the Spring 2013 session! The Civic Leadership Academy is a free 10-week course about local government created by Mayor Ravenstahl to foster more informed, effective and inspired community and civic leadership. Participants learn about a different City department each week and the services they provide to make for a safer, more livable City.

It includes tours, hands-on demonstrations, and fun activities that give an up-close and personal view of how the City is governed and run. Applications can be submitted online until February 22, 2013 at 5:00 P.M.

Applications are available for Mayor Ravenstahl's Edible Gardens program, an expansion of his successful Green Up Pittsburgh program and servePGH initiatives!

Volunteers in 10-15 City neighborhoods will transform vacant lots into community gardens to grow, maintain, and harvest nearly one ton of fresh produce to at least 200 families in its first year! Green Up Pittsburgh: Edible Gardens applications will be accepted throughout the 2013 growing season, but priority will be given to those received by Friday, February 22, 2013.

For questions about any of these opportunities, please contact servePGH at 412-255-2280 or servepgh@pittsburghpa.gov.

MAYOR LAUNCHES NEW SERVEPGH MENTORING INITIATIVE, KICKS OFF TRAINING TO MAKE MORE STUDENTS 'PROMISE READY'

Fri, 08 Feb 2013 13:58:01 -0500

Mayor Luke Ravenstahl this week launched his newest mentoring initiative, Promise Coaches, which equips adults with the skills needed to mentor young people through high school and on to higher education, while increasing the number of ‘Promise ready’ students eligible to receive $40,000 for college from The Pittsburgh Promise. Funded by a $100,000 grant from The Coca-Cola Foundation and led by the Mayor’s servePGH initiative – with support from The Mentoring Partnership of Southwestern Pennsylvania, the United Way of Allegheny County, Pittsburgh Public Schools and The Pittsburgh Promise – a series of mentoring workshops will be held throughout the City. By this summer, 500 volunteers will be trained to become Promise Coaches.

“We are extremely grateful to The Coca-Cola Foundation for their support of Pittsburgh's young people through our new Promise Coaches program,” Ravenstahl said. “By providing programs like Promise Coaches and The Pittsburgh Promise, we’re equipping residents with the tools necessary to ensure that our young people have successful careers and bright futures full of success and achievement.”

The Promise Coaches Campaign is designed to provide Pittsburgh’s adults with helpful tools, resources and skills to help navigate a young person through high school and on to higher education. Unlike traditional mentoring programs, this program does not match adults with young people. Instead, it offers a wealth of resources for mentoring relationships that already exist.

By participating in a 90-minute training session, volunteer “Promise Coaches” will learn how to have productive and engaging conversations with young people, how to act as a support system, and how to foster each individual’s unique qualities to help lead them to success. After today’s launch, the program’s first 35 volunteers participated in interactive exercises to learn what is required for students to graduate and how they can guide them through graduation to college.

“We wholeheartedly believe in the importance of helping each and every young person succeed,” said Colleen Fedor, executive director of The Mentoring Partnership. “This effort will better inform and equip caring adult volunteers to engage and help students navigate high-school and prepare for successful, fulfilling and productive careers. It is a win for students, a win for the volunteers and a win for our city. Joining with Mayor Ravenstahl, we are continuing to build on existing mentoring efforts to ensure that all young people know that we care about them and are here to help them reach their fullest potential.”

Promise Coaches mirrors the goals of The Pittsburgh Promise – both programs aim to increase both high school and college graduation rates among Pittsburgh residents while increasing the number of students eligible to receive the $40,000 scholarship available to all public and charter school students in the City that meet attendance and GPA requirements.

Residents can sign up to become a Promise Coach, or find more information about the program, at pittsburghpa.gov/promisecoaches or by contacting Mayor Ravenstahl’s servePGH office at 412-255-2280 or promise.coaches@gmail.com. Future trainings will be held at: Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Pittsburgh; Mount Ararat Community Activity Center; School 2 Career, a program of Oakland Planning and Development Corporation; Neighborhood Learning Alliance; and Catholic Charities, Diocese of Pittsburgh.

This new initiative is the latest of Mayor Ravenstahl’s efforts to support and encourage mentoring activities. The Mayor’s Mentoring Initiative has partnered with Everybody Wins! and Be a 6th Grade Mentor to successfully recruit nearly 60 City employees as mentors, and the City of Pittsburgh has become the largest local employer to participate in the United Way’s program.

Mayor Ravenstahl's Promise Coaches Campaign was informed by materials developed by the Philadelphia Graduation Coach Campaign, an initiative of Mayor Michael A. Nutter's Office of Education.

About ServePGH

By obtaining a Cities of Service grant from Bloomberg Philanthropies and Rockefeller Foundation, Mayor Ravenstahl launched servePGH in March 2011 to engage Pittsburgh’s citizens in service and to answer President Obama’s national call to volunteerism. Through 10 new and innovative servePGH initiatives, the Mayor has engaged citizens in volunteer-fueled solutions to revitalize more than 600 City blocks, restore vulnerable residents’ homes, help middle-school youth navigate life’s challenges, clean up over 29,000 pounds of litter, and more. Over 3,700 volunteers have committed over 30,000 hours of service through servePGH to date. Additional information is available at pittsburghpa.gov/servepgh.

About The Coca-Cola Foundation

The Coca-Cola Foundation awarded more than $70 million to 263 community organizations around the world in 2011 to support sustainable community initiatives, including water stewardship, community recycling, active, healthy living, and education. For more information about The Coca-Cola Foundation, click here.

MAYOR ANNOUNCES APPLICATIONS AVAILABLE FOR CITY'S FIRST 'EDIBLE GARDENS' PROGRAM

Thu, 31 Jan 2013 16:15:45 -0500

Mayor Luke Ravenstahl today announced that applications are now available for his spring 2013 Edible Gardens program, an expansion of his successful Green Up Pittsburgh program and servePGH initiatives. The new program will engage community volunteers to improve access to healthy foods in 10 to 15 low-income City neighborhoods where fresh produce is scarce. Through the program, volunteers will transform vacant lots into community gardens to grow, maintain and harvest nearly one ton of fresh produce for at least 200 families in its first year. At the One Young World Summit, Ravenstahl joined Jamie Oliver and announced that the City will embrace Jamie's Food Revolution, a national movement to inspire families to cook meals and eat healthier.

“This program not only fulfills our promise to inspire more families to eat fresh, healthy food, but improves community pride by transforming vacant lots into true neighborhood assets," said Ravenstahl. "Our residents are amazing volunteers who have worked hard utilizing our ServePGH and Green UP programs to transform vacant lots and mentor young people. I have no doubt that this initiative will be just as embraced by our residents."

Targeting “food deserts” within City limits, Edible Gardens will spread the importance of healthy diets to neighbors while educating volunteers about how to produce healthy, locally grown produce.

Residents who live a significant distance from grocery stores or farmers markets are encouraged to apply to grow fruits and vegetables on a nearby City-owned lot in their neighborhood. Volunteers will work side by side with the Mayor's Green Up Pittsburgh’s Green Team on vacant properties to create, design and plant produce. Community garden stewards will be responsible for maintenance, weeding, harvesting and distribution throughout the season. Assistance from the Mayor's Green Team will be available upon request.

Applications are required, and those received by February 22 will be given priority; however, completed applications will be accepted throughout the growing season. Application approval and an orientation will be required prior to planting. The first gardens will be planted in March and April 2013.

A $100,000 Cities of Service Impact Volunteering Fund grant, funded by Bloomberg Philanthropies, was awarded to the City to support two of the initiatives that are part of Mayor Ravenstahl’s high-impact service plan, servePGH, and $44,000 will be dedicated to the Edible Gardens program. More than 60 mayors competed for this grant, and Pittsburgh is one of 19 U.S. cities selected based on the quality of the initiative, potential for impact and implementation plan.

“We are extremely grateful to Cities of Service and Bloomberg Philanthropies for their investment in this program and their continued national commitment to service and volunteerism,” Ravenstahl said.

Other Edible Gardens partners include Grow Pittsburgh and The Penn State Center.

Visit pittsburghpa.gov/ediblegardens to apply.

About Cities of Service, servePGH and Green Up Pittsburgh

Founded in New York City in September 2009, Cities of Service supports mayors who leverage citizen service strategies, addressing local needs and making government more effective. The coalition and its member cities respond to the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act's historic call to action by finding new and innovative ways to harness the power of volunteers to help solve pressing local challenges.

By obtaining a Cities of Service grant from Bloomberg Philanthropies and Rockefeller Foundation, Mayor Ravenstahl launched servePGH in March 2011 to engage Pittsburgh’s citizens in service and to answer President Obama’s national call to volunteerism. Through 10 new and innovative servePGH initiatives, the Mayor has engaged citizens in volunteer-fueled solutions to revitalize more than 600 City blocks, restore vulnerable residents’ homes, help middle-school youth navigate life’s challenges, clean up over 29,000 pounds of litter, and more. Over 3,700 volunteers have committed over 30,000 hours of service through servePGH to date.

In 2007, Mayor Ravenstahl introduced the Green Up Pittsburgh Program to combat the increasing problem of overgrown vacant and abandoned lots in our City neighborhoods. The program aims to stabilize City-owned vacant lots with goals of reducing blight and public safety hazards, inspiring community pride, and promoting environmental values.

servePGH Launches New Opportunities to Apply for Now!

Tue, 27 Nov 2012 13:10:46 -0500

Hello Neighbors!

With the holiday season right around the corner, servePGH is excited to announce several exciting application releases: Snow Angels, Love Your Block and an AmeriCorps VISTA position!

Calling all Snow Angels! The time has come, again, to grab your shovels, pull on your boots and lend a helping hand. In winter 2011, Mayor Ravenstahl launched the Snow Angels program, a servePGH initiative, which matches able-bodied volunteers with elderly and physically disabled residents in their own neighborhoods. Once matched, Snow Angel volunteers have 24 hours after the snow stops falling to remove snow and slush from their designated resident’s walkways.

