1982-2015:
30 plus years of providing for the needs of our brothers and sisters who are hungry and homeless
NCM News
Northside Common Ministries
PO Box 99861
Pittsburgh, PA 15212
www.ncmin.org
Ministering to the needs of the hungry
and homeless with support from
churches, individuals, businesses,
foundations and government agencies
concerned about those living in crisis.
Give to Northside Common Ministries at www.ncmin.org
NCM: Celebrating over 30 Years of Service!
December 2015 Volume 5, Number 3
A message from the Director:
“She has money to get her nails done, so why can’t she buy her own food?” “He can find the money to buy cigarettes,
so why can’t he save it and put it towards an apartment?”
Situational depression occurs when an individual is unable to adjust to or cope with a particular stressor, like a major life
event. Since people with this disorder normally have the same symptoms that depressed people have, such as general loss
of interest, feelings of hopelessness and crying, this disorder is sometimes known as situational depression. Unlike major
depression the disorder is caused by an outside stressor and generally resolves once the individual is able to adapt to the
situation.
Living in a homeless shelter or in poverty is depressing. Waiting in line to access food, utility assistance or help getting
a job can be demoralizing, exhausting and depressing. Ultimately it would be much better for the young mother with her
recently manicured nails and the man with a carton of cigarettes to be putting their money into a savings account instead.
When you have so little, it can be hard to see how saving even $50 a month can add up to make a significant difference in
your future. Having nice nails or an occasional cigarette often lifts a person out of a sad mood for a short period of time.
Clearly saving money is the better alternative, but it can be hard to focus on long-term goals when you feel down.
At the Financial Opportunity Center at NCM, we often meet people who have never had a savings or checking account
because they never had any money left after paying their bills. Our staff at the FOC feels a renewed sense of purpose when
we hear one of our clients enthusiastically tell us that they were actually able to put money away, no matter how small the
amount.
In its first few months of operation, our Financial Opportunity Center has helped more than 30 people secure employment and has helped another 20 to access government benefits such as food stamps and Social Security disability. 80
people have participated in workshops on how to improve their budgeting skills and how to repair bad credit. Just like the
rest of us, our clients may still need an occasional little treat to lift their spirits, but they are on their way to saving money.
Dig that old furry hat out of the attic
Mark your calendar for Saturday January 23 at 11:00 a.m.! Our annual Food
Pantry Brunch Challenge will feature the fun and funky sounds of the Funky Fly
Project, a group of amazingly talented middle school boys who play old school
funk. Once again this year our chefs will be set up on stage serving tasty treats at
the New Hazlett Theater (near Allegheny Center Mall on the Northside).
Join 10 chefs, lively musicians and dancers for a morning of fun and fabulous
food. Tickets are only $25. Order your tickets today by emailing jay.poliziani@
ncmin.org.
For 30 years Northside Common Ministries has been the recipient of help from many caring people. Without the help of our
volunteers and supporters, we could not continue to provide the services we offer to our brothers and sisters in need. Pictured
above some of the nearly 70 people, representing 8 different congregations, that came to our annual Congregational Assembly this
September at Bidwell Presbyterian Church. The music was soul and spirit lifting! Also featured are volunteers from AON Risk
Solutions who helped paint our dining room during a day of service as a tribute to Brian Hall who died this year and whose parents
are very committed to NCM’s work. Also featured is the staff and customers of Hooman and Associates, who came back again for a
third year for their company’s day of service.
Success story
Did you know?
NCM and crowdfunding
A God who simply loves
Recently a coworker and I were on the bus heading to
town when we encountered a women with an amazing
story. It began as she told us about a homeless man whom
she had known in the past. Then the story evolved to reveal that not so many years ago, she herself was homeless
for several months. After raising 10 kids as a stay-at-home
mom, she ran into some bad luck that left her homeless
after her kids were grown. She struggled, asking friends
and family for help but getting little. Asking passers-by
for money was her only means of getting by during that
period.
Northside Common Ministries offers a comprehensive package of resources
that helps connect homeless veterans to services
that help them gain stable
housing. In addition to
the core services we provide such as shelter, food,
on-site medical care, job
search help and referrals to all of the people we serve, vets
can also access the help of an on-site Veteran Specialist provided by the VA. Beverly is on-site at NCM every Monday
to help anyone who served in the military make the right
connections. There are many housing, employment, support and medical services out there to help make sure all
homeless veterans can find housing. Beverly provides oneon-one assistance to any veteran who comes to our site and
points them in the right direction to find the help that will
get them off the street.
This past summer NCM supporters
came out in full force, making our first
effort at crowdfunding a great success.
Crowdfunding (for anyone out there
who like me had no idea what it might
be), is an way to get people excited
about donating online for a particular
project.
