Northside Highlight: Unshakeable Motherhood

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New Sun Rising, in partnership with One Northside, gives Northside residents the opportunity to make a significant impact in their community through the One Northside Mini-Grant program. The program ignites resident-led community projects with up to $1,000 grants and the support of their Mini-Grant Street Team.

Syreeta Gordon received a Mini-Grant and was able to see her ideas come to life. With the grant funds, Syreeta started Unshakeable Motherhood, a program centered on workshops for Northside mothers. Recently, we got a chance to learn more about Unshakeable Motherhood and Syreeta’s vision:

How did you hear about the One Northside Mini-Grant program?

I heard about the Mini-Grant program from one of my classmates in Power to Prosper program at the University of Pittsburgh. The program is designed to target small business owners interested in managing their long-term growth. My classmate mentioned how the Mini-Grant program helped her to impact the community.

What is your vision?

My vision is to serve mothers in their birth experience, while creating steps to have a well-supported birth, postpartum, and beyond. I hope to help mothers formulate a plan to have clarity about their identity, create a pathway for maternity leave, build confidence to live and serve family, while maintaining identity, and to help them navigate postpartum.

African American women in the United States experience poor maternal health outcomes, including higher rates of death related to pregnancy and childbirth. I am raising funds for moms of color to become birth doulas. My hope is to help women of color experience a well-supported birth.

Tell me a bit about the workshops.

The workshops are designed to guide, inform, and encourage mothers to better prepare for their motherhood journey. Inspired by the Unshakeable Motherhood movement, the themes of workshops range from Debunking Myths on Breastfeeding, What are Doula Services, to Developing Postpartum Maternity Streams of Income.

How did your journey with childbirth prepare you for the workshops?

My two childbirth experiences were very different. The first came in a wave of being a young, single, and inexperienced mother. The second came as mature, married, and more experienced woman. I believe going through both of these experiences has helped me to create and write workshops for mothers.

What is your biggest piece of advice for someone who is a mother and working full-time to create a healthy work-life balance?

That balance is not possible. You can create moments for yourself. Self-care can nurture your health and well-being, which is important for normalizing the chaos that comes with motherhood.

How do you feel the project went, and what is your vision for these workshops moving forward?

The Mini-Grant program did so much for my vision to expand resources for mothers of color. Even though it was a small amount of money, it opened the doorway to connect with other community partners. These workshops have led to some lifetime partnerships that have further developed our vision and business. Moving forward, I would like to continue to host workshops in the community, as well as, host online educational workshops.

Do you have a project to improve the quality of life in your Northside community? To learn more about the One Northside Mini-Grant program and apply online, please visit the New Sun Rising website. Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis and reviewed bi-monthly, the next deadline for applications are March 31, 2020 and May 31, 2020. 

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Northside Highlight: Calvin M. Hall Public Safety Center

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The Calvin M. Hall Public Safety Center, not only serves as a police station for the Northview Heights community, but as a community space! Residents use the space for meetings and to conduct programming. We spoke to Reggie Smith, the Public Safety Coordinator, to learn more about the center.

Q: What inspires you?

A:    Having the opportunity to create opportunities for youth in the community.

Q: What has been the biggest challenge?

A:    Blending together the diverse refugee community in Northview Heights with three different languages. 

Q: Is there a particular memory that stands out for you? ​

A:    This past Halloween we held a  trick or trunk outing. This is the first time anyone has ever done this in Northview Heights. The smiles on all of the kids faces made this event very special to me!

Q: What are you most proud of? 

A:    Bringing back little league baseball to the Northview Heights community after a 20 year absence. It’s provided a place for youth during the Summer!

 

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HOPE Diversion Program

Northside Highlight: HOPE Diversion Program

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The HOPE Diversion Program, piloted by One Northside, aims to divert young, low-level victimless crime offenders out of the criminal justice system. Thus far, the positive impact is astounding with 94% of program participants not re-offending. Recently, we had the chance to interview Jeff Williams, the Diversion Program Director at Foundation of HOPE, to learn a little more about the program and the impact it has had on Northside families.

