Presentation by Jay Poliziani, director of Northside Common Ministries
Sep 30, 2012
Northside Common Ministries offers several ministries in the
Northside, including a men’s shelter, Food Pantry, urban landscape
improvements, and much more.
Ways to Pray for NCM:
- Please include NCM in the congregation’s prayers
- pray to see if you can come lead a Bible study once a month (Mon and Wed)
- for families – numbers of homeless families has increased,
but services for them have not.
Specific needs:
- twin-sized sheet sets
- bath towels
- toiletry items (especially deodorant and razors, since
those items are not donated so often)
- children’s books to give away to kids
- clothing donations
Please note: NCM cannot take furniture donations, because of
space limitations.
There are good stories happening at NCM every day.
- men leaving the shelter for an apartment
- men finding jobs
- men reconnecting with family
Fundraisers
In 2013 NCM will host a history tour.
Egg carton gift cards: donate to NCM, get a gift card to
send to someone saying that in that person’s honor, you donated X dozen eggs.
Celebration of Caring dinner
March – Food Pantry brunch challenge: 10 different restaurant chefs make food using
only Food Pantry food.
Details
Hiland is instrumental in providing meals for Pleasant
Valley Shelter.
NCM is affiliated with Goodwill Industries of SWPA.
Men’s shelter usually houses at least 25 men. In winter, numbers go up to 32 men. It is one of three men’s shelters in the
area.
The shelter’s routine is:
the men sign in during the morning, are away from the shelter during the
day, then come back at night for the evening meal and to sleep.
PVS has drug test kits and alcohol test kits on site. Not mandatory testing, but if drug or alcohol
use is suspected, person is tested. If
positive, person is asked to leave.
Counselors are on site 2x week.
During the day, NCM operates a drop-in center for men and
women, with a meal (shower for men), and laundry facilities.
Food Pantry – serves over 900 people per month. Largest one in the Pittsburgh area. Serves only the Northside, from 3 local zip
codes. They receive a delivery of eggs,
meat, and milk from Greater Pittsburgh Food Bank. Running the food pantry costs $45,000 per
year. The Food Pantry receives nothing
from the government.
The third floor of NCM is a host site for a GED classroom,
which preps hundreds of students for the health care field.
NCM works with dieticians at CCAC, who work with clients to
learn how to prepare Food Pantry food in a more healthy way (to reduce obesity,
diabetes, and high blood pressure. For
instance, draining a can of veggies in a colander reduces the salt content.
Third floor office also provides
-help for people who need help with utility bills.
- tax prep service during tax season
- case management for formerly homeless men.
Two times a week, doctors, nurses, psychiatrists, and
pharmacy interns come to the shelter.
Having all those medical professionals there at the same time ensures
tha the patient can actually get the medical attention they need (for instance,
can get the prescription drugs they are prescribed).
NCM has plans to create a garden – next week will create a
rain garden and butterfly garden. Also a
raised bed box garden for vegetables (can’t grow vegetables in regular ground
because there formerly was a building
there, so original soil is not cleared of contaminants enough to grow food).
