NEW COMMUNICAID CENTER LOCATION

COMMUNICAID
CARING FOR THE COMMUNITY

Nonprofit builds new center to provide services

to disadvantaged population
CommunicAID expands its food, shelter, and education services to the Mercer Street area
PITTSBURGH, Feb. 15, 2016 The nonprofit CommunicAID signed a contract
to purchase the former elementary school on Mercer Street to build another center that
will provide food, shelter and education services to an area in need.
With the lack of public transportation to the West Street office, the new location
on Mercer Street provides a convenient location for those in need to receive
CommunicAID services.
We hope the food and housing support in a more convenient location will help
the elderly and families in the area, increase performances in school and lower the drug
trafficking rates, said CommunicAID Director of Public Affairs Lori Smythe.
Like CommunicAIDs West Street location, the nonprofit center will provide
similar help and services such as food and shelter. The center located on Mercer Street
will offer a 32-bed overnight shelter, 60-person day shelter with food service, 30-person
long-term family shelter and 12,000-square-foot food pantry for locals who show proof
of residency.
The center will also offer office space for nonprofit affiliates of CommunicAID,
conference rooms for community education and meetings, and counseling rooms where
CommunicAID and affiliate counselors can meet with individual clients.
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NEW COMMUNICAID CENTER LOCATION

Because of CommunicAIDs success in coordinating services for the
disadvantaged population in Pittsburgh in the past, we knew the nonprofit was the right
team for this job, said Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto.
Peduto hailed the CommunicAID Board of Trustees 9-3 vote, which allowed the
purchasing of the abandoned elementary school at a negotiated price of $2.5 million.
Funding for the purchase to construct this new center came from three sources: a
$500,000 grant from the Pittsburgh Housing Authority, a $500,000 grant from the
Pittsburgh City Council, and a loan through the federal facilities improvements fund
administered by the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
CommunicAID named Anderson and Lee, a Pittsburgh architectural firm, chief
architect for the project. Work will begin within two months to transform the former
elementary school to a shelter for the Mercer Street residents in need.
CommunicAID was founded in 1994, by a group of citizens who were concerned
with the rising number of homeless and the lack of services to assist them.
CommunicAID dedicates its services, time, and energy to help the poor and homeless in
the Pittsburgh area. Our nonprofit focuses on serving the people of Pittsburgh through our
three Cs: caring, creativity and commitment. We care by providing food and shelter for
the less fortunate, we creatively promote and spread awareness to reach untapped publics
and we commit our time and effort to increase local volunteerism through our and our
other affiliated programs.
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Rebecca Sikora, Copy Specialist
360-601-7856,
rsikora@mail.communicaid.com
communicaaid.org