Last year, Mayor Ravenstahl’s call for Snow Angels and recipients was met with overwhelming enthusiasm. During the initial launch, 187 seniors and disabled residents in need were matched with 81 individual and group volunteers throughout the City. To sign up to volunteer as a Snow Angel, to receive Snow Angels services, or to learn more about the program, visit pittsburghpa.gov/snowangels or call 412-255-2280.

Fill out a Snow Angel Volunteer Application Here: http://pittsburghpa.gov/servepgh/snowangels/volunteer

Applications are now available for the City’s Spring 2013 Love Your Block program. Local nonprofit organizations have until February 14, 2013 to apply. The block revitalization program will grant up to 30 organizations with a $1,000 Home Depot gift card to purchase supplies and equipment necessary to implement a neighborhood block revitalization project that mobilizes community volunteers. Project implementation must take place from April 27 to June 30, 2013.

For the spring 2013 round of projects, the City has extended the open application period to encourage more proposals from throughout the city. Special consideration will be given to projects that engage local veterans and veterans' organizations. Encouraged projects include veteran's monument beautification and projects that take place in neighborhoods with a high percentage of veteran population.

For more information on the Love Your Block program and how to apply please visit http://www.pittsburghpa.gov/loveyourblock

The City will be seeking one qualified AmeriCorps VISTA (Volunteer in Service to America) member to support the Sustainable Home Improvement Partnership, a servePGH initiative that repairs and weatherizes the homes of veterans, seniors and disabled residents with local nonprofits and citizen volunteers. The Sustainability Service Associate will develop and coordinate the Sustainable Home Improvement Partnership , will support other servePGH initiatives, and will serve full time for one year, beginning February 2013. You have until December 10, 2012 to apply!

Apply online here: http://apps.pittsburghpa.gov/mayor/Sustainability_VISTA_Application.pdf

MAYOR ANNOUNCES NEW SERVEPGH INITIATIVE TO MAKE MORE STUDENTS 'PROMISE READY'

Mon, 13 Aug 2012 14:34:42 -0400

(PITTSBURGH) August 13, 2012 Mayor Luke Ravenstahl today announced that the Coca-Cola Foundation has awarded the City and its partners $100,000 to make way for a new initiative that will help increase the number of ‘Promise Ready’ students and post-secondary education graduates by equipping more adults with the skills to mentor young people. The initiative - led by the Mayor’s ServePGH initiative with support from The Mentoring Partnership of Southwestern Pennsylvania, the United Way of Allegheny County, the Pittsburgh Public Schools (PPS) and the Pittsburgh Promise - will hold a series of mentoring workshops in targeted communities in order to inspire more “Promise Coaches.”

“We are extremely grateful to Coca-Cola for their support of Pittsburgh's young people through our new Promise Coaches program,” Ravenstahl said. “This initiative reminds the community that everyone can play a role in the lives of our young residents. Whether you’re a neighbor to a young person, or their older cousin, we want to give you the tools to help guide them to success and achievement.”

Promise Coaches aims to increase both high school and college graduation rates among Pittsburgh residents through a series of community workshops, mirroring The Pittsburgh Promise's goals. Additionally, it aims to increase the number of public school graduates who receive funding from The Pittsburgh Promise, a $40,000 scholarship available to all public and charter school students in the City of Pittsburgh that meet attendance and GPA requirements.

“We are thrilled and grateful to learn of Coca-Cola Foundation’s investment in the Promise Coaches Initiative," said Saleem Gubhril, executive director of The Pittsburgh Promise. "This grant enables our city, our public schools, and our community to point all our arrows in the same direction, namely, Promise-readiness for all of our kids.”

Unlike traditional mentoring programs, this program does not match adults with young people. Instead, it offers a wealth of resources for mentoring relationships that already exist. Citywide, adults can attend trainings, have access to both online and print resources, and commit to staying involved and engaged in a youth’s life through high school and higher education.

The initiative resulted from a series of meetings with education and community leaders, all of whom have the goal to improve Pittsburgh’s graduation rates. The group assessed the need for a new mentoring campaign that focused on high school and college graduation, and modeled the initiative from Philadelphia’s successful Graduation Coach initiative, which is being promoted as best practice by Cities of Service.

The Mayor’s ServePGH initiative already supports mentoring activities. The City of Pittsburgh is the largest local employer to participate in the United Way’s Be a 6^thGrade Mentor program. Over 50 City employees, including the Mayor, mentored 6th grade students during the 2011-2012 school year. In addition, employees are encouraged to read to elementary school students during their lunch hour through a new partnership with Reading is Fundamental Pittsburgh's Everybody Wins!.

About ServePGH
By obtaining a Cities of Service grant from Bloomberg Philanthropies and Rockefeller Foundation, Mayor Ravenstahl launched servePGH in March 2011 to engage Pittsburgh’s citizens in service and to answer President Obama’s national call to volunteerism. Through eight new and innovative servePGH initiatives, the Mayor has engaged citizens in volunteer-fueled solutions to revitalize close to 200 City blocks, restore vulnerable residents’ homes, help middle-school youth navigate life’s challenges, clean up over 18,200 pounds of litter, and more. Over 2,400 volunteers have committed over 19,500 hours of service through servePGH to date. Additional information is available at pittsburghpa.gov/servepgh.

About The Coca-Cola Foundation
The Coca-Cola Foundation awarded more than $70 million to 263 community organizations around the world in 2011 to support sustainable community initiatives, including water stewardship, community recycling, active, healthy living, and education. For more information about The Coca-Cola Foundation, please go to www.thecoca-colacompany.com/citizenship/foundation_coke.html.

MAYOR ANNOUNCES APPLICATION PERIOD FOR CIVIC LEADERSHIP ACADEMY CLASS

Thu, 19 Jul 2012 15:43:38 -0400

(PITTSBURGH, PA) July 19, 2012 Mayor Luke Ravenstahl today announced that applications are available for the City’s Civic Leadership Academy (CLA), a free 10-week course designed to educate residents about local government in the City of Pittsburgh.

"This unique program provides residents the opportunity to learn how their local government operates to improve their communities," said Ravenstahl. "To date, 95 residents have successfully graduated from CLA, each with a renewed commitment to becoming more informed, effective community and municipal leaders."

Beginning September 12, and ending November 14, up to 25 participants will attend 10 weekly sessions on Wednesday evenings from 6 to 8:30 p.m. to learn how different City departments work to ensure a safer, more livable City. Session topics include city organization and vision; budgeting processes; city planning and economic development; public works and parks services; the protection of water and rivers; public safety efforts, and more. City directors will develop their sessions to include tours, hands-on demonstrations and fun activities to provide an up-close and personal view of how their department helps to operate the City. At the conclusion of the course, the Mayor will lead a graduation ceremony where participants will be awarded certificates.

To date, five classes totaling 95 residents have graduated from the Civic Leadership Academy. The Youth Civic Leadership Academy for high school aged youth is currently underway. One hundred percent of graduates have a better understanding of the services that the City provides and how they can access them.

Darlene Yanakos, a graduate from the Fall 2011 session expressed that, “The departments who opened their doors to the academy were candid about their successes and failures, giving me a real sense of how the City truly operates for the betterment of its residents.”

At the end of each class, graduates undertake a service project based on what they have learned. Past projects by CLA graduates have included planting native plants at the Larimer Community Garden, launching a recycling awareness campaign at community festivals across the City, revitalizing a parklet in East Carnegie, supporting the Urban Redevelopment Authority’s efforts to improve neighborhood business districts, and beautifying Arsenal Park in Lawrenceville.

Applicants to the program must be at least 18 years old and live within Pittsburgh City limits and/or be a business owner who operates within Pittsburgh City limits. Applications are due by 5 p.m. on Monday, August 13. For more information and to apply for the Civic Leadership Academy, visit cla.pittsburghpa.gov.

The Civic Leadership Academy is supported, in part, by Corporation for National and Community Service and AmeriCorps VISTA program. It is one of seven signature initiatives within Mayor Ravenstahl’s servePGH initiative.

ABOUT SERVEPGH
Mayor Ravenstahl launched servePGH in March 2011 to engage Pittsburgh’s citizens in service and answer President Obama’s national call to volunteerism. Through seven new and innovative servePGH initiatives, Mayor Ravenstahl has engaged citizens in volunteer-fueled solutions to revitalize City blocks, restore homes of vulnerable residents, help middle-school youth navigate life’s challenges, and more. Over 2,500 volunteers have committed nearly 27,500 hours of service through servePGH to date. Additional information is available at pittsburghpa.gov/servepgh.

ABOUT AMERICORPS VISTA
The Civic Leadership Academy is supported by the Corporation for National and Community Service and AmeriCorps VISTA. AmeriCorps VISTA members commit to serve full-time for one year at a nonprofit organization or local government agency, working to fight illiteracy, improve health services, create businesses and strengthen community groups, with the ultimate goal to eliminate poverty in the United States. In Pennsylvania, there are currently over 200 VISTAs serving on 30 projects.

MAYOR ANNOUNCES 22 NEW 'LOVE YOUR BLOCK' GRANT RECIPIENTS

Thu, 19 Jul 2012 15:33:36 -0400

(PITTSBURGH) July 19, 2012 Mayor Luke Ravenstahl today announced the 22 recipients who will receive funding through the third round of his servePGH initiative's “Love Your Block” (LYB) grant program. The block revitalization program provides an opportunity for local volunteers and residents to partner with the City to transform blighted lots into community assets. This past spring, Mayor Ravenstahl announced that organizations will now be awarded $1,000 - up from $500 - to purchase supplies and equipment to implement a block improvement project that mobilizes community volunteers, thanks to the generous support of The Home Depot Foundation. In addition, a special $2,000 prize will be given to the organization that best transforms their block. Organizations also receive support from City services.

“With twice as many organizations receiving more support than ever to carry out their innovative neighborhood revitalization plans, more residents will be a part of the growing movement of impact volunteerism," said Ravenstahl. "Since the launch of this program, citizens have helped to spruce up 100 city blocks, collected nearly 10,000 pounds of litter and created 30 new community gardens."

