Last month, we announced two new RISE HIGH Growth Grant Partners, Awaken Pittsburgh (AP) and Northside Partnership Project (NPP). With this funding and partnership, we are helping to build the capacity of these organizations to scale and deepen their work and mission’s. We’re excited to launch into these new partnerships and see what we can accomplish together–get to know our new partners and how they are serving Pittsburgh residents.

Awaken Pittsburgh (MWBDE): transforms lives by providing mindfulness skills that reduce stress and burnout and build compassion, self-regulation, and emotional intelligence. While using its proprietary, evidence-based core curriculum series, which teaches applied mindfulness in everyday teaching, helping, and working. AP has tailored programs to the specific needs and contexts of educators, classrooms, early childhood centers, public safety, helping professionals, workplace wellness, and anyone who experiences high levels of toxic stress, compassion fatigue and/or burnout. Through its programs, AP equips those who face complex problems, secondary trauma, and acute stress on a daily or even hourly basis with life-changing mindfulness techniques.

“This grant will fund us training new African-American program deliverers for us and for other organizations working with families to be able to integrate mindfulness into more communities of color.”

~ Stephanie M. Romero, EdD

Awaken Pittsburgh programming with Clairton Family Center at Clairton Park, Thursday, August 4, 2022. (Credit: Rebecca Droke). Copyright 2022 Rebecca Droke RebeccaLDroke@gmail.com www.rebeccadroke.com

A $15,000 grant from Neighborhood Allies will help build and expand AP’s network of trainers to further integrate their programs and ensure they are delivering programming to communities of color and presenters are culturally competent. This grant serves as an extension and connection point to our mental health programming through our Organization-in-Residence, Steel Smiling. Awaken Pittsburgh will be providing needed mental health services and programming to staff, educators and families in Homewood–helping us move the needle on our goal of providing “Trauma-informed mental health training and services provided to African-American adult community members.”

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Northside Partnership Project (MWBDE): has established an operation where families can come and participate in programs and events to enhance their skills to be competitive in job searching, academics and family matters. They provide for families, who find it hard to get through the month and experience food and clothing insecurities. NPP will be able to train and accommodate the community with advanced technological equipment and direct programming that would increase the community’s knowledge in computer skills and technical operations. 

“New technology at NPP will enable neighbors and residents to be able to come to the NPP facility to take care of their business and technology needs that they may not be able to do in their homes; needs such as, faxing, developing resumes’, and video chats for medical and employment needs, as well as, copying business papers, etc.”

-Eleanor Williams, Executive Director, Northside Partnership Project

A $15,000 grant from Neighborhood Allies will purchase technology and hire trainers and technicians to help with the implementation and use of the new technology. Classes will be available for all ages to assist in technology development, youth will be able to increase their skills in gaming, video development and management, and elders will enjoy nights of games and fun through different uses of technology. This grant serves as an extension and connection point to our Digital Equity and Inclusion programming. NPP will be providing needed mental health services and programming to staff, educators and families in Homewood–helping us move the needle on our goal of “Connecting residents with local workforce opportunities and establishing ongoing needs for digital skills and access to technology.”