Q: What attracted you to the HOPE Diversion Program?

A: I grew up in a community where there was no trust in the police. So, when it came time for me to select a major in college, I decided on Political Science with a minor in Criminal Justice. I have intentions of making a difference in the community where I live and work, specifically related to criminal justice reform. The HOPE Diversion Program is designed to do just that, strengthen police-community relations in an effort to reduce crime in the community.

Q: What inspires you?

A: I am inspired by the smile on a mother’s face when they see the impact on their child’s life by receiving a second chance to do the right thing.

Q: What has been the biggest challenge?

A: Our biggest challenge has been gaining the trust of families. We make every attempt at meeting the families and youth where they are in life to help gain their trust and openness.

Q: Is there a particular moment or memory that stands out for you? ​

A: There is one particular memory I have when a 20-year-old student and her father cried in the courtroom after her charges were dismissed. This young lady was one of the initial participants in the program and her circumstance is what the Diversion program is designed for. She was charged with underage drinking, public-intoxication and being in possession of an illegal and controlled substance. Although this was her first offense, she could have received a sentence of up to 9 months in a county jail if convicted.  However, after participating in the Diversion Program for 9 months, the Judge dismissed her case.

The families being positively impacted love the program as well. Debra, a parent of a recent participant in the Diversion Program, told us that she “loves how dedicated the staff are with the children” and that “they give our kids hope and opportunities without getting judged”. She believes the Diversion program “actually helps and changes kids, and has put my son on the right path”.

The HOPE Diversion Program is a collaborative partnership that involves the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, Allegheny County Juvenile Probation, Housing Authority City of Pittsburgh, District Attorney’s Office, and the 5th Judicial District Court of PA.

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One Northside Youth eXcel Youth Council Summer 2019

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The One Northside Youth eXcel (ONYX) Youth Council is a group of Northside-based young people who are empowered to build community and solve problems in their neighborhoods. This summer, the ONYX Youth Council worked together to identify important issues on the Northside and administer a mini-grant program they designed to address those issues.

Excitingly, students received funding through the One Northside initiative to facilitate the grant program, and the eight ONYX Youth Council members spent weeks hard at work developing an application for their program. Through research, community meetings, and brainstorming sessions, the Council members chose to focus their mini-grants on improving community safety and providing residents access to literacy programs.

Fourteen proposals came in from a variety of organizations throughout the Northside, and the ONYX Youth Council selected four winning projects that focused on safety or literacy on Pittsburgh’s Northside. Each proposal received a grant from $500 to $1,000. The winning organizations were Allegheny Youth Development, Propel Northside, Hands to Give, and the Somali Bantu Community Association of Pittsburgh.

After giving out the grant awards, the ONYX Youth Council rounded out their summer by presenting at the Allegheny Partners for Out-of-School Time (APOST) summer conference. The Council prepared and led a session on the concept of “childhood adultification” – a process in which youth are prematurely, and often inappropriately, exposed to adult knowledge and assume extensive adult roles and responsibilities within their family networks.

Summer 2019 was a huge success for the ONYX Youth Council! Now, the Council is looking to expand and invite more young people to participate. All Northsiders from grades 8-12 are eligible, and applications will be released in November. For more information, contact Serena Virgi at serena.virgi@unitedwayswpa.org.

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Bistro to Go – Together We Find Community

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Nikki Heckman is founder and owner of Bistro to Go. Established in October 2007, Bistro is much more than a restaurant, it’s known as a community staple. We sat down with Nikki to learn a little about her story and how Bistro came to fruition. 

Nikki, a Manchester native, will always have a passion for the Northside. “The community is really diverse. It’s a place where I played [growing up]. The Northside is the first place I wanted to be.” 