The program is one of seven service initiatives that are a part of the Mayor’s servePGH plan, which coordinates volunteers to help address the Pittsburgh’s greatest challenges. In choosing the recipients, the City gave special consideration to projects that demonstrate a creative solution to an identified community issue, impact an outdoor community space utilized by and/or honoring veterans, and leverage local and/or veteran volunteers. City departments will meet with the awardees and deploy City services such as trash collection and graffiti removal, as feasible.

The Home Depot Foundation generously donated $130,000 to the initiative, enabling the City to increase the number of LYB revitalization projects from 20 to 50 per year. Project implementation will take place from August through October, and applications for the next round of grants will be available this winter.

“With The Home Depot Foundation’s support for Love Your Block, Pittsburgh residents have implemented creative solutions to neighborhood eyesores in every corner of the city,” Ravenstahl said. “We are extremely grateful to the Home Depot Foundation for their investment in this program and their national commitment to supporting vibrant and sustainable communities.”

For more information, visit PittsburghPA.gov/servepgh, email servepgh@pittsburghpa.gov or call 412-255-2280.

GRANT RECIPIENTS

1. 900 Block of Liberty Coalition
The Coalition will conduct a Dare to Care superhero certification class for kids and make banners of superheroes to display outside the Toonseum to promote diversity and civic engagement.

2. American Legion
Participants will plant red, white, and blue flowers on a vacant lot honoring veterans.

3. Bloomfield-Garfield Corporation
The Corporation and volunteers will beautify around a veterans memorial.

4. Brashear 9th Grade Promise Readiness Corps
The Corps and volunteers will revitalize and beautify a neighborhood playground.

5. Clean Green Hill
Participants will revitalize 6 vacant lots around the 2400 Block of Wylie Ave. by planting gardens.

6. Community Alliance of Spring Garden
Volunteers will plant around and paint the adjacent wall of a vacant building.

7. Deutschtown Merchants Association
Neighborhood volunteers will beautify a pedestrian walkway and spruce up the local business district.

8. Fineview Citizens Council
Participants will revive community gardens and beautify vacant properties and City steps.

9. Hillcrest Seventh-Day Adventist Church
The Church and volunteers will clean up City steps frequented by community members and beautify an adjacent vacant lot.

10. Larimer Green Team
The Green Team will lead the creation of a community garden.

11. Lawrenceville United
Participants will plant flowers in window boxes on a series of adjacent homes.

12. Mount Washington CDC
Volunteers will clean and beautify the trail head at Emerald View Park.

13. Mt. Washington VFW
The VFW will lead a beautification project around a veterans memorial.

14. Mulford St. Corridor Block Association
Volunteers will remove debris and plant flowers on a vacant lot.

15. Neighborhood Inter-Generational Beautification Crew
The Crew will engage cross-generational volunteers in installing a garden on a vacant lot.

16. Northside Common Ministries
The Ministries will engage youth in painting banners and garden boxes to promote healthy eating and recycling, as well as clearing weeds and planting flowers around telephone poles and abandoned homes.

17. Oakland Planning & Development Corporation
Volunteers will beautify a vacant lot.

18. Shambhala Meditation Center of Pittsburgh
The organization will create a public meditative garden.

19. Slavonic Political Citizens Club
Participants will beautify around a veterans memorial, including repainting memorial canons and beautifying a nearby tot lot.

20. The Open Door
Volunteers will install benches and planters at a corner and bus stop frequented by neighborhood youth.

21. West End Alliance
Participants will be beautifying a vacant lot in the Westwood neighborhood.

22. West Pittsburgh Partnership for Neighborhood Development
Volunteers will restore a veterans war memorial to its original form by placing a wrought iron fence around it.

ABOUT SERVEPGH
Mayor Ravenstahl launched servePGH in March 2011 to engage Pittsburgh’s citizens in service and to answer President Obama’s national call to volunteerism. Through seven new and innovative servePGH initiatives, Mayor Ravenstahl has engaged citizens in volunteer-fueled solutions to revitalize city blocks, restore vulnerable residents’ homes, help middle-school youth navigate life’s challenges and more. Nearly 2,500 volunteers have committed more than 27,500 hours of service through servePGH to date. Additional information is available at pittsburghpa.gov/servepgh.

Mayor Ravenstahl is a founding member of Cities of Service, a bipartisan coalition of more than 100 mayors from across the country dedicated to engaging more Americans in community service and harnessing the power of volunteers as a serious strategy to address local challenges. Founded in New York City, the coalition and its member cities respond to the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act's historic call to action by finding new and innovative ways to harness the power of volunteers to help solve pressing local challenges.

ABOUT AMERICORPS VISTA
Love Your Block is supported by the Corporation for National and Community Service and AmeriCorps VISTA. AmeriCorps VISTA members commit to serve full-time for a year at a nonprofit organization or local government agency, working to fight illiteracy, improve health services, create businesses, and strengthen community groups, with the ultimate goal to eliminate poverty in the United States. In Pennsylvania, there are currently over 200 VISTAs serving on 30 projects.

MAYOR EXPANDS MENTORING INITIATIVE TO INCLUDE ELEMENTARY STUDENTS

Thu, 14 Jun 2012 09:03:06 -0400

(PITTSBURGH) June 13, 2012 Mayor Luke Ravenstahl today announced a new opportunity for City employees to mentor early elementary school students through the Mayor’s Mentoring Initiative, one of Ravenstahl’s seven signature servePGH initiatives that engage residents in addressing City challenges. The new program, Reading is Fundamental Pittsburgh's Everybody Wins! enables City employees to spend their lunch hour reading to first through third grade Pittsburgh Public School students. This program is in addition to the successful partnership with the United Way of Allegheny County’s Be a 6^th Grade Mentor, launched in March 2011, through which the Mayor and over 50 City employees have mentored local middle school students each week of the 2011-2012 school year.

“By supporting our City’s young residents during critical transition points, we can help them create bright futures for themselves and for Pittsburgh,” Ravenstahl said. “I am very proud of the 50 City employees who have joined me in mentoring students so far and I hope that even more will join us next year. In fact, I encourage all Pittsburgh residents to consider mentoring a local student.”

Last week, Ravenstahl signed an executive order that expanded his Mayor’s Mentoring Initiative to include a partnership with Everybody Wins!, an elementary literacy mentoring program managed locally by Reading is Fundamental Pittsburgh. Driven by the idea that students learn to read up to third grade, the program matches caring adults with young students for weekly lunchtime reading.

City of Pittsburgh employees have been enthusiastic about joining Mayor Ravenstahl in supporting local middle school students. In its first year, the Mayor’s Mentoring Initiative has become the number one employer of the United Way of Allegheny County’s Be a 6^th Grade Mentor volunteers. This past March, the City of Pittsburgh received a Good Neighbor Award from the United Way for its commitment to workplace volunteerism.

City employees can apply to mentor during the 2012-2013 school year by visiting pittsburghpa.gov/mentor or contacting the Office of Service & Civic Engagement at 412-255-2280 or servepgh@pittsburghpa.gov. Non-City employees are also encouraged to mentor with Be a 6^th Grade Mentor and Everybody Wins! To find out more, visit unitedwaypittsburgh.org and rifpittsburgh.org.

The City of Pittsburgh is thankful to the Corporation for National & Community Service for its dedication of AmeriCorps VISTA resources to servePGH.

ABOUT SERVEPGH
Mayor Ravenstahl launched servePGH in March 2011 to engage Pittsburgh’s citizens in service and answer President Obama’s national call to volunteerism. Through seven new and innovative servePGH initiatives, Mayor Ravenstahl has engaged citizens in volunteer-fueled solutions to revitalize City blocks, restore homes of vulnerable residents, help middle-school youth navigate life’s challenges, and more. Over 1,200 volunteers have committed nearly 9,000 hours of service through servePGH to date. Additional information is available at pittsburghpa.gov/servepgh.

ABOUT AMERICORPS VISTA

The Mayor's Mentoring Initiative is supported by the Corporation for National and Community Service and AmeriCorps VISTA. AmeriCorps VISTA members commit to serve full-time for a year at a nonprofit organization or local government agency, working to fight illiteracy, improve health services, create businesses, and strengthen community groups, with the ultimate goal to eliminate poverty in the United States. In Pennsylvania, there are currently over 200 VISTAs serving on 30 projects.

MAYOR'S BLOCK REVITALIZATION PROGRAM TO IMPACT MORE NEIGHBORHOODS

Wed, 02 May 2012 09:42:44 -0400

(PITTSBURGH) May 2, 2012 Standing at a soon-to-be-transformed vacant lot in the Knoxville neighborhood, Mayor Luke Ravenstahl yesterday joined community volunteers and the Home Depot Foundation to announce the expansion of his successful Love Your Block revitalization program. The program is one of seven service initiatives that are a part of the Mayor’s servePGH plan, which coordinates volunteers to help address the City’s greatest challenges. Last fall, 10 Love Your Block grantees impacted 47 blocks with the help of City departments and 675 volunteers. The program created 17 community gardens, removed 5,480 pounds of litter and leveraged $8,500 in other donations.

“The Home Depot Foundation has recognized this program’s impact and has made a generous commitment that will allow us to double our efforts to revitalize more City blocks,” Ravenstahl said. “I want to thank the Home Depot Foundation for their generous support and the City employees and community volunteers who worked tirelessly to clean, green and ultimately transform vacant lots.”

The Mayor’s Love Your Block program will receive $130,000 from The Home Depot Foundation, enabling the City to increase the number of Love Your Block (LYB) revitalization projects from 20 to 50 per year and doubling the grant amount to $1,000 per project. In addition, one LYB project per round will be voted “best” by servePGH staff members and receive $2,000 in additional funds to be used for future block enhancements.

"We are honored to be a part of The Mayor’s Love Your Block Initiative to help residents repair and refurbish homes and neighborhoods,” said Kelly Caffarelli, president of The Home Depot Foundation. “The cornerstone of our lives is usually the place we call home, where we gather with our families and friends, and we are proud that our grant funding will be used to make a lasting, physical impact on neighborhoods throughout the city.”

Ravenstahl continues to support military veterans by strengthening the neighborhoods in which they live. With this new funding, projects that take place in neighborhoods with a high concentration of veterans, engage veterans as volunteers, or support veterans organizations will be given special consideration.

