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Our Mission: Offering compassionate, faith-based recovery services to mothers and their children.
Mark Your Calendars!
 

Sankofa 

Grand Opening 

May 6

Join Sojourner House MOMS and Mayor Bill Peduto in celebrating the completion of Sojourner House MOMS at Sankofa.  An open house will be held Wednesday, May 6 from 1:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 2:00 p.m.  Light refreshments will be served. 

 
Support the New Families of Sankofa!


 

You can still participate in this momentous show of support. Board member Eileen Flaherty, who chaired the Adopt-an-Apartment campaign, has created gift registries through Walmart and Target for donors' convenience. To purchase gift cards, housewares, bedding and bath items, you may visit the links below.  You may also make a cash donation.  Your dollar can go a long way in helping our families start the journey to recovery off right.  No gift is too small!


 

Target Registry

Walmart Registry


Without donors, we could not impact the lives of the 12 families in our new supportive housing facility.  Your gifts will make a real difference for families taking their first steps towards healing and independence.

 

 

Thank you for reading Sojourner House's Newsletter. In each issue, you'll learn about recent happenings at Sojourner House, as well as current and upcoming news and events.  For more information or if you have a suggestion, please contact Laura Stephany, Director of Development, at lstephany@sjhpa.org

Sojourner House MOMS 
at Sankofa Opens!

 

Nearly three years of careful planning, approvals and fundraising paid off in a matter of seconds last month as Sojourner House MOMS at Sankofa welcomed its first two families.  Mothers beamed with hope as they turned their apartment keys and opened doors to new beginnings.  These precious moments confirmed the countless hours of work had been worth the effort.

The move-in marked completion of a community project that began in April 2012, when the Allegheny County Department of Human Services asked Sojourner House MOMS to acquire Homewood-based housing programs Sankofa and Open Arms.

Former Sojourner House board member, Lynne Chadwick, who led the committee formed to evaluate and plan the expansion, toured the facility following the move-in.  She knew the investment paid off upon meeting Sankofa's newest resident, who was still unpacking.  "The mother I met was positively on fire," Chadwick said.  "It's so inspiring to see firsthand the impact the MOMS expansion will have on the lives of the women and children we serve." 

JoAnn English, MOMS program manager,verified that the many hurdles relating to the construction and program integration were worthwhile. "To see the excitement on the faces of our staff and the smiles of our families is just so rewarding," she said.

The historic expansion of Sojourner House MOMS from 21 units to 42 units would not have been possible without an outpouring of support from the Pittsburgh community.The Allegheny County Department of Human Services and Pittsburgh's foundation community contributed nearly $1.2 million to finance the renovation of Sankofa and Open Arms.  Adding to this generosity were numerous churches, civic groups and individuals who helped furnish Sankofa's 12 new units through the Adopt-an-Apartment campaign.  "We are extremely fortunate to live in a community that cares so deeply for the neediest of its citizens," noted executive director Joann Cyganovich.  "'Thank you' seems inadequate to express our gratitude!"  

 

A Sankofa resident sees her apartment for the first time.  For more images of the apartments and move-in day, visit us on Facebook.

 

 
Sojourner House to Host 11th Annual 
Victorian Tea

The 11th Annual Victorian Tea will take place Sunday, April 19 at Pittsburgh's Grand Hall at the Priory.  The program will take place from 2-4 p.m., with a social hour from 1-2 p.m.  
Sarah Mayer, Sojourner House board secretary and Sojourner House MOMS board member, will chair the event.  
Mary Anne Papale, director of community affairs for Highmark, will serve as honorary chair.  
Carol Moore, a long-serving Sojourner House volunteer and Dedicated, Energetic, Active and Respected member of Pittsburgh Alumnae Chapter, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., will receive the Pearl of Hope.  For more information, please contact Laura Stephany, director of development, at 412.441.7783, ext. 24 or lstephany@sjhpa.org.
 

Sojourner House in the News

 

In case you missed it, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's SEEN Editor, Natalie Bencivenga, recently profiled Sojourner House. Read her column, #LetsMakeASEEN, here.