TEALtini 2012

Join the Pittsburgh Chapter of the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition for the 2nd Annual TEALtini: Cocktail Contest and Fundraiser on April 12th at Bakery Square!

Pittsburgh's hottest mixologists from the city's best bars and restaurants will be mixing up their most inventive TEAL-themed cocktails at TEALtini.

Guests will vote for their favorite cocktail while enjoying live music by DJ J. Malls, tasty fare from local restaurants, photos in the TEAL photo booth, beautiful interactive art installations and more!

Join us for the VIP Preview featuring a special LIVE performance by Joy Ike from 6-7pm to get an exclusive taste of the competing TEALtinis before the event opens to the public.

VIP Preview 6pm-7pm: $50 in advance (price includes admission for general event) VIP tickets will be $60 at the door. A limited number of VIP tickets are available.

General Admission 7pm-10pm: $30 in advance, and $40 at the door. Contest cocktails, craft beers, food, and entertainment are included in the ticket price.

Special thanks to DonQ Rum for being this year's TEALTini spirit sponsor!

TEALtini Participants include:
Verde
Bar Marco
AVA
Silky's Crow's Nest
Eclipse Lounge
The Wooden Nickel
Donato's
Diesel
Local Bar + Kitchen

Enjoy delectable treats while you sip your TEALtinis: E2, Dozen Bake Shop, Donato's, Local Bar + Kitchen, The Wooden Nickel, Mario's, Square Cafe and Giant Eagle Market District.

Artists from the I Made It! Market will be on-site to support NOCC. Shop from a select group of local artists offering handmade wares. A portion of the proceeds from every purchase made at TEALtini will be donated to help in the fight against ovarian cancer.
Assemble, a community space for arts + technology, will be at TEALtini with an engaging interactive art project for guests to participate in, and art on-sale benefiting NOCC-Pgh.

YELP Pittsburgh will be on-site at TEALtini this Thursday. Be sure to check-in using this LINK

DonQ Rum, Frank B. Fuhrer Wholesale, Yelp Pittsburgh, & FUZE Beverage are a proud sponsors of TEALtin 2012!

14 Local Organizations to Love: 4 Community-Loving Causes

Union Project was founded in 2001 as a way to restore a blighted community landmark while creating a space to bring people together to connect, create, and celebrate in a common place.  Founded by a group with Anabaptist/Mennonite roots - many of whom were involved in a voluntary service program located half a block from the building - the project began in the style of an urban barn-raising. By drawing heavily upon members of the local community to volunteer their skills and labor, the founders of Union Project were able to make the most of a shoe-string budget to renovate the building.

Through its initial years, Union Project evolved its programming to meet the changing needs of the surrounding neighborhoods.  Those programs included stained glass restoration, a ceramics cooperative and classes, rental of office and community spaces, and a café.

In 2009, Union Project streamlined its programs, budget, and staffing to focus on its key competencies:  Space Rental, Arts Programming, and Volunteer Engagement and Stewardship.  Even with a leaner budget and staff, Union Project now reaches more youth, families, and adults and generates more revenue than ever before.

Union Project is a dynamic community arts and enterprise center where they bring people together to connect, create, and celebrate.

Their historic building, located at the intersection of Stanton and Negley Avenues, provides an affordable, safe, and welcoming home to grassroots entrepreneurs, artists, nonprofits, people of all faiths and community events. With the support of community members, Union Project grows people's skills, spirits, and self-sufficiency.

Since 2001, Union Project has strengthening the stability of Pittsburgh's East End neighborhoods and residents through:  incubating 96 new jobs at micro-businesses and nonprofits, cultivating more than 35,000 volunteer hours to help renovate our space, and gathering tens of thousands of diverse people.

Visit Union Project online, "like" them on Facebook, follow their blog and on Twitter.

 

PULSE cultivates a community of young servant leaders to transform Pittsburgh. They partner with local, Pittsburgh nonprofits to develop men and women to be the next generation of servant leaders in our city.

Placement nonprofits receive a young, talented, university graduates to build capacity in their organization while participants receive valuable job training and skill development.

They cultivate community by having their participants live together. Their participants share meals, household tasks and life together. As a result, they grow and develop as individuals and as a cohort group of young people working to make change in Pittsburgh. Over a third of their alumni continue to live in Pittsburgh.

They train and equip their participants to become servant leaders in Pittsburgh. They provide regular, ongoing personal and professional development, mentoring relationships and other opportunities to give their participants the support they need to succeed.

Visit PULSE online, "like" them on Facebook, and follow them on Twitter.