Love Your Block provides local organizations with a Home Depot gift card to purchase the supplies and equipment necessary to implement a block improvement project that mobilizes community volunteers. City departments then meet with the awardees and deploy City services such as trash collection and graffiti removal, as necessary. Previously, The Home Depot Foundation donated $10,000 toward the program in the form in $500 Home Depot gift cards. The Mayor made the announcement at a vacant lot on Jucunda St. in the Knoxville neighborhood. The local community group, 400 Block of Jucunda St. Clean-up Committee, is one of 10 current Love Your Block grantees and will be transforming two vacant lots into a community flower garden.

"Love Your Block definitely changed my perspective of Pittsburgh by showing me that the Mayor wants the same thing as homeowners and residents of the city: a nice place for neighbors to live peacefully amongst one another. It's these sorts of projects that help neighborhoods thrive for a long time to come,” said Kelly Day, Fall 2011 LYB Grantee from Brighton Heights

Applications for the next round of 25 projects, which will take place this fall, launched today and are available at www.servepgh.pittsburghpa.gov/loveyourblock/grantapplication.

For more information, email servepgh@pittsburghpa.gov or call 412-255-2280.

About Cities of Service
On September 10, 2009, Mayor Luke Ravenstahl pledged that the City of Pittsburgh would help the country achieve the goals of the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act by joining Mayor Bloomberg and fifteen other Mayors from across our nation to launch the Cities of Service coalition. By signing the Declaration of Service, Mayor Ravenstahl committed to developing a coordinated strategy to utilize impact volunteerism as a significant municipal strategy for addressing local challenges.

The City of Pittsburgh's service blueprint, servePGH, seeks to engage citizens in impacting our City's greatest challenges through seven service initiative which focus on securing a brighter future for youths through mentoring and educational opportunities, and revitalizing Pittsburgh's neighborhoods through community renewal projects.

About AmeriCorps VISTA
Love Your Block is supported by the Corporation for National and Community Service and AmeriCorps VISTA. AmeriCorps VISTA members commit to serve full-time for a year at a nonprofit organization or local government agency, working to fight illiteracy, improve health services, create businesses, and strengthen community groups, with the ultimate goal to eliminate poverty in the United States. In Pennsylvania, there are currently over 200 VISTAs serving on 30 projects.

About The Home Depot Foundation
In 2011, The Home Depot Foundation committed $30 million over three years to nonprofit organizations, dedicated to improving the homes of economically disadvantages veterans. Through Team Depot, the company’s associate-led volunteer program, thousands of Home Depot associates volunteer their time and talents to positively transform neighborhoods and perform basic repairs and modifications to homes and to the facilities serving veterans with critical housing needs.Since its formation in 2002, The Home Depot Foundation has granted more than $300 million to nonprofit organizations improving homes and lives in local communities. To learn more and see our associates in action, visit www.homedepotfoundation.org, follow us on Twitter @homedepotfdn and like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/homedepotfoundation.

MAYOR ANNOUNCES APPLICATION PERIOD FOR CITY'S SECOND YOUTH CIVIC LEADERSHIP ACADEMY

Wed, 25 Apr 2012 16:09:30 -0400

(PITTSBURGH) April 25, 2012 Mayor Luke Ravenstahl today announced that applications are available for the City’s second annual Youth Civic Leadership Academy (YCLA), a free six-week course designed to educate and engage high school students about the inner-workings of City government. The Mayor launched the YCLA program last year, based on his Civic Leadership Academy, a similar program available twice yearly to City adults. Both programs are initiatives of his servePGH service plan.

“Our goal is to connect with high school students through fun, hands-on, interactive activities that will show them the importance of City government and public service,” Ravenstahl said. “This year, I have grown the program to include fifty participants, who I hope will gain a stronger sense of pride and accomplishment that will lay the foundation for them to become informed, effective and inspired civic leaders.”

The sessions will highlight different City departments and the services they provide that help make Pittsburgh the most livable City. City directors will develop their sessions with tours, hands-on demonstrations and fun activities to provide an up-close and personal view of how their department helps to operate the City. At the conclusion of the course, the Mayor will lead a graduation ceremony where participants will be awarded certificates.

The program will take place on six consecutive Wednesday evenings between July 11 and August 15, 2012 from 5 to 7:30 p.m. The City will provide bus/shuttle transportation to sessions held outside the Downtown area, as well as Port Authority bus passes for all sessions.

Interested youth may apply online at cla.pittsburghpa.gov or request a hard copy application by calling or emailing the Mayor’s Office of Service & Civic Engagement. Applications must be received no later than 5 p.m. on May 31, 2012; late applications will not be accepted. Applicants will be notified of their status by mid-June 2012.

Throughout the course, participants will reflect on their experience and will be provided with the opportunity to develop a group service project that is based on their experience in the program.

To date, over 100 Pittsburgh residents have participated in the Mayor’s Civic Leadership Academy. Past service projects have included a community garden planting, a recycling awareness campaign, a playground rehab in East Carnegie, and the facilitation of small business district revitalization discussions in partnership with the Urban Redevelopment Authority.

For more information, visit cla.pittsburghpa.gov, call 412-255-2280, or send an e-mail to servepgh@pittsburghpa.gov.

The City of Pittsburgh is thankful to the Corporation for National & Community Service for its dedication of AmeriCorps VISTA resources to servePGH.

ABOUT SERVEPGH
Mayor Ravenstahl launched servePGH in March 2011 to engage Pittsburgh’s citizens in service and answer President Obama’s national call to volunteerism. Through seven new and innovative servePGH initiatives, Mayor Ravenstahl has engaged citizens in volunteer-fueled solutions to revitalize City blocks, restore vulnerable residents’ homes, help middle-school youth navigate life’s challenges, and more. Over 1,200 volunteers have committed more than 8,000 hours of service through servePGH to date. Additional information is available at servepgh.pittsburghpa.gov.

MAYOR ANNOUNCES 10 NEW 'LOVE YOUR BLOCK' GRANT RECIPIENTS

Mon, 26 Mar 2012 14:03:20 -0400

Mayor Luke Ravenstahl today announced the 10 recipients who will receive funding through his ServePGH initiative's “Love Your Block” (LYB) grant program. The block revitalization program provides an opportunity for local volunteers and residents to partner with the City to transform blighted lots into community assets. Thanks to a partnership with the Home Depot Foundation, local nonprofit organizations are awarded $500 dollars to purchase supplies and equipment to implement a block improvement project that mobilizes community volunteers. This is the second round of the program.

“Last fall, the positive impact of the first round of Love Your Block grantees was visible across the City," said Ravenstahl. "Participants leveraged over $7,500 of additional donations, collected 5,480 pounds of litter and impacted 47 City blocks. I look forward to seeing the impressive transformations that this spring’s grantees will make in their neighborhoods."

The program is one of seven service initiatives that are a part of the Mayor’s servePGH plan, which coordinates volunteers to help address the City’s greatest challenges. In choosing the recipients, the City gave special consideration to projects that demonstrate a creative solution to an identified community issue, address one or more vacant lots and leverage local and/or veteran volunteers. City departments will meet with the awardees and deploy City services such as trash collection and graffiti removal, as feasible.

The Home Depot Foundation generously donated $10,000 toward this program in the form of $500 Home Depot gift cards. For the second of two rounds of grants, the ten selected projects will each receive one gift card. Project implementation will take place this May and June, and applications for the next round of grants will be available this summer.

“The generous support from The Home Depot Foundation for the first 20 Love Your Block projects will be complete after this round; however, I am committed not just to continuing this program, but growing it to support 50 projects a year in the future,” Ravenstahl said. “We are extremely grateful to the Home Depot Foundation for their investment in this program and their national commitment to supporting vibrant and sustainable communities.”

For more information, visit servepgh.pittsburghpa.gov/loveyourblock, email servepgh@pittsburghpa.gov, or call 412-255-2280.

GRANT RECIPIENTS
400 Block of Jucunda St. Clean-up Committee
Reclaim vacant lots by transforming them into gardens

Deutschtown Merchants Association
Beautify the business district on East Ohio St.

Elliott Community Group
Install a welcome sign at the entrance of the neighborhood and beautify the surrounding area

Habitat for Humanity
Conduct “front-yard facelifts” to a series of adjacent properties in the Hill District

Lighthouse Memorial Christian Center
Beautify the neighborhood by improving the landscape; adding greenery, trees, and flowers

Oakland Planning & Development Corporation
Revitalize the facade of a community building and beautify surrounding area

Pittsburgh CAPA 6-12
Conduct a service-learning project where literary students study and plant urban gardens and showcase original urban nature writing around the school; partnering with the community and developing literary artists in grades 6-12

Polish Hill Civic Association
Beautify two vacant lots by planting gardens and improving the surrounding area

Uptown Partners
Improve the landscape around a municipal building by planting flowers and revitalizing the surrounding area

YWCA
Reclaim vacant lots by implementing community gardens in Homewood

ABOUT SERVEPGH
Mayor Ravenstahl launched servePGH in March 2011 to engage Pittsburgh’s citizens in service and answer President Obama’s national call to volunteerism. Through seven new and innovative servePGH initiatives, Mayor Ravenstahl has engaged citizens in volunteer-fueled solutions to revitalize City blocks, restore vulnerable residents’ homes, help middle-school youth navigate life’s challenges, and more. Over 1,000 volunteers have committed 4,500 hours of service through servePGH to date. Additional information is available at servepgh.pittsburghpa.gov.

Mayor Ravenstahl is a founding member of Cities of Service, a bipartisan coalition of more than 100 mayors from across the country dedicated to engaging more Americans in community service and harnessing the power of volunteers as a serious strategy to address local challenges. Founded in New York City, the coalition and its member cities respond to the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act's historic call to action by finding new and innovative ways to harness the power of volunteers to help solve pressing local challenges.

