South Hills Living - May/June 2024

south hills living

New Dormont kids shop offering classes, consignment and community

Banyard Beer Benefit at Gilfillan Farm helps maintain historic charm, educational outreach

SHIM’s comprehensive services help serve community’s needs

4

Grant win helps Dandelion Kids to continue encouraging new parents

8

Gilfillan Farm Barnyard Beer benefit sells out in six minutes

from the editor

12

Beyond the pantry: SHIM offers wrap-around services for South Hills residents in need

Connecting and growing the South Hills, together

I love it when an unintended theme comes together, like with this issue. South Hills Interfaith Movement has a community garden at Gilfillan Farm, linking the two stories without realizing it when I assigned them. One main thread jumped out in reading and proofreading three of the feature stories for this edition: community. Each is about a locally owned and operated organization with a lot of heart and personal connections. These businesses and nonprofits are the lifeblood of our incredible region, and it’s my honor to help highlight them.

In our cover story, Jill Thurston talked with Rachel White, development and communications manager for SHIM. I was aware of the organization but was unsure what they did. I also didn’t realize how long this community staple has served the South Hills: since 1968.

Colleen Wisniewski is creating the community she needed when she was a new mom through her shop, Dandelion Kids. Offering consignment clothing at affordable prices is just one way the store supports parents of youngsters. The Dormont location also offers workshops and classes and hopes to continue growing through a $25,000 grant from the Pittsburgh Pirates and 84 Lumber.

“When I had my first child, I was really lonely, and I was away from my family for the very first time,” said owner Colleen Wisniewski. “It was hard meeting people and navigating this new world of being a parent. I just feel since I experienced that, that I am certainly not alone in experiencing that, and it feels extremely important to me to offer a place where parents can feel supported even if it’s just coming in the door and just seeing me or (co-owner and sister-in-law) Meghan or one of our employees offering a friendly face.”

Read more inside from Michele Gillis, including the sweet story behind the name. And finally, a preview of the popular Gilfillan Farm event, the Barnyard Beer Benefit, as well as a look into the historical venue’s work to keep the community connected to the farm.

As always, thank you so much for reading. Take care, stay safe and see you in the next edition.

on the cover

Photo courtesy of SHIM

Grant win helps Dandelion Kids to continue encouraging new parents

By Michele Gillis Photos courtesy of Take Heart Images

When Colleen Wisniewski first became a mother, life was hard and lonely. She wished she had someone to come alongside her and offer support, guidance or just a helping hand.

Last August, she and her sister-in-law, Meghan McLane, opened Dandelion Kids, a kid’s resale shop in Dormont, keeping that same mentality in mind.

“When I had my first child, I was really lonely, and I was away from my family for the very first time,” said Wisniewski. “My husband was finishing his military commitment, and it felt really hard. It was hard meeting people and navigating this new world of being a parent. I just feel since I experienced that, that I am certainly not alone in experiencing that, and it feels extremely important to me to offer a place where parents can feel supported even if it’s just coming in the door and just seeing me or Meghan or one of our employees offering a friendly face.”

Wisniewski also feels that children’s clothing can be so expensive, and it doesn’t need to be.

“There are so many clothes out there in circulation or just taking up space in people’s basements,” she said. “Having kids just doesn’t need to be so expensive. The average price of our clothing is $4. It is important to us to keep our clothes affordable for anyone to be able to come in and find something for their children. Some people need affordable clothes, and others are into thrifting and enjoy the hunt. We have stuff for them, too.”

Although Dandelion Kids is a secondhand clothing store, it also sells new items for kids, such as art supplies, toys and puzzles.

To support their parent and child customers, they hold workshops and events such as weekly story time, free developmental screening with TEIS, an early intervention service in Pittsburgh, tummy time with a physical therapist, parent support group, music classes, craft classes and more.

“Dandelion Kids opened up when my baby was about seven months old,” said Kate Hodgdon. “Neither my husband nor I are from here, so navigating those early days of having a baby can feel really isolating and lonely when your support system isn’t there.”

Hodgdon said she felt instantly welcomed and even supported by McLane and Wisniewski.

