Winter 2024 Newsletter

Letter from Jerrel

Dear Friends,

The new year always instills a great sense of renewal and growth in me. I am immensely grateful for the accomplishments we made together in 2023. From opening Ridge Recovery Place to expanding our community partnerships, God has blessed us with the opportunity to reach even more people in need.

By the grace of God, we’ll bring even more life transformation and healing to Pittsburgh’s homeless in 2024, including people like Rainelle, who was living in a tent when our outreach team found her and connected her to our women’s program. After three months of working with our team, Rainelle found a job and secured housing.

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At the Mission, we get to see these types of miracles happen before our eyes on a regular basis. Broken, hopeless, and hurting people come to us each day and we meet them with love and the expectation for a better future. Our amazing staff leads them on a path to recovery and, through that process, many choose to dedicate their lives to Christ.

If you’d like to witness the impact your support has made to the Mission, join us for a tour at our newest facility, Ridge Recovery Place by emailing tour@lightoflife.org.

Thank you for partnering with us to make a difference this year.

In His Grip, Executive Director

SHELTER STORIES: MEET HUTCH

I pray for everybody because, in life, there’s always going to be certain circumstances and situations that arise where we are all going to be tested.

– Hutch, Light of Life chef and former client

Early one morning on the bank of a riverbed after years of struggling as an alcoholic, Hutch cried out to God for help. His drinking had become an unbearable burden and he knew he needed to be rescued or would end up dead.

After walking through our doors, Light of Life became a safe place for Hutch where he found hope, healing, and redemption. “Even in the depths of my addiction, I knew the Lord had different plans for me,” he said.

Now, Hutch works as a cook in our kitchen and has been a valuable team member to the Mission for 18 years! He shows up with compassion, a deep love for others, and a drive to help those who are struggling with the same things he faced.

After months of preparation and the collection of thousands of items, we were able to provide over 10,000 people in need with a Thanksgiving meal and an abundance of love this year! This was a recordbreaking year for helping more people than ever since we started serving Pittsburgh’s homeless and hurting over 70 years ago.

This was the second year that Light of Life partnered with our friends at Shop ‘n Save to collect food for our Thanksgiving boxes and stock our food pantry to help neighbors in need prepare their own Thanksgiving meal. On Saturday, November 4, we collected over 2,000 items from five different store locations with the help of volunteers and WPXI-11 Cares.

THANK YOU

A special thank you goes to our Thanksgiving outreach sponsors for their generous support:

Peoples Natural Gas

North Shore Tavern

UPMC and UPMC Health Plan

We are also grateful to the following organizations for their generous donations of food, facility space and more:

Medures Catering

Bidwell Training Center

World Vision Pittsburgh

Shop n’ Save

WPXI-11Cares

Par City Holdings

Allison Park Church

Cornerstone Network

Northbridge Community Church

Insight Pipe

On Time Delivery

The Monday before Thanksgiving, over 100 volunteers joined us for our annual Thanksgiving Box Outreach at World Vision Pittsburgh. Together, we packed 2,100 boxes filled with Thanksgiving fixings and distributed them to families in our community who needed help putting a meal on the table. This effort has greatly expanded since it began with just 76 boxes 11 years ago.

Our outreach efforts continued Thanksgiving Day, when we packaged 525 meals for 14 local senior high-rises and hosted an incredible Thanksgiving dinner at our Voeghtly Street Shelter, which was open to anyone who wanted to share a hot dinner with us in community.

We are grateful for each volunteer and organization that supported those facing homelessness and food insecurity this past holiday season. Thank you for making a difference!

At Light of Life, we seek to make the holidays a special time, as they can be incredibly hard for homeless people experiencing loneliness without the comfort of loved ones to turn to.

To help brighten their lives, we hosted a delicious Christmas dinner, including live music and a winter coat drive, during our annual “All is Bright” Christmas Celebration on December 21 at our Voeghtly Street Shelter. For those that couldn’t join us in person, our amazing volunteers helped us pack nearly 600 meals to local high-rise apartments to bring a Christmas dinner to seniors and food insecure families in the community. Additionally, our team worked with many volunteers and donors to collect and wrap

Christmas gifts that were distributed to our clients and their children, shelter and food pantry guests, and individuals seen by our street outreach team. So many were blessed by gifts they didn’t expect to receive this year!