CITY, COMMUNITY VOLUNTEERS CELEBRATE SERVEPGH'S FIRST-YEAR SUCCESSES

Thu, 22 Mar 2012 13:31:35 -0400

(PITTSBURGH) March 22, 2012 Mayor Luke Ravenstahl’s Office and nearly one-hundred community members yesterday celebrated the first anniversary of the Mayor’s citizen-service initiative, servePGH, after dozens of volunteers completed a “Love Your Block” vacant lot revitalization project adjacent to the Pittsburgh Project, located in the City’s Perrysville neighborhood. At the initiatives first “birthday party,” the City released servePGH’s first annual report to the community, highlighted the program’s successes and charted the course for 2012’s service initiatives that will engage even more citizen volunteers to help solve the City’s most pressing challenges.

“This community-service initiative has made valuable and noteworthy contributions to Pittsburgh’s Third Renaissance,” said Ravenstahl. “Neighborhood leaders and volunteers, with guidance from my staff, have really transformed some of our City’s most blighted sites and, as a result, have created a greater sense of community pride. I’m proud of our accomplishments, and look forward to achieving even more in the year ahead.”

ServePGH is comprised of seven high-impact service initiatives including: Civic Leadership Academy; Love Your Block; Mayor’s Mentoring Initiative; Redd Up Zone; Snow Angels; Sustainable Home Improvement Partnership; and Mayor Ravenstahl’s Citizen Service Award. Since last March, servePGH has empowered more than 1,000 community members to beautify 47 City blocks; weatherized and restored more than 22 homes of veterans, seniors and disabled residents; cleaned litter at 20 half-mile zones of City streets; and mentored 55 local middle school students.

After receiving a competitive grant from the Cities of Service Coalition, Ravenstahl implemented the high-impact servePGH service plan on March 22, 2011. The grant encourages cities to utilize impact volunteerism as a significant municipal strategy to address local challenges.

In the coming year, Ravenstahl will strengthen current programs and expand on new, high-impact volunteer opportunities in order to meet the pressing needs of Pittsburgh’s neighborhoods and youth. Each of the seven servePGH programs will utilize more volunteers, increase their impact and expand their partnerships. The City will continue to work cooperatively with community groups and volunteers by providing services and supplies to carry out each service project.

With additional supportive partnerships, the Mayor expects to:

More than double the impact of Love Your Block by completing 50 block revitalization projects.
Remove litter from 20 miles of City streets by naming 40 Redd Up Zones.
Recognize outstanding volunteers by granting his Citizen Service Award.
Repair and weatherize over 50 homes of vulnerable residents through the Sustainable Home Improvement Partnership.
Shovel and de-ice the sidewalks of 200 disabled and elderly residents through the Snow Angels initiative.
Double the number of young people mentored through the Mayor's Mentoring Initiative.
Provide civic and community leadership training to 100 adult and youth residents through the Civic Leadership Academy.
Develop a new, to-be-announced partnership to help raise Pittsburgh's graduation rate by engaging volunteers.

To read Mayor Ravenstahl’s servePGH Year One Report to the Community or to volunteer, please visit: servepgh.pittsburghpa.gov.

About yesterday’s Love Your Block Project at The Pittsburgh Project:
Community members worked to prepare a community blueberry garden at a North Shore site that has been cleaned up by Love Your Block service projects. After the City demolished a building and removed overgrown brush and trees, The Pittsburgh Project received funding in fall 2011 to purchase supplies to beautify the site. Volunteers planted sunflowers to restore the soil then worked to install a fence and plant clover to cover the lot. Yesterday, volunteers continued to expand on that project by digging holes to install the rest of the fence, removing debris, turning the soil and spreading mulch to prepare the ground for planting. By establishing a community blueberry garden, The Pittsburgh Project aims to eliminate the “food desert” in Perry South and increase access to healthy fruits and vegetables.

About Cities of Service:
Mayor Ravenstahl is a founding member of Cities of Service, a bipartisan coalition of more than 100 mayors from across the country dedicated to engaging more Americans in community service and harnessing the power of volunteers as a serious strategy to address local challenges. Founded in New York City, the coalition and its member cities respond to the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act's historic call to action by finding new and innovative ways to harness the power of volunteers to help solve pressing local challenges.

MAYOR ANNOUNCES ELEVEN OPEN AMERICORPS VISTA POSITIONS WITHIN CITY

Fri, 16 Mar 2012 14:23:19 -0400

(PITTSBURGH) March 16, 2012 Mayor Luke Ravenstahl today announced that the City will be seeking five year-round and six summer AmeriCorps VISTA (Volunteer in Service to America) members to support a variety of servePGH initiatives. These positions will involve work on several service initiatives designed to impact Pittsburgh neighborhoods and youth. Full-time applications will be accepted until May 1, 2012, or until the positions are filled. Summer applications will be accepted until April 17, 2012, or until the positions are filled.

“The AmeriCorps VISTA members will work with the City departments and partners to honor my commitment to engage more residents in community service, and to harness the power of volunteers to address Pittsburgh’s most pressing challenges,” said Ravenstahl. “We’ve seen the significant impact that these members have made and are excited to continue this opportunity. During these difficult economic times, we welcome the dedication of VISTA members and acknowledge the importance of their service.”

Last year, 375 AmeriCorps members’ contributed a $2 million economic impact in the City of Pittsburgh through service and volunteerism. Volunteers recruited by AmeriCorps members have devoted over 40,500 hours of service to underserved communities and understaffed nonprofits; assisted over 8,700 low-income residents with job training services and home repairs; collected nearly 3 tons of litter; and mentored over 8,600 youth. Four AmeriCorps VISTA members in the Mayor’s office organized volunteers to beautify 50 City blocks; weatherize and restore over 20 homes of veterans, seniors and disabled residents; and maintain 20 half-mile zones of City streets.

The 11 available positions were made possible through a successful application to the Corporation for National and Community Service’s (CNCS) AmeriCorps VISTA program.

Full-time applications are being accepted for a Neighborhood Service Associate, Youth Service Associate, Civic Engagement Associate, Volunteer Service Associate, and Community Engagement Associate. These associates will serve full-time in the Mayor’s Office of Service and Civic Engagement for one year, beginning July 2012. Successful applicants will be given the unique opportunity to gain professional experience in City government, community organizing, partnership building and neighborhood revitalization.

Summer full-time positions will support various youth-related summer programs, at locations outside of the Mayor’s office, for 10 weeks, beginning June 11, 2012. Successful applicants will gain professional experience in event planning and program development, working closely with the City’s Department of Parks and Recreation.

To find out how to become an AmeriCorps VISTA, and to review job requirements for the full-time positions, click here; for the summer positions, click here.

ABOUT SERVEPGH
Mayor Ravenstahl launched servePGH in March 2011 to engage Pittsburgh’s citizens in service and answer President Obama’s national call to volunteerism. Through seven new and innovative servePGH initiatives, Mayor Ravenstahl has engaged citizens in volunteer-fueled solutions to revitalize City blocks, restore vulnerable residents’ homes, help middle-school youth navigate life’s challenges, and more. Over 1,000 volunteers have committed 4,500 hours of service through servePGH to date. Additional information is available at servepgh.pittsburghpa.gov.

Mayor Ravenstahl is a founding member of Cities of Service, a bipartisan coalition of more than 100 mayors from across the country dedicated to engaging more Americans in community service and harnessing the power of volunteers as a serious strategy to address local challenges. Founded in New York City, the coalition and its member cities respond to the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act's historic call to action by finding new and innovative ways to harness the power of volunteers to help solve pressing local challenges.

ABOUT AMERICORPS VISTA
AmeriCorps VISTA members commit to serve full-time for a year at a nonprofit organization or local government agency, working to fight illiteracy, improve health services, create businesses, strengthen community groups, with the ultimate goal to eliminate poverty in the United States. In Pennsylvania, there are currently over 200 VISTAs serving on 30 projects.

MAYOR ANNOUNCES APPLICATION PERIOD FOR SPRING 2012 LOVE YOUR BLOCK GRANT AWARD PROGRAM

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 17:03:00 -0500

(PITTSBURGH) February 8, 2012 Mayor Luke Ravenstahl today announced that applications are available for the City’s spring 2012 Love Your Block grant award program. Local nonprofit organizations have until February 29, 2012 to apply. The block revitalization program gives up to 10 organizations $500 to purchase supplies and equipment necessary to implement a neighborhood block improvement project that mobilizes community volunteers. Project implementation will take place from May 1 to June 30, 2012. Love Your Block is one of seven service initiatives in the Mayor’s servePGH initiative.

“The success of last fall’s Love Your Block projects was overwhelming and I’m excited to continue that momentum into even more of our neighborhoods,” Ravenstahl said. “This program, along with the neighborhood revitalization initiatives my office created, are making sure that Pittsburgh’s Third Renaissance is reaching all four corners of our City. This Renaissance is about giving the people of Pittsburgh the tools to improve our neighborhoods block by block, making our streets more livable for residents and more attractive for new residents.”

Last fall’s pilot round of Love Your Block included a popup café, community gardens, a rain garden, memorial restoration, athletic complex renovation and vacant lot remediation. Grantees impacted 47 blocks by collecting 5,860 pounds of litter, creating 16 green spaces, leveraging over $8,800 of donations and recruiting over 680 volunteers.

“Love Your Block definitely changed my perspective of Pittsburgh by showing me that the Mayor wants the same thing as homeowners and residents of the City: a nice place for neighbors to live peacefully amongst one another. It’s these sorts of projects that help neighborhoods thrive for a long time to come,” said resident Kelly Day of Brighton Heights.

Applicants for the Spring 2012 program must be a qualified nonprofit organization or have the support of a nonprofit fiscal agent, and the impacted area must be within City limits. Applications must be received no later than 5 p.m. on February 29, 2012; late applications will not be accepted. Applicants will be notified of their status by late March 2012. A mandatory grantee orientation will take place on April 16, 2012, location and time will be announced to grantees at a later date.

The City will give special consideration to projects that demonstrate a creative solution to an ongoing neighborhood issue, address one or more vacant lots, engage local and/or veteran volunteers, and leverage other partnerships or additional donations. City leaders will meet with the awardees and deploy City services such as trash collection and graffiti removal to support the projects, as feasible. A full list of available City services can be found in the Love Your Block applications.

