In the time of year when so many think about giving and giving back, Sojourner House is blessed with a great deal of love and support during the holiday season. One of the annual holiday traditions the residents and families enjoy is a Christmas dinner prepared and served by Mitzvah Day volunteers. Mitzvah Day is a holiday tradition where Pittsburgh’s Jewish community volunteers on Christmas Day. “We have Mitzvah Day on Christmas because we recognize that this is not our holiday and we want to make other people’s holiday better,” explains David Chudnow, the Volunteer Center Manager of Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh. “Sometimes that is in the form of a friendly face at a fun event like the dinner at Sojourner House or by helping out so that the staff at an organization can take … [Read more...] about Christmas Day Mitzvah is Holiday Tradition
Volunteers
Leah Lizarondo is the CEO and co-founder of Food Rescue Hero and 412 Food Rescue, social enterprises with a technology, logistics and civic engagement model that aims to fight hunger and promote sustainability by preventing perfectly good food from entering the waste stream and directly distributing to organizations that benefit those who are food insecure. Founded in 2015, 412 Food Rescue is one of the fastest-growing food recovery organizations in the U.S. Creating the infrastructure for national retailers. The technology platform, Food Rescue Hero, has prevented over 8 million pounds of food from going to waste via mobilizing over 8,000 drivers in 5 cities --food rescue heroes--the largest volunteer food transport network. 412 Food Rescue's innovative distribution … [Read more...] about 16th Annual Victorian Tea Honorary Chair, Leah Lizarondo
Oct. 25, 2019 New Sojourner House board member Ron Szwarc has wasted no time introducing himself to the Sojourner House community. This fall, Ron has spoken with the staff and Sojourner House mothers, not about his board work, but about his years in recovery. In 1981, Ron’s drinking led him to his first stint in rehab while in the Air Force. “I did everything on my own. Ego led me to believe you can do this on your own,” he said. He was dry for 15 years, but the stress of an international deployment in Malaysia found him back in rehab. After 20 years trying to do it on his own, Ron gave up and made a commitment, “I’m going to do everything AA says.” With decades of experience, Ron now dedicates his time sharing his experiences with others in recovery. As one of two keynote … [Read more...] about New Board Member’s Work is A Family Affair
At the beginning of each academic year, Point Park University’s prestigious Honors Student Organization chooses a local nonprofit organization as its Donation Drive recipient. Much to our delight, this year's recipient was Sojourner House. Approximately 120 students brought their donations to the organization's Aug. 19 Welcome Dinner. The huge amount of donations included cleaning supplies, toiletries, hygiene products, paper towels, and other household supplies. "We started the tradition of a carry-in donation drive some years back with our new honors students, to not only continue the tradition of service that many of them started in high school, but also to get them to move up to service learning," said Helen Fallon, Professor of Journalism, Director of the University Honors … [Read more...] about Point Park University’s Honors Student Organization supporting Sojourner House
By Lindsey Hayakawa Sept. 5, 2019 For the past 2 years, the residents of Sojourner House have been given the opportunity to attend a Bible Study every other Monday evening. Millicent Novic is the organizer behind the volunteer-run group that provides bi-weekly Bible Study, child care and dinner for the families. The idea initially came to Millicent as a way to share her studies of the Bible. Ann Brooks, another Sojourner House volunteer, introduced Millicent to Sojourner House. After discussing some ideas with Liz Wasel, Sojourner House Volunteer Coordinator/Child Care Specialist, Millicent asked a group of women from various churches to volunteer their time. This group of female volunteers all wanted to help and became known as the Murrysville Bible … [Read more...] about The Murrysville Bible Study Group
The 26th Annual Strawberry Festival at Shadyside Presbyterian Church took place in early June and was a sweet and tasty way to spend a beautiful early summer evening. The proceeds from this event provide valuable support of day-to-day essentials for the women in the treatment program. Sojourner House has been adopted as the beneficiary of this annual summer celebration for many years. Volunteer and creator of the festival, Ann Brooks first experienced strawberry socials in England, as a teaching and exchange student. She knew that other local churches had festivals and thought it would be a perfect way for the Shadyside Presbyterian Church community to have some fellowship, enjoy their beautiful lawn and give back to the community. The first year, Ann made some … [Read more...] about Ann Brooks Created a Legacy of Volunteerism