In human beings there can be impulses to violence. For trust to arise
on earth, we need to begin with ourselves, making our way forward with
a reconciled heart, living in peace with
those around us.
She shared how a woman passing by her on the street
once gave her 15 dollars. She was overjoyed. She was able
to get deodorant and other hygiene supplies that she desperately needed at the time. A few years later when she
was back on her feet working, she saw that same woman
again. She approached the woman and asked her if she
remembered her. The woman did not. She told the woman,
“I could never forget you. You gave me 15 dollars once
when I was at my lowest and it was a huge help. Now that
I’m working, I want to return that money to you.” Seeing how much it meant, the woman graciously accepted
the payment. Our storyteller told us that she still sees the
woman around town every once awhile. “We smile and
wave, but I don’t even know her name. But she is my
friend,” she told us.
Give to Northside Common Ministries through
United Way - Contributor Number 1476.
Does your employer match your donations or make
a donation for your volunteer hours at NCM?
NCM now accepts online donations at
www.ncmin.org!
Follow us on facebook!
www.facebook.com/NCMinistries1
Northside Common Ministries
1601 Brighton Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15212
www.ncmin.org
Jay Poliziani: Director
Administrative Offices: 412-323-1163
Pleasant Valley Emergency Shelter: 412-321-4272
Community Food Pantry: 412-323-1170
Affiliation: Northside Common Ministries is an affiliate unit of Goodwill
of Southwestern Pennsylvania.
Non-discrimination Statement: Northside Common Ministries prohibits
discrimination on the basis of race, color, religious creed, disability,
ancestry, national origin, age, sex, or sexual orientation.
I can see clearly now...
Three times this year
our friends at Mission Vision reached out to us to
arrange eye care clinics
on-site at NCM. Knowing
that so many of our lowincome, uninsured neighbors would get free eye
exams and free glasses we
jumped at the chance each
time. As a result more
than 100 people in need
received free glasses!
Mission Vision holds an eye clinic every Tuesday at different locations throughout our region. They provide eye
care for literally thousands of people each year. Learn more
about Mission Vision at mission-vision.org. Ann the resident dog here at the shelter has 20/20 eyesight but couldn’t
resist getting in on the action.
Our ReRamp the Food Pantry
Crowdfunding project was the brain
child of NCM neighbors Darlene
Rushing and Sue Kerr, who were assisted by Jana Thompson, Amy Jo
Brown , Jill Greenwood, Anne George
and Julie Peterson. Dozens of supporters contributed over $12,000 to our
first ever crowdfunding effort, which
focused on renovating our Community Food Pantry.
With the money raised from the
crowdfunding, volunteers were able
to make much needed updates to the
pantry. Now twice as many people
than in the past are able to shop at the
same time!
New shelves and shopping carts
were added, along with a walk-on
floor scale and a new, easily accessible ramp. These changes ensure that
our customers can get in and out of
the pantry in a more timely manner
so they can return to their families or
their jobs.
Peace on earth is prepared insofar as
we dare to ask ourselves “Am I ready
to seek inner peace and to go forward
in selflessness? Even if I have very
little, can I be a ferment to trust in my
own situation, understanding others
mare and more?” As we remain before
God in quiet waiting, will we open
ways of peacemaking wherever oppositions arise? When people make a
resolution for peace in their own lives,
they become bearers of a shining hope
whose light radiates ever further outward. At this time in history, the Gospel invites us to love and to say it by
our existence. Faith becomes credible
to those around us, above all, by the
lives we lead.
Did You Know?
Alternative Gift
Coupon Book
Northside Common Ministries
Providing help to the areas hungry and homeless for over 30 years.
Check out our Alternative Gift Catalogue on www.ncmin.org. Give a family member or friend a gift they will
truly appreciate. Select from nearly a
dozen options for gifts that give back.
Education Assistance Program
At NCM we have a staff of less 12 people. A quarter of them not only
come to work to raise their families, but they also go to school to help
improve their skills in order to advance in their careers.
As a program of Goodwill of Southwestern Pennsylvania, NCM
staff - just like Goodwill staff - have the opportunity to access employer-provided education assistance. While the assistance doesn’t always cover the entire cost of tuition, the financial assistance makes it
possible for employees to pursue educational goals that may not have
otherwise been able to pursue.
Adult Bible Study field trip
A few months ago our friends from the Hiland Presbyterian Church
Sunday Adult Bible Study group loaded up their cars and headed off
for a field trip to NCM. The group consisted of about 12 adults, who
were able to see first-hand all of what happens here at NCM. Often
our church partners only know about the shelter meals they serve, and
sometimes miss out on the rest of things that happen here throughout
the day. Consider taking your Sunday school class on the road – just
email [email protected] to arrange it!