Love Your Block is made possible, in large part, thanks to the Home Depot Foundation donation of $10,000 in the form of $500 Home Depot gift cards. The selected projects each receive one gift card. Love Your Block is also supported in part by Corporation for National Community Service and AmeriCorps VISTA program

“We are extremely grateful to the Home Depot Foundation for their investment in this program and their national commitment to supporting vibrant and sustainable communities,” Ravenstahl said.

About Cities of Service and servePGH
On September 10, 2009, Mayor Luke Ravenstahl pledged that the City of Pittsburgh would help the country achieve the goals of the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act by joining Mayor Bloomberg and fifteen other Mayors from across our nation to launch the Cities of Service coalition. By signing the Declaration of Service, Mayor Ravenstahl committed to developing a coordinated strategy to utilize impact volunteerism as a significant municipal strategy for addressing local challenges.

Mayor Ravenstahl launched servePGH in March 2011 to engage Pittsburgh’s citizens in service and answer President Obama’s national call to volunteerism. Through seven new and innovative servePGH initiatives, Mayor Ravenstahl has engaged citizens in volunteer-fueled solutions to revitalize City blocks, restore vulnerable resident’s homes, help middle-school youth navigate life’s challenges and more. Additional information is available at servepgh.pittsburghpa.gov.

One Week Left to Apply for Mayor Ravenstahl's Civic Leadership Academy!

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 12:45:39 -0500

Dear Neighbors,

As a reminder, there is only one week left to apply for Mayor Ravenstahl's Spring 2012 Civic Leadership Academy, a free 10-week program created to inspire more informed and effective community and civic leadership. You are invited to complete the online application or print out a hard copy. All applications are due no later than 5:00 p.m. on February 8^th. We’re looking forward to another great program with a dedicated cohort of community members ready to go “behind-the-scenes” of their City government.

The Spring 2012 session runs from March 14 through May 16. Participants will convene for weekly Wednesday night sessions from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Session topics cover city organization and vision; budgeting processes; city planning and economic development; public works and parks services; the protection of water and rivers; public safety efforts, and more. Sessions include tours, hands-on demonstrations and fun activities to provide an up-close and personal view of how different departments help the City to operate. At the conclusion of the program, participants will use the knowledge gained to undertake a service project that addresses a need in the City of Pittsburgh.

For more information, please visit cla.pittsburghpa.gov.

The Civic Leadership Academy is supported in part by Corporation for National and Community Service and AmeriCorps VISTA program. It is one of seven signature initiatives within Mayor Ravenstahl’s servePGH initiative.

About Cities of Service and servePGH

On September 10, 2009, Mayor Luke Ravenstahl pledged that the City of Pittsburgh would help the country achieve the goals of the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act by joining New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and fifteen other Mayors from across our nation to launch the Cities of Service coalition. The bipartisan coalition includes more than 100 mayors – representing nearly 50 million Americans – who have committed to work together to engage citizens in a multi-year effort to address pressing city needs through impact volunteerism. By signing the Declaration of Service, Mayor Ravenstahl committed to developing a coordinated strategy to utilize service as a significant municipal strategy for addressing local challenges.

Mayor Ravenstahl launched servePGH in March 2011 to engage Pittsburgh’s citizens in service and answer President Obama’s national call to volunteerism. Through seven new and innovative servePGH initiatives, Mayor Ravenstahl has engaged citizens in volunteer-fueled solutions to revitalize City blocks, restore vulnerable resident’s homes, help middle-school youth navigate life’s challenges and more. Additional information is available at servepgh.pittsburghpa.gov.

MAYOR ANNOUNCES APPLICATION PERIOD FOR CIVIC LEADERSHIP ACADEMY CLASS

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 12:50:42 -0500

Mayor Luke Ravenstahl today announced that applications are available for the City’s Civic Leadership Academy (CLA), a free 10-week course designed to educate residents about local government in the City of Pittsburgh.

"This unique program provides residents the opportunity to learn how their local government operates to improve their communities," said Ravenstahl. "To date, over 75 residents have successfully graduated from CLA, each with a renewed commitment to becoming more informed, effective community and municipal leaders."

Beginning March 14, and ending May 16, 20 participants will attend 10 weekly sessions on Wednesday evenings from 6 to 8:30 p.m. to learn how different City departments work to ensure a safer, more livable City. Session topics include city organization and vision; budgeting processes; city planning and economic development; public works and parks services; the protection of water and rivers; public safety efforts, and more. City directors will develop their sessions to include tours, hands-on demonstrations and fun activities to provide an up-close and personal view of how their department helps to operate the City. At the conclusion of the course, the Mayor will lead a graduation ceremony where participants will be awarded certificates. Within six months of the graduation ceremony, students are expected to use the knowledge gained to address a need in the City of Pittsburgh and complete a project within a community.

So far, three classes totaling 77 residents have graduated from the Civic Leadership Academy. The inaugural Youth Civic Leadership Academy graduated in August 2011 and revitalized a parklet in East Carnegie. Other projects by CLA graduates have included planting native plants at the Larimer Community Garden, launching a recycling awareness campaign at community festivals across the City, and supporting the Urban Redevelopment Authority’s efforts to improve neighborhood business districts.

Applicants to the program must be at least 18 years old and live within Pittsburgh City limits and/or be a business owner who operates within Pittsburgh City limits. Applications are due by 5 p.m., February 8th. For more information and to apply for the Civic Leadership Academy visit cla.pittsburghpa.gov.

About Cities of Service and servePGH

Celebrate I Am A Mentor Day

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 12:44:57 -0500

Dear Neighbors,

January is National Mentoring Month and today, Jan. 11, is “I Am A Mentor Day.” Today, mentors celebrate their dedication to influencing and inspiring young people while encouraging their peers to follow in their footsteps.

Last March, I launched the Mayor’s Mentoring Initiative in partnership with the United Way of Allegheny County’s Be a 6^th Grade Mentor program. The initiative was the City’s first-ever employee volunteer program and I’m proud to say that many staff members have become mentors at City of Pittsburgh middle schools. I, too, am a mentor at Pittsburgh Allegheny 6-8 and enjoy spending time with my mentee. Mentoring alongside nearly 60 other City employees has been a truly rewarding experience.

Today I encourage our residents to consider becoming a young person’s mentor. Simply by sharing your time, you can make a tremendous difference in the life of a child. In a recent study of mentoring relationships, mentored youths were shown to get better grades, be less likely to get involved with drugs and be 86% more likely to go to college.

More than 24,000 people currently mentor in the Pittsburgh region, but there are thousands more children who could benefit from your support. Volunteering through the Be A 6th Grade Mentor Program is a great opportunity to help a child in need. You can also "Be One in a Million" and help recruit 4,000 volunteer readers, tutors and mentors in Allegheny County.

For mentoring opportunities, please check out the Mentoring Partnership of Southwestern Pennsylvania and help us provide Pittsburgh’s youth with the encouraging, caring mentoring support they deserve.

I am a mentor because I believe Pittsburgh’s future is in the hands of its youth. To share why you mentor, please visit the City of Pittsburgh’s Facebook page and comment on the I Am A Mentor Day wall post.

Sincerely,

Luke Ravenstahl
Mayor, City of Pittsburgh

Help Mayor Ravenstahl honor Pittsburgh's exceptional volunteers

Mon, 12 Dec 2011 10:12:31 -0500

Dear Neighbors,

This holiday season, I want to thank you all for volunteering here in the City of Pittsburgh. Many of you served with Mayor Ravenstahl’s seven servePGH initiatives to create true impact in our communities. Whether you have helped revitalize a vacant lot, shoveled snow for an elderly neighbor, or made a two-year commitment to “redding up” your neighborhood, thank you for helping to address our City’s greatest needs. Working together, we can make a difference.

As a part of his commitment to citizen service, Mayor Ravenstahl believes in recognizing exceptional volunteers. That’s why he recently established his Citizen Service Award, a special award that honors individuals and organizations that are strongly committed to addressing local challenges and enhancing the quality of life in the City of Pittsburgh. Past recipients have included socially-responsible business owners, non-profit leaders, board members, community advocates, youth volunteers, and others.

We invite you to nominate citizen volunteers that you deem worthy of this honor. Awardees do not need to be residents of Pittsburgh, but their service should have a positive impact on the City. You can nominate yourself or another community member who has gone above and beyond to give back to our neighborhoods. Recipients will be honored with a City of Pittsburgh Proclamation and a personal letter of thanks from Mayor Ravenstahl. Recognition will be awarded on a rolling basis.

If you would like to share your volunteer accomplishments, or know of someone who is making an impact in your community, help us recognize their service by filling out this nomination form. More information may be found at servepgh.pittsburghpa.gov.

If you have any questions, please contact servepgh@city.pittsburgh.pa.us or 412-255-2280.

Thank you once again and happy holidays!

Sincerely,
Rebecca Delphia
Chief Service Officer, City of Pittsburgh

About Cities of Service and servePGH

MAYOR'S SERVEPGH INITIATIVE TO HELP SENIORS TACKLE WINTER

Tue, 22 Nov 2011 12:32:41 -0500

Mayor Luke Ravenstahl today launched the seventh ServePGH initiatives called “Snow Angels.” Through the Mayor’s volunteerism campaign more than 1,000 citizens have helped revitalize City blocks, restore vulnerable resident’s homes, mentor middle-school youths and more. The Snow Angels initiative connects volunteers with seniors or physically disabled residents this winter who need help shoveling their sidewalks, steps and walkways. Residents can request a Snow Angel and able-bodied citizens or organizations can apply to volunteer at the City’s ServePGH website at www.snowangels.pittsburghpa.gov.

“Winters in Pittsburgh can be unpredictable and often very difficult for our seniors,” Ravenstahl said. “This program will help our most vulnerable residents stay safe and have one less worry this winter. I encourage residents and organizations to help their neighbors and to be enriched themselves through community volunteerism.”

To be matched with a Snow Angel, residents must be age 60 or older, or have a physical disability and lack access to other snow removal resources. The City will provide volunteers with melting salt, brightly colored vests and a snow shovel. The program will kick-off during the first snow fall. More than 50 Snow Angels have already signed on.

The Mount Ararat Community Activity Center (MACAC) will dedicate adults and students from its after school program to help 30 residents this winter.

