Allegheny County − November 28, 2023 – Today, State Senator Wayne Fontana announced awards totaling $3,034,390 in Neighborhood Assistance Program (NAP) funding to community initiatives and projects serving the constituents of the 42nd Senatorial District.
“I am very pleased to see such a substantial level of investment into our communities by our business, banking, and non-profit partners,” said Sen. Fontana. “When government, business, non-profits, and community groups work together, the entire Greater Pittsburgh area wins.”
NAP encourages private sector investment into projects that helps improve distressed communities by providing tax credits to businesses that donate capital to support projects. The funding can be used for projects in categories including affordable housing, community services, crime prevention, education, job training, food access, blight, special population issues, veteran’s initiatives, and long-term community revitalization.
Funding recipients include:
- 412 Food Rescue, Inc.
$46,750 from First National Bank, UPMC
412 Food Rescue distributes meals to non-profit partners, who in turn distribute them to food-insecure households in the community. 412 Food Rescue will retain 3 jobs and employ at least 40 kitchen labor volunteers who are trained in healthy food cooking.
- ACTION-Housing, Inc.
$56,250 from Dollar Bank
MyPlace provides housing, intensive case management, and other supportive services for up-to two years to help participants progress from homelessness to self-sufficiency using a “Housing First” model, with the understanding that providing stable housing eliminates the core burden from the participant, allowing him/her to then focus on employment, education, and other important life skills.
- Boys & Girls Clubs of Western Pennsylvania
$55,000 from UPMC Work Alliance
Boys & Girls Clubs of Western PA will use funding to replace the roof of the main building for safer access for programs.
- Casa San Jose
$16,500 from UPMC Work Alliance
This project will allow Casa to continue funding programs to serve the Latino community. With the proposed funding Casa will be able to fund the salary for the Healthcare Coordinator who leads and manages the Food and Nutrition Program. This includes doing family intakes, coordinating food donations, organizing boxes, planning monthly food deliveries, and connecting clients with their local food pantries.
- Dress for Success Pittsburgh
$26,250 from UPMC
Dress for Success Pittsburgh will provide healthcare worker uniform items to 500 women undertaking employment or training programs in rural communities and vulnerable neighborhoods in a 5-county region through mobile service at 120 events.
- Global Links
$56,250 from UPMC
Green Tree-based Global Links’ Community Partners Program will improve vulnerable communities’ health outcomes by strengthening the supply chain capacity of partnered safety-net organizations and filling essential product gaps for human service agencies so that they may empower their clients to live with dignity, independence, mobility, and in good health. The Personal Care Kits initiative aims to impact 5,000 neighbors with 10,000 Personal Care Kits (2 kits per person) in 2024.
- Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank
$1,331,390 from Apple Castle, Dawson’s Orchards, Dillner Family Farms, Harvest Valley Farms, J.D. Doggy, Karol Foods, PNC Bank, MJS Foods, Mihelic Foods Corp, Mihelic Supermarkets, Soergel Orchards, TriState Capital Bank, Triple B Farms, UPMC, Washington Financial Bank
This project will assist individuals with Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) enrollment and provide support to agencies that offer federal food assistance programs for children. GPCFB also provides food directly through large-scale distributions as well as emergency food provision to individuals who come through their doors.
- Junior Achievement of Western PA
$13,750 from TriState Capital Bank
Junior Achievement of Western PA will provide hands-on, interactive money management and career preparation programming to the McKees Rocks area through the Sto-Rox School District from a dedicated classroom mentor.
- Lawrenceville Corporation
$400,000 from UPMC, Duquesne Light, First National Bank, Dollar Bank, WesBanco
Lawrenceville Corp’s community work includes 38 affordable housing units created, more than $3.5 million in investment and development stewarded, 15 new small businesses, 35 affordable commercial spaces maintained and leased, streetscape improvements on Butler Street. 30 low-income senior home repairs completed, 45 mobility impediment projects completed, 150 residents registered for services, Arsenal Park Phase 1 Construction Complete, and Farmer’s Market grown to 45 vendors.
- McKees Rocks Community Development Corp.
$46,000 from Dollar Bank, Key Bank, TriState Capital, Hammel Companies
McKees Rocks Community Development Corp works through strong collaboratives to create programs and places to meet people where they live and enable residents to reach full economic and social potential.
- Mt. Washington Community Development Corporation
$80,000 from UPMC
The Mt. Washington CDC provides affordable housing, housing improvement assistance and stabilization, home and community safety, food security and job training to residents of Mt. Washington and Duquesne Heights.
- Northside Leadership Conference, Inc.
$400,000 from First National Bank, Highmark Life Insurance, Huntington Bank, Key Bank, Pittsburgh Steelers (North Shore Entertainment Works, SSB Bank, WesBanco
The Northside Leadership Conference takes a multidisciplinary approach to community revitalization, operating six interrelated business lines—affordable housing development, commercial real estate, small business support, parks and greenspace planning and restoration, infrastructure investments, and public health initiatives.
- Perry Hilltop Citizens Council
$15,000 from WesBanco
Perry Hilltop Citizens Council will work with a women/minority owned beauty salon owner on her interior buildout, including affordable apartments above a re-established key storefront, stimulating economic activity in Perrysville.
- Pittsburgh Community Reinvestment Group
$127,500 from S&T Bank, SSB Bank, Northwest Bank, First National Bank
PCRG, working with several community partners, will develop and implement home repair and financial education programs, and will acquire blighted, vacant, and tax delinquent properties for development.
- Uptown Partners of Pittsburgh
$120,000 from TriState Capital Bank, Key Bank
Uptown Partners is redeveloping 158 vacant housing units, tackling blight and vacancy by preserving historic structures and Uptown’s unique culture.
- Urban Impact Foundation
$243,750 from Bilco Manufacturing, PJTC Holdings, Key Bank, Frank B. Fuhrer Holdings, UPMC, TriState Capital Bank, First National Bank, Dollar Bank
The foundation’s project will renovate previously unused commercial space on the North Side for youth services, training, on-site childcare, staff locations, and additional parking; plus housing a total of 10-15 individuals with some spaces available for families.
In total, the Department of Community and Economic Development approved 261 awards last week totaling $36 million through NAP. Details about the program and a full list of awardees can be found here.
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