After serving food to the community at Allegheny Center Alliance Church for many years, she was encouraged to open her own restaurant.  “People from the community helped me build this [Bistro] out.” The first day Bistro opened, they brought in $3,600, far exceeding expectations.  Business continued to pick-up, but like most start-up companies they amassed quite a bit of debt.  

Despite her financial woes, Nikki never stopped caring for the community. “In the middle of my crisis I did what I’ve always known, take care of people.”  Looking back, her experience in the restaurant industry, with the church, and in working with the homeless and area non-profits, all led to serving the community through Bistro to Go. “I couldn’t have planned or imagined that would happen out of me just opening a restaurant.”

Now, Bistro has grown to 45 employees all with living wages, between $15 – $35 an hour with full benefits for those that work over 20 hours a week. Nikki empowers her employees to think for themselves and contributes to a diverse workforce. “I have learned that we can impact these emerging communities, diverse in every which way by working together with respect. I believe in them [the Northside community]. That’s the kind of place I want Bistro to Go to be.” 

For Nikki, the Northside is family. “These are my mothers, my brothers, these are my sisters. The lines go away. I have made a commitment to this community. This community has my heart.” We couldn’t agree more, when you come into Bistro to Go, you feel welcomed. 

Bistro to Go is located at 415 East Ohio Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15212.

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Resident Highlight: Ben Soltesz

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Ben Soltesz is one resident that is doing amazing work for his neighbors and all of the residents of the Northside. Ben, a software developer, has lived in Spring Hill for 18 years. But, he is best known around town as co-founder of the Deutschtown Music Festival, which just finished its seventh annual festival.

 

Why did you move to the Northside?

“We got married and were looking for a house… we found a house with a view of the city in Spring Hill.” Less than a week later, the house was theirs. Now, 18 years later, they have moved into their second house in Spring Hill and love to call the Northside their home. “We fell in love with the place. We know all of our neighbors.”

Deutschtown Music Festival 2019
Photo Credit: Deutschtown Music Festival

How are you investing in your neighborhood?

Ben spends much of his time serving in the Northside, working to make his neighborhood a better place for all people. He is the vice president of the Spring Hill Civic League where he helps to run many of their events throughout the year including a Halloween parade. He also serves on the board of the Northside Leadership Council and is on several different committees including the recent Allegheny Commons Initiative Committee. “When no one else raises their hand for something, I figure, I can take on one more meeting, so I volunteer to do it. It has been great.”

But, to most, Ben is known for being the co-founder of the Deutschtown Music Festival. After seeing a music festival in the Lawrenceville area, Ben thought “why can’t we do a music festival here on the Northside?” So, he started talking about it with everyone. He soon got connected with Cody Walters and a few others and they set up a meeting. “We had about 15 people at the first meeting to talk about [the music festival].” Cody and Ben were the two that stuck around for the long-haul and have planned the festival together ever since. The seventh annual completely free festival took place on July 12-14. Over the past seven years, they have seen a lot of growth. This year, they were able to extend the free weekend festival into Sunday morning with a Gospel Brunch hosted by Allegheny Center Alliance Church. The festival included over 400 performances in locations all over Deutschtown and the central Northside region.

How are you involved in One Northside?

Ben has been involved with One Northside since the beginning. “When I heard about it I wanted to be involved so I started to go to all of the meetings.” When it was brought up that One Northside was hoping to plan a few events to create a greater sense of place for Northside residents, Ben immediately jumped on board. With Renee from the New Hazlett Theater, they planned a series of block parties to take place around the Northside for residents and neighbors to come out and spend time together.

Since then, Ben has continued to be involved in the One Northside community and loves to keep up to date on the work happening in all areas of his Northside community.

 

What makes you love the Northside and what is your hope for the future?

Ben has seen a lot of life happen on the Northside. “The Northside has changed a lot. I remember one time a while ago that I was riding my bike. At the time my kids were pretty little and I remember thinking, ‘this place is pretty rough. Maybe we could do better…’ But I always knew it was going to get better and I am glad we stuck around.