“We are grateful for this opportunity to instill the importance of volunteerism and service into our children which will in turn help them to take pride in their community,” said Latika Smith, Youth Coordinator at MACAC.

The City-County Taskforce for Disabilities will help reach out to residents that qualify for assistance.

“Winter months have been difficult for seniors and people with disabilities because our sidewalks and our neighbors’ sidewalks are often un-shoveled and treacherous,” said Paul O’Hanlon, chairperson of the taskforce and Staff Attorney for the Disability Rights Network of Pennsylvania. “The Snow Angels program will give those residents more safety and allow them to enjoy the season.”

About Cities of Service and servePGH

MAYOR ANNOUNCES OPEN AMERICORPS VISTA POSITION WITH CITY

Tue, 01 Nov 2011 15:11:13 -0400

Mayor Luke Ravenstahl today announced that the City will be seeking one qualified AmeriCorps VISTA (Volunteer in Service to America) member to support the Sustainable Home Improvement Partnership, a servePGH initiative that repairs and weatherizes the homes of veterans, seniors and disabled residents with local nonprofits and citizen volunteers. The Veteran’s Service Associate will develop and coordinate the Sustainable Home Improvement Partnership and will serve full time for one year, beginning February 2012.

“We are happy to bring on another AmeriCorps VISTA member to assist our focus on volunteer and community service opportunities,” said Ravenstahl. “During these difficult economic times, we welcome the dedication of VISTA members and acknowledge the importance of their service.”

The position was made possible through a successful application to the Corporation for National and Community Service’s (CNCS) AmeriCorps VISTA program, and the VISTA member will commit to serve full-time for one year. The VISTA will be based in the Mayor’s Office of Service and Civic Engagement and will have the unique opportunity to gain professional experience in City government; community organizing; cross sector partnership building; and neighborhood revitalization.

“The VISTA member will work with the City’s Chief Service Officer to honor the commitment I was proud to make on September 10, 2009 when I signed on as a member of the Cities of Service coalition and committed the City to engaging more residents in community service and harnessing the power of volunteers as a serious strategy to address Pittsburgh’s most pressing challenges,” said Ravenstahl.

Applicants must have a minimum of a Bachelor’s degree, strong written and oral presentation skills, experience in project management and commitment to collaboration and problem solving. A basic living allowance of $927 per month, a $5,550 education award or a $1,500 end-of-service stipend upon completion of a year of service, and basic health coverage is provided by the CNCS.

To view additional requirements and to find out how to become an AmeriCorps VISTA, click here. Applications will be accepted until November 28, 2011, or until the position is filled.

Mayor Ravenstahl launched servePGH in March 2011 to engage Pittsburgh’s citizens in service and answer President Obama’s national call to volunteerism. Through seven new and innovative servePGH initiatives, Mayor Ravenstahl has engaged citizens in volunteer-fueled solutions to revitalize City blocks, restore vulnerable residents’ homes, help middle-school youth navigate life’s challenges, and more. Over 800 volunteers have committed 11,000 hours of service through servePGH to date. Additional information is available at servepgh.pittsburghpa.gov.

About Cities of Service
Mayor Ravenstahl is a founding member of Cities of Service, a bipartisan coalition of more than 100 mayors from across the country dedicated to engaging more Americans in community service and harnessing the power of volunteers as a serious strategy to address local challenges. Founded in New York City, the coalition and its member cities respond to the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act's historic call to action by finding new and innovative ways to harness the power of volunteers to help solve pressing local challenges.

About AmeriCorps VISTA
AmeriCorps VISTA members commit to serve full-time for a year at a nonprofit organization or local government agency, working to fight illiteracy, improve health services, create businesses, strengthen community groups, with the ultimate goal to eliminate poverty in the United States. In Pennsylvania, there are currently over 200 VISTAs serving on 30 projects.

MAYOR, THE HOME DEPOT FOUNDATION ANNOUNCE NEW PARTNERSHIP TO HELP LOW-INCOME HOMEOWNERS

Thu, 13 Oct 2011 09:23:31 -0400

Low-income seniors, veterans and disabled residents who need help keeping their homes warm and safe will have a helping hand, thanks to a partnership announced today by Mayor Ravenstahl made possible by a $500,000 grant from The Home Depot Foundation. The collaborative effort, called the Sustainable Home Improvement Partnership, will streamline the work of homeowner support groups and utilize community volunteers to rehab and weatherize approximately 70 homes in low-income neighborhoods over the next two years.

The Mayor and Kelly Caffarelli, president of The Home Depot Foundation, joined with the City’s Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA), Pittsburgh Partnership for Neighborhood Development (PPND), and several nonprofit agencies kicked off the partnership at the Southwestern Veterans’ Center in East Liberty where more than 100 volunteers were working to weatherize and rehab the center.

“We’re excited to be partnering with The Home Depot Foundation, yet again, to improve the quality of life for our City’s most vulnerable residents,” Ravenstahl said. “Up until now, residents who needed help making costly and necessary home repairs had to navigate through several different support agencies. Now, we are streamlining this process and putting more muscle behind it with help from Home Depot and community volunteers so that we can touch more residents in need more efficiently.”

“We are honored to be a part of the City of Pittsburgh’s efforts to repair homes for veterans, seniors and people with disabilities who are facing serious economic challenges,” said Kelly Caffarelli, president, The Home Depot Foundation. “The cornerstone of our lives is usually the place we call home…where we gather with our families and friends…and we are proud that our grant funding and the volunteer efforts of our associates will help the Sustainable Home Improvement Partnership to repair and refurbish homes for those who are most in need of help.”

Through the partnership, home repair agencies and community volunteers with the Mayor’s servePGH initiative will connect with home repair agencies to make life-safety and weatherization repairs such as handicapped accessibility upgrades; plumbing, electrical and utility improvements; structural integrity upgrades; and homeowner counseling services. The partnership will initially serve low-income seniors, veterans and disabled residents and families that have already been awaiting much-needed services from the partner agencies.

Community groups and non-profit organizations will help to select the additional homes to be rehabbed in the City’s East End neighborhoods of East Liberty, Larimer, Garfield, and Homewood. Interested volunteers may find more information at servepgh.pittsburghpa.gov.

“PPND is excited and encouraged about the impact that this partnership will have on our City’s neighborhoods and residents,” said Ellen Kight, President of PPND. “At PPND, we are committed to building healthy communities which are great places to live, work and play. This vision would not be possible without strong partnerships. We have seen first-hand, the power of collaboration and the influence it can have on the ultimate success of a program or project. We are honored to be partnering with Home Depot, The Mayor and the URA.”

The Sustainable Home Improvement Partnership is a joint effort of Mayor Ravenstahl, the Urban Redevelopment Authority, Pittsburgh Partnership for Neighborhood Development, The Home Depot Foundation, and the following organizations: ACTION-Housing, Inc., Hosanna Industries, Nazareth Housing Services, NeighborWorks Western PA, Pittsburgh Community Services, Inc., The Pittsburgh Project, Rebuilding Together Pittsburgh, and Three Rivers Center for Independent Living.

Since its formation in 2002, The Home Depot Foundation has granted more than $270 million to nonprofit organizations improving homes and lives in local communities. Follow the Foundation on Twitter @homedepotfdn and Facebook www.facebook.com/homedepotfoundation.

For photos of the event, click here: http://www.pittsburghpa.gov/mayor/photos

Mayor Ravenstahl recognizes Pittsburgh's exceptional volunteers

Tue, 04 Oct 2011 12:07:36 -0400

Pittsburgh has a strong tradition of neighbors-helping-neighbors. Throughout our history, citizen volunteers in every corner of Pittsburgh have risen up as partners in tackling our City’s greatest challenges.

Mayor Luke Ravenstahl believes in recognizing these community leaders and volunteers whose service deserves praise. That is why he has recently established his Citizen Service Award, a special award that honors individuals and organizations that demonstrate a strong commitment to addressing local challenges and enhancing the quality of life in the City of Pittsburgh.

If you would like to share your volunteer accomplishments, or know of someone who is making an impact in your community, help us recognize their service by filling out the nomination form for Mayor Luke Ravenstahl’s Citizen Service Award. Awardees do not need to be residents of the City of Pittsburgh, but their service should have a positive impact on Pittsburgh for consideration. Recipients will be honored with a City of Pittsburgh Proclamation and a personal letter of thanks from Mayor Ravenstahl. Recognition will be awarded on a rolling basis.

Mayor Ravenstahl’s Citizen Service Award is the newest addition to his servePGH initiative which promotes citizen service to impact local challenges. More information may be found at servepgh.pittsburghpa.gov.

If you have any questions or comments, please contact servepgh@city.pittsburgh.pa.us or 412-255-2280.

Join Mayor Ravenstahl in Thanking Pittsburgh's First Responders

Wed, 07 Sep 2011 14:47:00 -0400

Dear Neighbors,

This Sunday marks the 10^th anniversary of the tragic events of September 11^th, 2001. The selflessness of First Responders across the United States was exemplified a decade ago, when our Country endured horrific attacks in New York City, Washington, DC, and Shanksville, Pennsylvania. I am proud to say that many of Pittsburgh’s Public Safety Officers were among those who put their lives on the line for others during the aftermath of that fateful day. They are the unsung heroes of our communities, and I am truly inspired by their commitment and spirit.

Please join me in thanking Pittsburgh’s First Responders for serving our City on that day and every day. You can show your appreciation by stopping by the City-County Building lobby on Friday, September 9^th from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and signing a postcard, or by sending your message of thanks to servepgh@city.pittsburgh.pa.us by 5 p.m. on Friday. On behalf of the residents of Pittsburgh, I will hand-deliver these messages to Pittsburgh’s Bureaus of Fire, Police and EMS at a special ceremony on Sunday, September 11^th.

I hope that you join me in this important effort, and let Pittsburgh’s First Responders know that their dedicated service to the City of Pittsburgh does not go unnoticed.