Thank you to the many donors, volunteers, and partners who made this possible, including Infinite Growth Partners, Neighborhood Realty and all our church partners.

“Christmas Celebration Quotes from Our Clients

“I am a recovering addict. I’m grateful to Light of Life for what they’ve done for me. They’ve helped me start to reform my life. Through the ministry, I’m starting to find the path my mom and aunt wanted for me.”

“My family lost my dad this past January. I almost didn’t come to Light of Life today because I just wanted to stay busy. But I’m glad I did because God showed me that even though my dad’s gone, through Light of Life my family is bigger than ever. So, I just wanted to thank you.”

“I want to thank everyone I meet here. Without you guys, who do I come to when I have an issue, who do I go to when I’m sad? It’s a good feeling to know that people really do care.”

“I just want to thank Light of Life. I came a long way. I’m about to hit (being sober) a year in January and am now in contact with my kids, which I never thought would happen. God has been showing me in many ways that He’s there. I never found Him until I came to Light of Life, and He’s been my rock ever since. I thank Light of Life for opening those doors for me.”

Highmark Health and American Airlines have proven to be valuable partners for our Mission. What initially began as sponsorship opportunities for both organizations has blossomed into meaningful collaborations. Currently, they actively engage their employees in volunteer service at Light of Life, particularly during our holiday outreaches.

Both teams have played a crucial role in supporting our holiday high-rise distributions. Highmark Health assisted us during Christmas, while American Airlines served during Good Friday and Thanksgiving. Every year, these teams pack 1,000+ meals that are hand delivered to seniors and families facing food insecurity at 15 local high-rises throughout the Pittsburgh community. This initiative is so important as many not receiving these meals would otherwise go without a holiday meal to share with their families.

Carol, who has volunteered with American Airlines’ crew for years, said, “We all feel like we are part of the Light of Life family. Personally, it reminds me of how many blessings God has bestowed upon me, and I hope in some small way I have been able to bring a smile to someone’s face.”

The impact these volunteer teams have made during our holiday outreaches are incredible. The Mission can help so many people in our community because of the many gracious hands that go into volunteering. We are grateful to both Highmark Health and American Airlines for their commitment to helping us support Pittsburgh’s neighbors in need.

To check out volunteer opportunities, visit lightoflife.org, scan the QR code or email volunteer@lightoflife.org:

Our donation center is officially open at Ridge Recovery Place!

Three years ago, we began construction on Ridge Recovery Place and had to limit the amount of donations we received due to the lack of storage space. While we could only provide essential items to our clients and shelter guests, we were still able to develop a plan for ways to increase our donation center’s effectiveness and impact. Even though operating out of the basement at our North Avenue Shelter wasn’t ideal, the Mission still impacted over 20,000 people (about the seating capacity of Madison Square Garden) through the donation center last year!

Currently, we’ve grown to over 20 community partners who come at least once a month and have plans to expand that number even further.

One of the items that those we serve always ask for but get donated the least amount is men’s underwear. We also accept new or gently used clothing; household items like bedding, bath towels and washcloths; and hygiene items like body wash, shampoo, deodorant and razors. We don’t accept furniture donations, but we do partner closely with Off the Floor Pittsburgh and The Blessing Board and recommend giving any furniture donations to them.

–Matt Jenkins, Donation Center Supervisor

As future plans for the Donation Center grew, we began to establish partnerships with retail organizations that could help supply bulk items that our clients regularly need. Through these alliances and ongoing donations from individual donors, we are now able to better support those who come to the Mission and our community partners. Three years ago, we had just five or six such partners who would come to “shop” for bulk amounts of clothing, hygiene items, and household items that they needed for individuals they served.