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Sustainable Pittsburgh accelerates the policy and practice of sustainable development throughout Southwestern Pennsylvania.  They do so by affecting decisionmaking to integrate economic prosperity, social equity, and environmental quality bringing sustainable solutions to communities and businesses.  

 

Their business is making the region a better for all people through their hard work to:

- Close the disparities gap to provide more opportunity for all people to live up to their potential.

- Stem the tide of sprawling development in favor of smart growth to revitalize existing communities and apply sustainabiliy principles to drive the region's growth and development strategy.

- Help businesses and communities deploy sustainability programs to conserve resources, save money, improve social equity, drive new innovation, and create abundance in opportunity.

- Lift outdoor recreation and focus on quality of life as top line in the region's economic development.

They continue to make significant gains on these purposes by being skilled in developing partnerships, advocacy, policy work, a wide range of education and technical, and organizing for positive change around this great region.

 

Please consider joining Sustainable Pittsburgh and supporting the work of this excellent organization.  Regardless of financial support, there are many ways to become involved and allow them to help put your business, organization, or community on the path to sustainability.  Each of us has important role to play to and your efforts give wings to their mission.

 

Visit Sustainable Pittsburgh online and "like" them on Facebook to keep up with the latest goings-on!

Established in 1983 as a funding collaborative to support community development efforts, PPND was one of the first organizations of their type in the country.   PPND believes that every neighborhood has the potential to become a good place to live, work, and raise families through hard work, smart planning and private investment. Livable places support Pittsburgh’s prosperity.

  PPND has witnessed momentous progression towards positive change in Pittsburgh’s communities throughout their history, but there is still progress to be made— neighborhoods to revitalize, issues to tackle and lives to improve upon. They realize that a project-by-project approach to community investment, one largely focused on housing and commercial development, is not enough to achieve the level of success we have been striving towards.  To really revitalize disadvantaged neighborhoods into healthy, vibrant places to live, they need to do more.

PPND is a community development intermediary that seeks out and combines financial resources from philanthropies, corporations and government and uses them to leverage additional private investments that improve the health of neighborhood markets. They focus on communities where there is both need and promise. They also ensure that those working in neighborhoods can access accurate information and relevant knowledge of best practices from beyond our region. Through their affiliation with the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), PPND

Throughout 2009, PPND began to align their investments into targeted geographic areas. They also continued to work with their grantees on collaboration and multi-neighborhood comprehensive community development. This method of investing in neighborhoods will enable them to have a more substantial impact on the communities that we work in. This renewed approach to community development activities promotes neighborhood driven improvements that address the following goals:

1. Developing, Preserving and Investing in the Physical Environment
2. Increasing Family Income and Wealth
3. Stimulating Economic Activity, Locally and Regionally
4. Improving Access to Quality Education
5. Fostering Livable, Safe and Healthy Environments

PPND:
• Raises Funds
• Makes Strategic Grants and Loans
• Develops Local Leadership
• Builds Community Connections

Visit PPND online, follow them on Twitter, and "like" them on Facebook to keep up with what's happening!

14 Local Organizations to Love: 5 Kid-Loving Causes

ABOARD’s Autism Connection of PA provides autism support across the state of Pennsylvania. They offer autism support to parents, including autism support groups, autism resources, and autism conferences and events. They also provide information on the signs and symptoms of autism, getting an autism diagnosis, and applying for medical assistance and health insurance. Finally, they help people with autism by providing information on autism treatments, links to autism research studies, and support groups for people on the spectrum.

Do you have a child newly diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum Disorder? Please contact them. They will help you receive the services you need 1-800-827-9385 support@AutismOfPA.org.

The Children's Home of Pittsburgh, established in 1893, is an independent, non-profit licensed organization whose purpose is to promote the health and well-being of infants and children through services which establish and strengthen the family.

If you are facing an unplanned pregnancy, The Children’s Home of Pittsburgh can help. They’ve been there for thousands of woman and men in unplanned pregnancies – to listen, to provide support, to help you with your choices, your rights, and to help you find the resources that are available to you.

The Children's Home of Pittsburgh & Lemieux Family Center is located at 5324 Penn Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15224. Contact them at (412) 441-4884.

The Children's Institute is dedicated to promoting the well-being of children, young people and their families and to providing services that meet their special needs. The vision of The Children's Institute is to become a center of excellence in the region and in the nation. The hallmark of The Children’s Institute’s legacy will continue to be an unwavering commitment to children with special needs and their families.