Sincerely,

Luke Ravenstahl
Mayor, City of Pittsburgh

Mayor Announces Application Period for City's First 'Love Your Block' Grant Program

Tue, 17 May 2011 11:23:54 -0400

Mayor Luke Ravenstahl today announced that applications are available for the City’s Love Your Block grant award program, one of five service-based initiatives recently launched as part of the Mayor’s servePGH plan, which coordinates volunteers to help address the City’s greatest challenges. The block revitalization program will give up to 10 local non-profit organizations $500 dollars in order for them to purchase the supplies and equipment necessary to implement a block improvement project that mobilizes community volunteers and coordinates City services to support the effort.

“My servePGH initiative gives residents the opportunity to make a direct and meaningful impact in their communities,” Ravenstahl said. “With this innovative service initiative, community organizations will get the financial boost they need to roll up their sleeves and carry out their own brand of block beautification.”

The City will give special consideration to projects that are close to schools, address vacant lots, or provide a direct benefit to a neighborhood business district. City leaders will meet with the awardees and deploy City services such as trash collection and graffiti removal, as necessary. A full list of available City services can be found in the Love Your Block applications.

The Home Depot Foundation generously donated $10,000 toward this program in the form of $500 Home Depot gift cards. For the first of four rounds of Love Your Block grants, the ten selected projects will each receive one gift card. Project implementation will take place this September, and applicationsfor the second round of grants will be available in winter 2011-12.

“We are extremely grateful to the Home Depot Foundation for their investment in this program and their national commitment to supporting vibrant and sustainable communities,” Ravenstahl said.

Applicants must qualify as a non-profit organization, and the impacted area must be within City limits.Applications must be received no later than 5 p.m. on June 15, 2011; late applications will not be accepted. Applicants will be notified of their status by mid-July 2011. A mandatory grantee orientation will take place on August 1, 2011, location and time will be announced to grantees at a later date. The first round of Love Your Block project implementation will take place this September and October.

For more information, visit www.pittsburghpa.gov/servepgh/loveyourblock/, email servepgh@city.pittsburgh.pa.us, or call 412-255-4765.

About Cities of Service
On September 10, 2009, Mayor Luke Ravenstahl pledged that the City of Pittsburgh would help the country achieve the goals of the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act by joining Mayor Bloomberg and fifteen other Mayors from across our nation to launch the Cities of Service coalition. By signing the Declaration of Service, Mayor Ravenstahl committed to developing a coordinated strategy to utilize impact volunteerism as a significant municipal strategy for addressing local challenges.

The City of Pittsburgh's service blueprint, servePGH, seeks to engage citizens in impacting our City's greatest challenges through five service initiative which focus on securing a brighter future for youths through mentoring and educational opportunities, and revitalizing Pittsburgh's neighborhoods through community renewal projects.

For more info on the Mayor’s servePGH plan, visit servepgh.pittsburghpa.gov.

Mayor Announces Application Period for City's First Youth Civic Leadership Academy

Tue, 26 Apr 2011 15:08:58 -0400

Mayor Luke Ravenstahl today announced that applications are available for the City’s first Youth Civic Leadership Academy (CLA), a free six-week course designed to educate and engage high school students about the inner-workings of City government. The Mayor launched the CLA program last year and is expanding it to include a summer class for high-school aged youths as part of his ServePGH initiative.

“Our goal is to connect with high school students through fun, hands-on, interactive activities that will show them the importance of City government and public service,” Ravenstahl said. “At the end of the sessions, we will instill within our young participants a stronger sense of pride and accomplishment that will lay the foundation for them to become informed, effective, and inspired civic leaders.”

The sessions will highlight different City departments and the services they provide to make for a safer, more livable City. City directors will develop their sessions with tours, hands-on demonstrations, and fun activities to provide an up-close and personal view of how their department helps to operate the City. At the conclusion of the course, the Mayor will lead a graduation ceremony where participants will be awarded certificates.

The program will take place on six consecutive Wednesday evenings between July 6 and August 10, 2011 from 5 to 7 p.m. The City will provide bus/shuttle transportation to sessions held at non-Downtown locations.

Applicants must be a high school student residing within Pittsburgh City limits at the time of application. Up to 20 applicants will be selected to participate. Special consideration will be given to applicants who are highly motivated, interested in local government, and committed to using the experience to make a positive difference in their neighborhood and/or school communities.

Applications must be received no later than 5 p.m. on May 25, 2011; late applications will not be accepted. Applicants will be notified of their status by mid-June 2011.

Throughout the course, participants will reflect on their experience and will be provided with the opportunity to develop group or self-directed service projects that are based on their experience in the program and can be implemented in their communities.

For more information, visit cla.pittsburghpa.gov, call 412-255-4765, or send an e-mail to civicleaders@city.pittsburgh.pa.us.

About Cities of Service

On September 10, 2009, Mayor Luke Ravenstahl pledged that the City of Pittsburgh would help the country achieve the goals of the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act by joining Mayor Bloomberg and fifteen other Mayors from across our nation to launch the Cities of Service coalition. By signing the Declaration of Service, Mayor Ravenstahl committed to developing a coordinated strategy to utilize impact volunteerism as a significant municipal strategy for addressing local challenges.
The City of Pittsburgh's service blueprint, servePGH, seeks to engage citizens in impacting our City's greatest challenges through five service initiative which focus on securing a brighter future for youths through mentoring and educational opportunities, and revitalizing Pittsburgh's neighborhoods through community renewal projects.

For more info on the Mayor’s ServePGH plan, visit www.servepgh.pittsburghpa.gov

Mayor Ravenstahl Encourages City Employees to Serve as Middle-School Mentors

Tue, 22 Mar 2011 16:01:40 -0400

Dear City of Pittsburgh employee:

Pittsburgh’s future is in the hands of its youth. It was with this belief that I co-founded the Pittsburgh Promise scholarship program, and continue to work hand-in-hand with Pittsburgh schools to improve educational outcomes for students.

Building on this success, I am proud to announce the Mayor’s Mentoring Initiative, a new program enabling City of Pittsburgh employees to receive up to two hours of administrative leave per week to serve as mentors to Pittsburgh’s young people.

Through this initiative, the City will be partnering with the Be A 6^th Grade Mentor project, the largest mentoring initiative in our region’s history. Initiated by the leadership of the Youth Futures Commission and developed through the collaboration of United Way of Allegheny County, Pittsburgh Public Schools, and the Mentoring Partnership of Southwestern Pennsylvania, Be A 6^th Grade Mentor is a unique opportunity for adults with work experience to influence a young person’s life.

Simply by sharing your time, you can make a tremendous impact. In a recent survey of mentoring relationships, mentored youth were shown to have better school attendance, a better chance of going on to higher education, and better attitudes towards school. In addition, mentoring appeared to help prevent substance abuse and reduce negative youth behaviors.

I invite you to join me in becoming a mentor for the 2011-2012 school year. The time to apply is now. Please check out mentor.pittsburghpa.gov for an application and additional information.

If you have any further questions, please call 412-255-4765 or email servepgh@city.pittsburgh.pa.us. I hope that you choose to take advantage of this exciting new opportunity to support our youth and the future of Pittsburgh!

Sincerely,

Luke Ravenstahl
Mayor, City of Pittsburgh

Mayor Launches City's First High-Impact Service Plan, Calls on Community Volunteers to 'servePGH'

Wed, 23 Mar 2011 12:37:11 -0400

Dear Neighbors:

It is with great pleasure that I share with you servePGH, the City of Pittsburgh’s first-ever service and civic engagement plan!

On September 10, 2009, I became a founding member of Cities of Service, a bipartisan coalition of mayors dedicated to engaging citizens in addressing the great challenges of our time. I committed to developing a citywide plan to harness the power of volunteers and measurably impact Pittsburgh’s most pressing needs.

Yesterday, I made good on that commitment by launching servePGH. ServePGH is a high-impact, citywide blueprint for engaging citizens to work hand-in-hand with government and solve local challenges. Within servePGH are a number of initiatives that were created to significantly impact Pittsburgh neighborhoods and the lives of Pittsburgh youth through citizen service.

Now is the time to get involved. To learn more and sign up to receive updates about the many new and innovative service and civic engagement opportunities, visit: servepgh.pittsburghpa.gov. Also on the website you can download the full servePGH report .

Thank you to all of you who attended the launch of servePGH and have supported its development over the past six months. The citizens of Pittsburgh are our City’s greatest asset and a source of pride. I have no doubt that serving together we can rise to the challenges and address the needs of our great City.

If you have any questions about servePGH, please don’t hesitate to contact Rebecca Kottler-Wein, Chief Service Officer, at 412-255-4765 or servepgh@city.pittsburgh.pa.us.

Sincerely,

Luke Ravenstahl
Mayor, City of Pittsburgh

Mayor Luke Ravenstahl To Announce New Service and Civic Engagement Initiatives

Mon, 14 Mar 2011 10:29:54 -0400

Dear Neighbors:

When President Obama signed the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act into law on April 21, 2009, and rallied the nation to service, he spoke of being “possessed by the most American of ideas, that people who love this country can change it.”

Similarly, we have long known that the answers to Pittsburgh’s most pressing challenges cannot come from government alone. Throughout our City’s history, volunteers have played a critical role in providing essential services to residents, and building leadership and capacity among citizens to address community concerns. I am proud of Pittsburgh’s strong tradition of neighbors-helping-neighbors.

ServePGH builds on our City’s rich history of service. It is a high-impact, citywide blueprint for engaging citizens to solve local challenges. Within servePGH are a number of service initiatives that were created to meaningfully impact Pittsburgh neighborhoods and the lives of Pittsburgh youth.

I would like to invite you to join me as I launch servePGH and kick-off a new era of service and civic engagement in the City of Pittsburgh. The event will be take place on March 22, 2011 at 12:00 PM in the lobby of the City-County Building (414 Grant Street, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15219). The event is free and open to the public.

Please RSVP to Rebecca Kottler-Wein, Chief Service Officer, at 412-255-4765 or servepgh@city.pittsburgh.pa.us before March 18, 2011. If you need any special accommodations, please contact the ADA Coordinator at 412-255-2102 at least three days prior to the event.

Thank you for all of the work that you do on behalf of the City of Pittsburgh. Like President Obama, I believe that “people who love this country can change it.” People who love this City can make a difference.

Sincerely,

Luke Ravenstahl
Mayor, City of Pittsburgh