Monthly Newsletter

October 2022 Edition

The Macedonia FACE Board of Directors has announced the appointment of Tinisha Hunt as the agency’s Chief Executive Officer. Ms. Hunt has been with the agency for seven years and most recently served as the organization’s Chief Program Officer. With 20+ years of experience in human services, Ms. Hunt was an integral part of the agency’s succession plan.

When asked to comment on her appointment, Tinisha said, “When I came to FACE, I knew very early on that I found my place to grow as a professional and to serve our community. I have honed my leadership skills and prospered because of the mentoring and coaching provided to me at FACE. I am honored to be serving as Macedonia FACE’s CEO and I look forward to working with our staff team, our board members and all of our collaborators to serve the community together. Macedonia FACE is more than a job and is bigger than any one person. Macedonia FACE is an agent of change and a beacon of hope.”

On September 30, 2022, Macedonia FACE youth services staff participated in a training conducted by Certified Trainer, Ashley Njenga. The staff completing this training will now be qualified to facilitate the Girls Circle Group Facilitated Youth Workshops. The Girls Circle groups utilize an evidence- based curriculum developed by the One Circle Foundation. Macedonia FACE offers these workshops at select area schools and community locations, which are designed to promote self-awareness and increase self-worth in girls ages 8-18 and includes 8 sessions. Creating bonds among classmates improves school engagement and success.

For more information about our youth programs, visit our website at www.macedoniaface.org or contact Family Engagement Services Program Manager, Isabel Bright, at ibright@macedoniaface.org.

Warner Johnson is one of FACE’s Family Coordinators. He has been with the agency for two years. He came to FACE because he wanted to give back to the community. He was previously the Director of Alumni Services at Robert Morris University. Mr. Johnson works directly with youth in the schools and in the community. He is a facilitator for the Boy’s Council group workshops for youth and is a mentor and role model for young men. 

“Warner is committed to the families he serves. He does an excellent job of engaging with schools and assuring quality service to families. He is a pleasure to work with and supervise, and is a great team member.”, commented Isabel Bright, FACE’s Family Engagement Services Program Manager. 

Warner says that the best part of his job is seeing a young man come into the group closed off and isolated, and then over the course of the group, coming out of his shell, gaining confidence, and being listened to by his peers. The group provides the safe environment for that to happen. Warner says he’s concerned about the setbacks caused by COVID and the ways that social media has fueled conflicts and limited the interactions and relationships among youth and adults. Warner likes to contribute to positive experiences and opportunities for young people through his work and his coaching. Warner is proud of the ways that FACE supports families and hopes more families will take advantage of all that FACE has to offer. 

Macedonia FACE and Vintage, Inc. are among 4 awardees of $500,000 from the Henry L. Hillman Foundation as a part of the foundation’s Healthy Aging Challenge. The challenge was to create responses for transformational, equitable, and scalable opportunities to leverage the assets and value of the region’s aging population and support current and future caregiving.

 “As southwestern Pennsylvania’s population continues to decrease in size and grow older, it was imperative to the Henry L. Hillman Foundation to get ideas on the table to address the state of aging well in this region,” said David K. Roger, foundation president. “The four successful proposals of the Healthy Aging Challenge come from organizations and partnerships with extensive track records of caring for older populations and innovating to navigate around limited resources. We all get older, and the work that these organizations are doing now and in the future provides benefits to a wide cross section of the region’s population.”

Macedonia FACE and Vintage submitted a proposal for:

The Wise Neighbor Project: Promoting wellness through trusted engagement: providing community-based, trusted and culturally responsive services that help elders improve the social determinants of their health and age in place. 

Tinisha Hunt, Macedonia FACE CEO, said, “FACE is excited to be working in partnership with Vintage to assist our senior neighbors and close care gaps. Navigating a multi-faceted system can be daunting and as trusted neighbors, we are here to help. Our treasured elders deserve the support and attention that will be available through this program so that they can continue to stay safe and healthy living independently.”

The Wise Neighbor Project will be an extension of services provided at the Senior Center at the Thelma Lovette YMCA and the home delivered Meals on Wheels programs already being provided.

If you have questions about the project, please contact Justin LeWinter, Adult Services Program Manager, at jlewinter@macedoniaface.org.

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