What members plan to after their service year ends on July 26, 2011:

Alex Cirillo plans to attend the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor for her Master's Degree in Public Health.

Sarah May, who has served with the PgHC for 2 terms of service, plans to attend the Mendel School at Case Western Reserve University to earn her Master's in Applied Science which will allow her to practice social work. Case Western Reserve University will match her 2 AmeriCorps education awards!

Angela Freitas has been accepted to the Master's in Health Education program at Columbia University in New York.

Erin Firestone accepted a position as the Center Director of Apple Tree Learning Center in Virginia.

Doug Lipari is attending the Cardozo School of Law.

Ashley Mancini accepted a position as a full-time service coordinator for the UPMC Health System.

Chantal Kamya is attending Wake Forest University to obtain a Masters in Management.

Abdul Ahmed has been accepted into the Peace Corps and will be located in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Sarah Voorhees is attending Boston University to receive her Masters in Public Health. She will concentrate on International Health.

Rasheda Vereen is attending medical school at Commonwealth Medical College of Pennsylvania.

Tara Kane is attending Indiana University of Pennsylvania to receive a Masters in Community Counseling. She also accepted part-time positions with Family Behavioral Resources and Armstrong-Indiana MH/MR working as Therapeutic Support Specialist and Mobile Crisis Intervention worker.

Kelsey Evans is attending Shadyside School of Nursing.

Elizabeth Tassaro-Burbano and her husband welcomed a baby girl in June and will be assuming the role of wonderful parents.

 

 

PgHC members participated in their first group service project at the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank

PgHC Members Doug, Erin, Tara, Kelly and Kelsey volunteered at event the Pittsburgh Community Food Bank held at a Pen's game.

First Service Project for the 2010-11 PgHC members-GPCFB

For their first service project of the 2010-11 program year, 18 PgHC members repacked hundreds of pounds of pasta at the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank; this pasta was then distributed to families in need.  In all, the Food Bank distributes over 22 million pounds of food per year through a network of nearly 400 member agencies in Southwestern Pennsylvania. The Food Bank serves a vital role in the community, reaching over 120,000 people every month.

Later, in December 2010, PgHC Members - Doug, Erin, Tara, Kelly and Kelsey - volunteered with an event the Pittsburgh Community Food Bank held at Pittsburgh Penguins Game.  The members helped sell raffle tickets to raise money for purchasing food in an effort to help expand various Food Bank programs.

Healthy Start staff and AmeriCorps members role-play before heading out into the communities.

Healthy Start staff and AmeriCorps members canvassing neighborhoods to spread the word about infant safe sleep.

The PgHC, Healthy Start INC (HSI) and the  Allegheny County Health Department collaborated to address the issue of infant  sleep related deaths.  In early October  2010, Healthy Start Medical Director and Pediatrician, Jerome Gloster, M.D. and  Chantal Kamya, the PgHC member serving with the Infant Safe Sleep Church Outreach  Committee, presented an infant safe sleep training to PgHC members and HSI  staff.  The training included a power  point presentation followed by role plays. Evaluations of the seminar show that  knowledge was increased for both the AmeriCorps staff and Healthy Start  outreach workers. Two weeks later, PgHC members and HSI outreach workers came  together again to canvas neighbors and engage community residents about the  impact that infant sleep related deaths were having on the community.  As a result of their combined efforts, 241  adults (70 men, 171 women) in nearly 20 communities were educated on the facts  and factors related to SIDS and infant sleep related deaths. A total of 750  outreach materials (500 Baby Safe Sleep Zone  Cards, 250 Church Fans, and 168 Healthy Start Fact Cards) were distributed to community members and left behind at local  businesses.  were left behind. Moreover,  18 future public health professionals have become more knowledgeable of SIDS,  the factors leading to deaths and, moreover, how to deliver a culturally  competent and sensitive message.

Abdul, Angela, and Kelsey organizing toys at the Toy Warehouse for Toys for Tots.

Rasheda Vereen, Operation Safety Net

For December’s training day, PHC members became more familiar with the unique needs of a unique population: homeless veterans. The training was held at Veterans Place, a residence and site for supportive services whose goal is to “build residential stability and self-determination, and increase a veteran’s earning potential and success in long-term competitive employment.” Many of Pittsburgh’s homeless individuals are veterans and have become homeless because they could not adjust to living a normal civilian life after seeing combat. Members gained a well-rounded perspective as a veteran, social worker, administrator, reverend, and nurse spoke about their experiences working with homeless veterans. The speakers emphasized the need for services to be readily available, sensitive to veterans’ mental health needs, and non-judgmental. Though not all PHC members see veterans at their service site, everyone appreciated their newfound awareness of the complexities involved in aiding homeless veterans.

Later in December, Pittsburgh Health Corp members coordinated a service project with a local grassroots organization, the Canonsburg Mat Makers, to address one of the issues that homeless VETS and other homeless populations must deal—what can they sleep on. The Mat Makers have been crocheting plastic bags into sleeping mats for the homeless for over a year where they have donated over 100 mats to organizations who work with the homeless; one of their beneficiaries is Operation Safety Net, a Pittsburgh Health Corp member site. The mats take forty to sixty hours to construct using 700 to 900 bags per mat measuring 3 feet by 6 feet. The mats not only benefit the homeless but also the environment, decreasing the amount of plastic that enters landfills. Pittsburgh Health Corp members served over six hours with the Mat Makers helping to complete four mats. Health Corp members were also about to meet and discuss with Mat Makers issues that face the homeless and ways that local grassroots organization are trying to meet these needs.