Seven Greenville organizations receive grants for community projects
GREENVILLE, Pa., June 5, 2017 – The Dietrich Foundation Greenville, PA Fund of The Pittsburgh Foundation has awarded $17,300 to area organizations, a 59 percent increase over last year’s total of $10,133. Grantees this year are Downtown Ministries, the Greenville Symphony Orchestra, the Greenville Area Historical Society, the Greenville Little League, the First Baptist Church, the Good Shepherd Center, Inc. and the Greenville Area Soccer Association.
William S. Dietrich II, a former steel industry executive who died in 2012, established the fund at The Pittsburgh Foundation to support charitable programs in the community of Greenville. This is the fourth year the fund has awarded grants.
Downtown Ministries was awarded $5,000 to support their Neighbor to Neighbor program. The program combats the increased levels of poverty and blight in the west side of Greenville. Interns from Thiel College and Grove City College will develop free summer recreation activities for children ages 6 to 14 and their families. Funding provides paid internships to the college students.
The Greenville Symphony Orchestra was awarded $4,000 to team college and high school students with Bulgarian maestro Svilen Simeonov and to further engage elementary students with the Greenville Symphony Orchestra. First, 24 to 30 students from 12 area high schools and colleges will have the opportunity to work one-on-one with Maestro Simeonov at their schools and on the day of the concert. Then, more than 1,000 students will attend a free Young Audience Concert.
The Greenville Area Historical Society was awarded $3,000 to aid the continued maintenance of the 1826 Museum. The current furnace needs to be replaced with an upgraded, energy efficient model. The new gas furnace will help reduce overhead costs of maintaining the museum as well as ensure that the temperature of the museum remains consistent, protecting the museum’s artifacts.
The Greenville Little League was awarded $2,000 to replace two dugouts on the league’s showcase field. The dugouts are of original construction, dating back to 1950. The new dugouts with new backstop fencing will boost the effectiveness of the fields and enhance the children’s already positive playing experience.
First Baptist Church was awarded $1,300 to support the Hometown Mission program, which is the cornerstone local outreach mission of the church. This program manages construction and yard maintenance projects for those who are unable to financially fund the work themselves. There is no cost to the homeowner: teams of volunteers do the work and First Baptist Church covers materials costs. In addition to the construction and maintenance activities, the homeowners are also invited to dinner and worship with the volunteers in the evenings.
Good Shepherd was awarded $1,000 to support its food pantry, which provides monthly supplemental food to eligible families. The target area of northern Mercer County is designated a food desert by USDA based on low-income population and limited transportation to food sources. In 2016, Good Shepherd served supplemental food to 849 individuals of which 217 were children. Providing this additional food resource helps lessen the food deficit and extends finances to meet monthly household bills.
The Greenville Area Soccer Association was awarded $1,000 to paint fields and erect safety fencing. The all-volunteer staff supports programming for more than 300 children and youth participants per season. Improvements to the field increase usage and promote the program to more people.
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For Immediate Release
Contact: Christian Pelusi
412-394-2620
pelusic@pghfdn.org