The Children’s Institute
1405 Shady Avenue
Pittsburgh PA 15217-1350
Phone: 412.420.2400

If you have a specific question please review the following Frequently Asked Questions areas of the site; The Hospital FAQs, The Day School FAQs, and Project Star FAQs.

PittsburghKidsPrograms.org now offers Allegheny (and surrounding counties) a one stop shop for parents to use when looking for summer camps and children’s educational programs. They have established a number of programs to help decrease the summer “achievement gap” and alleviate the some of the financial issues faced by Pittsburgh families.

The Scholarship Assistance Program is an advisory program established to assist parents with the camp scholarship application process. Furthermore, they help lessen the obstacles of transportation and meals (for low-income parents.)

The Community Outreach Program is designed to bring educational outreach opportunities to community centers in distressed neighborhoods, and qualified public housing facilities.

The Summer Camp Scholarship Program provides summer camp scholarship opportunities to qualified, low-income students.

They are seeking the support of individuals, public organizations, and private corporations to help finance the above programs. Donate today to help out this wonderful cause!

The mission of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Pittsburgh is to provide children facing adversity with strong and enduring, professionally supported one-to-one relationships that change their lives for the better, forever.The Big Brothers Big Sisters program is all about preventing problems among youth by getting to kids early, before destructive behaviors can take root. When a positive, supportive mentor – someone with a different background and perspectives – gets involved in a child’s life, the child often discovers a potential they didn’t know they had. And the child always feels better knowing that someone cares for them. In fact, the rewards are often mutual for both the mentor and child.

They are located at 5989 Penn Circle South, Pittsburgh, PA 15206. Contact them at (412) 363-6100, via email at biginfo@bbbspgh.org, and online at www.bbbspgh.org, and "Like" them on Facebook.

14 Local Organizations to Love: Share the Love with this Dyanmic Duo!

American Heart Association:

Go Red for Women Pittsburgh Chapter

In Pennsylvania alone, nearly 26,000 women die each year from heart disease and stroke. These are women we know. They are our wives, sisters, mothers, daughters and friends. In fact, one of every three women will die from heart disease, yet less than 60 percent of women recognize heart disease as the No. 1 killer of women.

Your heart is in your hands. Heart disease and stroke are largely preventable if you work to lower your risks. Learn more by taking the Go Red Heart CheckUp.

Through Pittsburgh Goes Red For Women®  movement, the American Heart Association is working to decrease those numbers. We are working to empower women to Speak Up and take action to raise awarness and funds to help women everywhere GO RED.

For more information - or to volunteer for Pittsburgh Go Red For Women - please contact Wendy McCabe at 412-702-1128 or wendy.mccabe@heart.org.

 

NOCC Pittsburgh Chapter

Welcome to the Pittsburgh Chapter of the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition. From their office in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood of Pittsburgh,they promote ovarian cancer education and awareness while supporting survivors and their families throughout western Pennsylvania, from Greene and Fayette counties in the south to Erie in the north.

Their chapter is comprised of ovarian cancer survivors, their families, friends and health care professionals and they invite anyone with an interest in raising awareness about ovarian cancer to join our efforts. Their meetings, which are open to the public, are held the first Wednesday evening of every month and include educational presentations on a wide range of topics. NOCC participate in health fairs and outreach events throughout the year and hold their annual Walk to Break the Silence on Ovarian Cancer in the fall.

Volunteers are needed in all areas, including education and outreach, office support and events.
Please contact NOCC Pittsburgh Chapter at 412-661-1095 if you need support, are looking for information, or would like to volunteer.  They look forward to hearing from you! To receive updates on Chapter events and programs, including the Walk, click here. Make sure to join their discussion on Facebook  and Twitter.

February Fun: 14 Local Organizations to Love

"Love" banner, Party Paper Scissors

Wow, friends, we're already into February! Days are getting a tiny bit longer, spring styles are starting to creep back into the stores, and thoughts of summer vacations are slowly becoming solid plans.

After a fantastic start to the new year reviewing 31 of the most fantastically inspiring people I know, I am looking to continue the blog trend with something extra-special. February is the month of love, so I have decided to feature 14 different local organizations/charities to share with you. Each week you'll see 2-3 different organizations that are right here in Pittsburgh, and I'll tell you all about their fantastic missions and how you can support them. I hope that by the end of the month, you will have learned a lot and fallen in love with at least one charity/organization here in our hometown.

So, friends, buckle up and get ready to open your hearts to 14 of my favorite charitable groups!

