Auberle Employment Institute Helps At-risk Youths Build Foundations for Life from the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
"Steadman and William Mitchell, 20, of the Hill District helped cut a path for a 10-foot-wide, two-mile trail for hiking and cross-country skiing at the garden, which is being developed on 460 acres of land, much of which was mined. Their work is part of a McKeesport-based nonprofit's year-old Employment Institute, which partners with private companies to provide at-risk youth with job skills. Auberle , a 61-year-old Catholic charity, created the institute about a year ago by pulling together several existing job-training programs."

Pittsburgh Zoning Board of Adjustment Approves 57 Apartments at Former Lawrenceville Church from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"A proposed residential reuse of the former Holy Family Roman Catholic Church, school and parish house on 44th Street in Lawrenceville has gotten the go-ahead from the Pittsburgh Zoning Board of Adjustment. The decision allows a 57-unit apartment complex with 88 on-site parking spaces."

Catholic Diocese to Seek $125 Million to Fund 'the Intangibles' from the Pittsburgh Post Gazette
"Catholic Diocese launches $125 million campaign to fund charities, evangelization, education. ... Some of the many planned expenditures include creating a $1 million endowment to permanently fund dental care at the Catholic Charities Free Health Care Center, Downtown, $1.5 million for evangelization of fallen-away Catholics, $7 million in grants to isolated needy parishes, $1 million to campus ministry and $2 million to support education of autistic students in parish schools. The single largest allocation is $12 million in needs-based tuition grants for parish children to attend Catholic schools."

Congregations in Pittsburgh's Upper Hill Work with City to Tackle Blight from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"Addressing blight is an endless job for public works crews and building inspectors, but some neighborhoods have to assert themselves to get the job done. The neighborhood that old-timers still refer to as Sugar Top, also known as Schenley Heights, asserted itself during a recent call to action that sprang from the Pittsburgh Interfaith Impact Network campaign called Holy Ground."

Judge: Former St. Nicholas Church on Route 28 can be Demolished from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"The ruling describes the church's historic designation as, in effect, "a taking" that left the church hobbled by historic code demands."
Sad that some use could not be found for this interesting historic building.

Nuns on the Bus Hear Stories of Formerly Homeless in Clairton from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"This morning, at Sisters Place, a supportive housing community for single parent families in Clairton, Sister Simone and her traveling nuns heard one more story. This one came from a woman who was living with her daughter in a homeless shelter when she received housing and support from Sisters Place."

Canonsburg Plans Pop Music Hall of Fame from the Pittsburgh Business Times 
"Canonsburg, the hometown of famed singers Perry Como and Bobby Vinton, will be the future home of the American Pop Music Hall of Fame. Canon-MacMillan Patch reported on the announcement, which was made Saturday night with the conclusion of the two-day Hot Diggity Dog Days that honored the 100th anniversary of Como’s birth. About $50,000 has already been raised to build the hall of fame, although more is being sought."

Pgh Project Struggles, Layoffs on Tap from the New Pittsburgh Courier 
"Over its 26 years, the Pittsburgh Project grew from a Church summer youth service program to a nonprofit institution that provided summer camp, volunteer service, after school and home repair services for neighborhood seniors. By 2008, the North Side agency’s budget had swelled to $3.2 million. But by last year that had dipped to $2.9 million. This year, however, it took a huge hit, $1.9 million. And with that drop came staff cuts."

A Ministry Helps People Find and Stay in Homes in Garfield from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"Open Hand is a collaboration of Valley View Presbyterian in Garfield; East Liberty and Eastminster Presbyterian churches in East Liberty; and the Open Door at the Union Project in Highland Park. Two other congregations -- Shadyside Presbyterian and Beulah United Presbyterian in Churchill -- have seats on the board."