“The Northside is so diverse and we live together and we get along with each other. We are a pretty mixed neighborhood. For example, right across the street from me are three generations that live right next door to each other. I don’t even know how long they have been there. That is what we don’t want to lose. That is what keeps this place interesting. I like my neighborhood the way it is and we want to keep it that way.”

 

One Northside is all about highlighting and spotlighting our residents. Northside residents are doing amazing things in their neighborhoods every day. If you or someone you know is doing great work to make the Northside a better place let us know! You can contact us here or send an email to ons@buhlfoundation.org.

 

One Northside is a resident-driven initiative that catalyzes and supports long-term sustainable change for Pittsburgh’s eighteen Northside neighborhoods. Begun in 2014, One Northside is a long-term commitment to invest in the lives and futures of Northside residents with particular emphasis on resourcing community members, young and old, to lead from within.

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One Northside Celebrates Progress with Bash at Heinz Field

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THE FEB. 13 CELEBRATION AT HEINZ FIELD WAS A CHANCE TO INFORM THE NORTHSIDE PUBLIC ON PROGRESS THE ORGANIZATION HAS MADE IN THE PAST YEAR.

On Wednesday, Feb. 13, One Northside, a community partnership working to improve the Northside by combining the resources of its residents, held a celebration for hundreds of organizations, families and community members at Heinz Field. The celebration was a chance to update the Northside community on progress the organization has made in the past year.

One Northside began in 2013 as a partnership between The Buhl Foundation and a number of community organizations and institutions in Pittsburgh. Today, the initiative focuses on five key areas of a community: education, employment, health, place and safety.

The highlight of the celebration was an appearance by Pittsburgh Steelers’ President Art Rooney II. He announced a partnership between the Steelers, United Way and One Northside, and presented a $30,000 donation to One Northside.

“This year, we started the Steelers Social Justice Fund, which is a fund that the players and team came together on to partner with all the great agencies in our community that are doing good work,” Rooney said.

A focus of the Social Justice Fund is supporting programs that help police collaborate with community members.

The celebration also highlighted success stories from each of One Northside’s five focus points. About ‘place,’ Mayor Bill Peduto spoke about how the city sat down with Northside community leaders.

“One of the great joys that I’ve had… is the opportunity to work with community-based organizations in the Northside to create the priorities of what needs to get done,” Peduto said. “Whether it’s in Brighton Heights with the senior center, or in Fineview with the playground, or in East Deutschtown in working on the park.”

Buhl Foundation president Diana Bucco brought up another city partnership, which places blue recycling bins throughout neighborhoods.“We at One Northside piloted [the blue bins] three years ago, and they were incredibly successful,” Bucco said.

Their success has led to the City’s Department of Public Works introducing legislation to allocate $350,000 for over 13,000 recycling bins to be placed across Pittsburgh.

Diana Bucco, Buhl Foundation president, addresses the attendants of a community gathering at Heinz Field on Wednesday, Feb. 13, and shares the organization’s progress over the past year.

One Northside also collaborates with Pittsburgh Police to help benefit the community. In 2018, one major accomplishment was opening the first police station in the Northview Heights neighborhood.

One Northside is tackling the issue of the school-to-prison pipeline by working with the Allegheny County Juvenile Probation Office.
“[The neighborhood] told us that our kids need help sometimes, and a kid making a mistake shouldn’t be the beginning of a life in the criminal justice system,” Bucco said.

With that, the North Side Diversion Program was founded in 2016. It aims to prevent minor, nonviolent criminal offenses from severely limiting a young person’s future prospects by working with offenders on a case-by-case basis, developing an individualized plan of action to address underlying issues. Since its inception, 94 percent of participants have not committed a second offense after entering the Diversion Program, according to Bucco.

But the point Bucco made most clear is that One Northside is evidence that communities working together, led by community members, can achieve powerful results.

“This isn’t about what I’ve done, or what the Buhl Foundation has done. It’s about the partnerships and leadership coming out of the community.”

SOURCE: The Northside Chronicle

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