Library

Swissvale Rotary meets the 2nd and 4th Friday of the month at 1:30 p.m. Currently meeting over Zoom. In-person return TBD

Wilkinsburg-Penn Joint Water Authority

www.wpjwa.com

Low Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP)

A program for low-income households with past-due water and sewage bills or terminated service became available in January. Assistance is in the form of a grant through LIHWAP. Wilkinsburg-Penn Joint Water Authority (WPJWA) and Allegheny County Sanitary Authority (ALCOSAN) are part of the program.

Call 877-395-8930 for an application or apply online at www.compass.state.pa.us.

Help is also available through the Dollar Energy Assistance Program. dollarenergy.org/need-help/ Pennsylvania/

Emergency Alerts from WPJWA

Visit the Wilkinsburg-Penn Joint Water Authority website homepage to register your account and phone number to receive emergency alerts. You’ll also find information on lead, pay-by-phone and other options, LIHWAP and frequently asked questions.

Carnegie Free Library of Swissvale

Free Books for Kids Under 5!

ALL Swissvale and Rankin families with children ages birth to 5-years-old can receive a free book each month, mailed to their home. Inspire a love of reading, build a strong and loving family bonds, and support language development. Join Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, brought to you by Reading Ready Pittsburgh, by signing up at www.readingreadypittsburgh.org/DPIL.

Design Lives Here Program

Swissvale Library is partnering with WQED to bring you Design Lives Here, a three-session engineering initiative for students in 5th-8th grades. • Saturday, February 5, 1 p.m. is

Paper Table Challenge: Design and build a table out of newspaper tubes strong enough to hold a heavy book. • Saturday, February 19, 1 p.m. is

Marshmallow Blaster: Design your own blowpipe! Blast marshmallows and other small, safe ammo far and accurately.

Make It To Grow

Artist-in-Residence Katy DeMent offers exciting Make-It-To-Grow kits available at the library.

New kits are available: • February 14: Veggie Bot Loves

You! How to make a collage veggie bot + seeds for planting indoors. • March 14: Kitemaking! Kitemaking supplies + radish and carrot seeds.

All Ages Programs + How-To videos:

February 12, 1 p.m.: Make a robot collage from seed catalog cutouts and plant seeds indoors. Held at the Swissvale Library.

March 19, 1 p.m.: Kitemaking! Make & embellish a small paper kite. Location TBD – check our website or give us a call for more information!

Introducing RAD Passes

RAD Pass is a brand-new online system that allows Allegheny County library cardholders to discover and access free or discounted tickets to regional attractions. The program will bring cultural literacy and learning to life by connecting community members to Pittsburgh's cultural resources through their local library. For more information or to reserve your passes, go to www.radpass.org.

Ask Kailey

We have a social work intern, Kailey Andrew, through the Pitt School of Social Work and Allegheny County Library Association. Come ask Kailey about resources for mental health, housing and food security, job applications and resume help, LGBT+ issues, and more. Kailey is available every Wednesday and Saturday; no appointment is necessary!

Programs for Kids, Tweens and Teens

Note: masks are required for all in-person programs.

For Little Kids

Baby and Toddler Storytime

Tuesdays, 11 a.m.

Get ready for stories, songs, rhymes, and activities! We meet in the strolleraccessible library basement. Check the library’s website for more details.

For School-Age Kids

Minecraft Mondays

Mondays, 5-6 p.m. (virtual)

For school-age kids and tweens. Play Minecraft online with your friends! We play using Java Edition, which is incompatible with phones and mobile devices. Contact Miss Cece for login information and questions (caroc@einetwork.net).

Saturday Fun

Saturdays in Feb and Mar, 1-2 p.m.

Tweens and Teens

Pick Up a Puzzle-Of-The-Week

Family or solo fun! Each week, a paper Puzzle-of-the-Week will be available in the lobby and inside the library. Pick up one entry per family, then return your completed puzzle by the end of the week for a small prize.

Grab & Go Kits

New kits every month! Pick up in the library lobby. School-age kids get a science experiment or STEAM activity. Pre-readers get a concept kit with an early learning or early literacy activity.

Teen & Tween Time

Thursdays, 5 p.m. (virtual)

Play games, read comics, have fun! Contact Miss Cece for login information (caroc@einetwork.net).

Wednesday Anime Club

2nd and 4th Wednesdays, 5-6 p.m.

Join us downstairs in the basement to explore Japanese culture and talk about and watch some of your favorite anime.

Programs for Adults

Note: masks are required for all in-person programs.

Book Discussion Groups

A list of books selected for 2022 is now available both in the library and on our website. We invite you to join one of the four discussion groups. New members are welcome any time. Just call or stop by the front desk to request a copy of an upcoming book.

Carnegie Free Library of Swissvale 800 Monongahela Ave. 412-731-2300 www.swissvalelibrary.org

Library Hours: Mon, Tues, Wed, Thurs: 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Friday: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday: 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday: CLOSED

The library will be closed on Monday, February 21.

Get Library News via Email, Facebook and Instagram

Sign up for the library’s new email list! We'll be sending an email version of the library newsletter, as well as periodic updates about special events, new services and fundraisers. Visit www.swissvalelibrary.org/newsletter to subscribe.

Follow the library on Facebook and Instagram!

River City Church

Free Community Meal

February 19, March 19, and April 16 4-6:30 p.m.

The month of February is Black History Month (BHM). We celebrate BHM to recognize the many achievements of African Americans. BHM is not just a time of celebration, it is also an opportunity for deep reflection on the resilience of the Black community.

We all share in this history and have the responsibility to learn from it. The Black experience in America is a history immersed in injustice, oppression, and inequality. However, it is also one of enormous strength in the face of hardship, a deep sense of community, and great faith. BHM is a time to consider how we can each pursue justice in our daily lives. In the words of Dr. King, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.”

We must dedicate ourselves to breaking down barriers and destroying the burdens that create systematic racism and injustice, which have inflicted a devastating and disproportionate toll on the stability of Black Americans. During Black History Month, let us each reflect on our own contributions to the impediments to further justice so that equity, inclusion, and social justice are at the forefront.

Weldianne Scales | Council Vice President Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee Chair