In just the first month after our donation center reopened, we have been able to provide essential items to over 9,000 individuals! Additionally, we’ll soon be re-opening our Free Store, where clients and guests who are referred to us through community partners can also come in and “shop” for their needs.

Our donation center always needs volunteers to help sort, inventory, and organize items that are dropped off daily. Morning and afternoon shifts are available Tuesdays through Saturdays. If you are interested in volunteering email Erika at volunteer@lightoflife.org

The work of our donation center is just getting started. Please join us in helping to bring comfort and love to Pittsburgh’s homeless. The work of our donation center is just getting started. Please join us in helping to bring comfort and love to Pittsburgh’s homeless by donating essential items, volunteering, or praying over the mission.

You can also donate through our Amazon Wishlist that supports our food pantry, outreach and programs! Scan here for access.

*All Sizes, Must be New Men’s Underwear

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The Donation Center is open to drop off items Tuesday–Saturday 10A–4P

Coming Soon: After Hours Donation Bins!

Drop off all donations at the Ridge Recovery Place: 665 Ridge Ave., Pgh 15212

Contact: Matt Jenkins Donation Center Supervisor | 412.258.6109

New Donation Center at Ridge Recovery Place Donation Center Staff: Leanne and Matt

All Sizes, New or Gently Used Men’s Jeans, Sweatpants, Athletic Pants Men’s Sneakers

Women’s Underwear

UPCOMING EVENTS

“Rise + Shine”

Good Friday Celebration

March 29, 2024

During our annual Good Friday Outreach, we’ll package and distribute meals to those facing food insecurity in local high-rises and provide dinner service at our Voeghtly Street Shelter, including worship and guest testimonies. Last year, we distributed over 1,000 meals during Easter weekend to our neighbors in need. If you are interested in volunteering on Good Friday, please contact Erika at volunteer@lightoflife.org

Pittsburgh Marathon

May 5, 2024

RUN FOR HOPE this spring by joining Team Light of Life during the Pittsburgh Marathon! This is your chance to lace up and make a positive impact for Pittsburgh’s homeless neighbors while achieving a personal milestone. If you are interested in joining, please contact Rachel Nelson at rnelson@lightoflife.org

Tunch Ilkin Memorial Golf Outing

June 19, 2024

Last year, we were blessed by the amount of support shown during the inaugural Tunch Ilkin Memorial Golf Outing. We hope you can join the fun on June 19th at Cranberry Highlands Golf Course! Scan the QR Code for more information on how you can register!

SAVE THE DATE!

More Than a Meal Gala

October 4, 2024

Registration is NOW OPEN! Scan the QR Code for more information on how you can register!

Visit lightoflife.org or scan the QR Code to learn more about our upcoming events.

There are sponsorship opportunities available for all events. Contact Jayson by emailing jniba@lightoflife.org for more information.

WAYS TO GET INVOLVED

• Volunteer: If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Erika Chiccitt at volunteer@lightoflife.org

LEARN MORE ABOUT HOW CHARITIES ARE RATED

• Legacy Giving: If you are interested in speaking with someone about legacy giving through a will, contact Colleen McKerley at (412) 258-6154

• Take a Tour: if you would like to take a tour of the Mission, contact Philip Spina at pspina@lightoflife.org

• Create Your Own Fundraiser: Please reach out to Colleen McKerley at (412) 258-6154

MISSION STATEMENT

Light of Life transforms lives through the love of Christ by providing food, shelter, and hope to men, women, and children experiencing homelessness, poverty, or addiction to restore them as healthy members of our community.

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BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Chairman

Natalie Kreter, Esq.

Vice-Chair

Rebecca Fatica

Secretary

Chris Chaney

Treasurer

Rachel Schmiedlin

Executive Director

Rev. Jerrel T. Gilliam

Members

Gash Abebe

Tom Doran

Roz Freeman

Rita Huckle

Dr. Edwin J. Kairis

Adam Lucas

Falco A. Muscante II

Deborah Patterson

James Rimmel

Richard Roadarmel

Dr. Cathy Sigmund

Donald Tucker

William Wolfe

Honorary Member

Donald L. Foster