In The News

“Last year, 14,181 eviction court actions were filed by landlords, the highest in a decade. Tenants prevailed in less than 2% of them. Clearly, landlords are not hampered under the current law,” Maxwell King, president and CEO of The Pittsburgh Foundation said in a statement, referring eviction actions filed in Allegheny County. “Shortening the eviction timeline will only worsen the housing crisis and increase social service costs borne by taxpayers.

Pittsburgh Foundation President Maxwell King reviews the Foundation's critical needs alert from last week on Pittsburgh Today Live.

Money raised will help fund basic needs such as food, housing and child care for the poor in the Pittsburgh region.

Critical Needs Alert generated $1.67 million to help fund basic needs such as food, housing and child care in the Pittsburgh region. Total donations to the #ONEDAY Critical Needs Alert included about $865,000 from the public and $800,000 from an incentive pool established by The Pittsburgh Foundation and the Community Foundation of Westmoreland County.

On Saturday, the Pittonkatonk Mayday Brass BBQ & Potluck takes over the Vietnam Veteran’s Pavilion in Schenley Park in its sixth year there with What Cheer? Brigade back again for a daylong festival with diverse yet like-minded groups from all over the world. The event is free, thanks to support from The Pittsburgh Foundation, The Heinz Endowments, Opportunity Fund, The Grable Foundation, and Remake Learning.

Director of Philanthropy at the Pittsburgh Foundation, Kelly Uranker joined Larry Richert and John Shumway to discuss OneDay, an event sponsored by the Pittsburgh Foundation that accepts donations to help individuals in need all day long. This year's critical needs are child care, food and nutrition, housing, physical/mental health, and transportation.

Phil Koch, executive director of The Community Foundation of Westmoreland County, and Mary Bode, co-owner of Knead Community Cafe in New Kensington, appeared on Pittsburgh Today Live, to discuss the mission of the cafe and today's Critical Needs Alert.

The Western Pennsylvania Center for the Arts, which Myers-Toward runs with her husband, Ralph Myers, sells, rents and repairs instruments. But it also hosts performances and offers a variety of programs from group painting classes to private harp lessons that are free or low-cost through the nonprofit WPCA Academy. Through a $1,500 grant from The Pittsburgh Foundation, the founding couple was able to purchase music stands, sheet music and folders for these budding Beethovens.

Video: Our foundation's Executive Vice President Yvonne Maher and Chief Advancement Officer of Greater Pittsburgh Food Bank Traci Weatherford-Brown discuss our May 7 Critical Needs Event on KDKA-TV's Pittsburgh Today Live.

The Pittsburgh and Westmoreland County foundations have tapped into a fertile source of funds and goodwill that charities in other places should leverage as well. Communities always have unmet needs, and some of these can be addressed one modest donation at a time.