January 31: Agnes Wozniak, Agnes' Antiques

Agnes Wozniak, Agnes' Antiques

Those of you who know me, or who have read my blog, have seen this photo before in the NOCC post. Today, on the final day of my blog series, I want to tell you a little bit more about my Bubbie, Agnes Wozniak, and just one of the many things that made her special.

Agnes opened up her little shop, Agnes' Antiques, in Pitcairn, PA in the early 1990s. As a child, I had the incredible fortune of living right up the street (5-6 houses up) from her shop, so every day she was open I got to run down and "play". As an adult, I now know the value of the closeness and time we had together. It was within the walls of that little shop that I observed some of the finest examples of how to live a good life, how to treat others, and how to become an excellent businesswoman.

Agnes' Antiques quickly became a landmark of sorts in the little town of Pitcairn, PA. Her storefront was small, maybe 300-400 square feet at the most. In it, you could find wonderful treasures that she had uncovered in her travels...pretty teacups from Turtle Creek, crystal beads from L.A., and many, many beautiful lamps, linens, and trinkets from some of her closest neighbors in Pitcairn. Agnes knew her customers and what they liked, but more importantly, Agnes' customers liked her.

Making a stop at Agnes' Antiques wasn't always about buying or selling something. When you walked through the door, you would often find Agnes sitting at her pretty little desk enjoying a fresh cup of coffee and reading Country Living or the local paper. She always had at least one other seat in the shop open, and in hindsight she probably could have charged admission for the privilege of time spent in that seat. She received visitors from near and far who sought out her advice not only about antiques or valuables, but about decor, personal style, social concerns, event planning, family, medical issues, spirituality, and anything else that they needed an expert ear to hear and advise upon. 

When people asked, "how do you choose what to put in your shop?" her response was simple: "I buy what I like." Oh, and what an eye she had. If I wasn't in school and Bubbie was going to look at some things to purchase for the shop, she would often take me with her. It was during these trips I learned what turned out to be some of the most valuable business lessons I know. I've summarized these into ten simple statements, which I will now put forth to you as Agnes' Rules of Engagement:

Treat people fairly. 

Don't pay any more than what you feel an item is worth. 

Buy only what you love. 

Dirty does not mean bad shape. 

Don't be afraid to dig.

Sometimes, silence is the loudest statement. 

Carry cash.

Let people think they know more than you; you'll always get the better deal.

Listen to what people have to say; you will always learn something you didn't know.

If it doesn't feel right, don't do it.

As you may or may not know, we lost Agnes to ovarian cancer on June 18, 2011. Every day, I am reminded of just how much I learned from her and how those lessons have shaped who I am today. In my art, I believe that my gift with color combinations, texture, and originality come from her. At school, my patience and love of children comes from the care and respect she always showed to me, even as a child. In my business, the application of Agnes' Rules of Engagement have helped to bring me success that I could have never imagined.

So friends, it is this tribute I leave you with on the final day of my 31 Days, 31 Friends blog series. I hope you were able to learn things, connect with people, and reflect upon the fantastic friends YOU all have in your lives. Thanks for following!

January 28, 29, & 30: Family and Friends

Well friends, my 31 Days, 31 Friends blog has hit an unexpected bump in the road! Seems like I've come down with pneumonia, bringing pretty much everything in my world to a halt. Sad to say it, but for me it seems to take a true catastrophic event to make me slow down and take a moment for myself!

Over the past few days, I have truly been the sickest I have ever been in my life. During this time, I have received countless messages, emails, and calls asking me how I am doing, if I need company, or if there is anything I need. What is impressive about that, though, is that I know each and every one of those offers was genuine and real. Not just a "hey, call me if you want to talk for a minute" kind of thing, but a real "yes, I WILL make you homemade organic chicken soup, and I'll also bake you bread and bring it all to your door." Those are the kinds of people I know, and man oh man, am I blessed.

One evening, one of my dearest friends brought me ginger ale, popsicles, balloons, and rubbed my terribly achy legs. My aunt spent a very long night on my (unfortunately dog-scented) couch motoring my temperature, my medication, and my comfort, and my best friend made sure that I was comfortable and entertained when I was well enough to make it out onto the aforementioned couch.

What is the importance of all of this? Well...to the general public, probably nothing. To me, though, this is a (thankfully) rare opportunity to reflect on the people who truly love me and to express my gratitude and thanks. I can't wait to be rid of this illness and return to my normal self, but I know that my many friends and family will be all around me every step of the way. This, my friends, is a note of thanks to all of the people who I am fortunate enough to have in my very blessed life. I love you all.