Monthly Newsletter

February 2023 Edition

CEO Tinisha Hunt welcomes Secretary Becerra to our

Senior Center at the Thelma Lovette YMCA. 

Secretary Xavier Becerra visited our Senior Center on February 14th for a round table discussion as part of his visit to the Pittsburgh region. Secretary Becerra is the 25th Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services and the first Latino to hold the office in the history of the United States. Born in Sacramento, Secretary Becerra is the son of working-class parents. He was the first in his family to receive a four-year degree, and he later earned his JD from Stanford Law School. His mother was born in Mexico and immigrated to the United States after marrying his father, a day laborer turned construction worker. Secretary Becerra has committed his life to public service, and he has been a champion of the Affordable Care Act, Medicare, and Medicaid programs.

Joining the Secretary was Dr. Ala Stanford, Regional Director of Department of Health and Human Services, Representative Summer Lee, County Executive Rich Fitzgerald, Erin Dalton (Director of Allegheny County DHS), and staff from local senior serving organizations.  

Macedonia FACE is proud of the positive reputation of our Senior Center making it a sought-after location for visits of this magnitude and providing an opportunity for FACE to be a part of conversations that bring light to important issues facing our community. 

The Hill District Early Literacy Initiative is a collaboration of 25+ organizations and individuals committed to improving the reading skills of children ages PreK to Grade 3. The Initiative supports a variety of activities to promote reading including a monthly Storytime event, book and reading tool give-a-ways, back-to-school events and much more. This month, HDELI launched its Billboard awareness campaign with billboards throughout the Hill District. See if you can find our “Get Caught Reading” message as you travel through the community.

This 30-minute documentary explores the intersections of mental health and social isolation. Social isolation has long been known to affect mental health, but new information shows it can increase the risk of poor physical health and early death. With direct connections to depression, suicide, dementia, stroke, coronary disease and poor sleep, isolation is having an ominous and widespread effect. As many as 40 percent of American adults report feeling cut off from meaningful family and community connection. The COVID pandemic only made things worse with an alarming spike in teenage mental health issues.

The documentary was done by Emmy Award winning producer Beth Dolinar, and aired on WQED on February 16, 2023. It included footage with Macedonia FACE Senior Social Service Assistant, Timeka Jerry, delivering food to a senior in our community as part of our Meals on Wheels program. 

You can view the documentary on YouTube by following this link: Alone: Isolation Hurts - YouTube



Macedonia FACE Meals on Wheels program delivers meals and provides much needed contact to more than 200 seniors in the community who either live alone or who are unable to prepare meals for themselves.

Joshua Gibson was an American baseball catcher who played in the Negro leagues. Baseball historians consider Gibson among the best power hitters and catchers in baseball history. In 1972, he became the second Negro league player to be inducted in the National Baseball Hall of Fame. He played with the Pittsburgh Crawfords through 1929, and in 1930 he joined the Homestead Grays, his first professional Negro league club. Josh Gibson never got the opportunity to play in the Major Leagues, but he left a lasting mark on baseball history. An imposing presence both behind the plate and at it, Gibson is considered one of the most fearsome sluggers to ever grab a bat.

On February 7, Macedonia FACE partnered with Penn State University Allegheny Campus to show, “Surviving Voices” – a film produced by the National AIDS Memorial about the state of HIV/AIDS in the Black Community. The film was followed by a panel discussion led by FACE staff, and question/answer session with students. 

• Although Black Americans represent almost 13% of the US population, they represent 42% of new HIV infections.
• African American males have 8.1 times the rate of AIDS compared to white males and African American females have 15 times the rate of AIDS compared to white females. 
• 37.3% of African American adults in the US have never been tested for HIV.
• The disproportionate impact of HIV/AIDS on the Black community has been attributed to challenges including lack of access to health care, smaller sexual networks, lack of awareness of HIV status, and stigma. 

Macedonia FACE HIV Services are committed to bringing awareness and testing to our community as well as assuring quality care for those who are infected with HIV. If you know someone who wants to know their HIV status or who needs HIV services, call 412-377-3089.

Neal Holmes, LPC, MS, MA will facilitate discussions on mental wellness and wellbeing every other Thursday from 2-3pm. If you are interested in joining the group, please call 412-377-3089. 

Follow Macedonia FACE on Social Media