“Dandelion has become a weekly stop for us,” said Hodgdon. “Whether it’s music, storytime or a class on learning how to get the boss baby to sleep, Dandelion Kids is a safe and inclusive landing spot for all families. I feel a lot of gratitude to these women and their vision for their business.”

Wisniewski’s mom saw that the Pittsburgh Penguins were accepting applications for a $25,000 L.I.F.T. EmpowerHER Grant for local small businesses in honor of Women’s History Month, and there were only a few weeks left to apply.

She applied and asked friends, family and customers to vote for her store to win, and they did.

“Parents show up for each other and we were thrilled,” said Wisniewski. “It was like a month-long process to find out if we won and we were one of the three finalists.”

The EmpowerHER Grant aims to highlight local, woman-owned businesses and provide the winning recipient with a $25,000 grant to support her business further. More than 300 EmpowerHER Grant nominations were collected, and the finalists were determined based on the importance of the business within their community and the impact they made through their work. The EmpowerHER Grant is part of 84 Lumber’s L.I.F.T. (Leading and Inspiring Females to Thrive) program with the Penguins.

Wisniewski and McLane were asked to attend the Pittsburgh Penguins game and stay in their seats the whole time to find out

if they won. Thankfully, since Wisniewski is pregnant with her fourth child, they announced it early in the game.

“We had no idea,” said Wisniewski. “They did not give anything away, so we were very surprised. Then Iceberg brought us that massive check. It was all very surprising and exciting.”

Winning the grant money will allow them to expand their services and programs for parents and kids.

“We’ve only been open since August and I am a full-time mom for my three children and am expecting my fourth,” said Wisniewski. “My sister-in-law is a fulltime nurse, but it was a dream of ours to open this store. We needed to do it even though the timing to other people might have felt totally insane having (at the time) all these children under five years old and having so much on our plates. But we were determined to make this a success.”

Being stretched very thin has prevented them from doing many things. They now have five people on their team.

“We plan to build out our community events,” said Wisniewski. “We hope to have a baby-wearing education class and a car seat education safety class. We want to continue our parent support groups. We hosted some holiday fun events, and we just want to keep those events going. We want to continue buying awesome clothes for our customers.”

Parents can bring their gently used clothes to the shop to be purchased or for store credit.

“My children and I just love Dandelion Kids,” said Emily Beitler. “There’s no other place in Pittsburgh like it. They have such quality secondhand items at amazing prices, as well as new and unique quality children’s toys, which are perfect for gift giving.”

Beitler said that Dandelion Kids is more than just a store, adding that the owners have created an amazing community for parents of young children through the many special events and classes offered at the store.

all your gift-giving needs.

The average price of clothing at Dandelion Kids is $4.

Dandelion Kids offers an open space for workshops, classes and crafts.

Dandelion Kids also has new children’s items for sale for

“We are so thankful to have an amazing place like Dandelion Kids in our community,” said Beitler.

They will use some of the funds to purchase signage and build out their shop’s website to increase awareness.

“Those are the initial plans for what we hope to do with the money,” said Wisniewski. “As moms, we know how to budget and stretch money, so I am excited to see how we can utilize it.”

Both Wisniewski and McLane handle the buying of clothes and merchandising. McLane is in charge of the new inventory and finding new brands; Wisniewski is in charge of marketing and social media.

Though many think of dandelions as only a weed, Wisniewski views them in a whole different light.

“Originally, the thought was that kids grow like weeds, but the name has taken on a different meaning for me in my journey as a mom,” said Wisniewski. “My journey was lonely and hard, just like a dandelion trying to grow through anything to show that flower. We literally have them all over my yard, and my kids are always bringing me bouquets of dandelions. It is just a sweet reminder that even though, technically, they are weeds, there is nothing more beautiful in the entire world.”

Dandelion Kids is located at 2892 W. Liberty Ave. in Pittsburgh. For more information, visit shopdandelionkids.com or the Facebook page facebook.com/shopdandelionkids.

“We just want to support parents in any way that we can, whether it is with the affordable clothing, the classes or just an open space for people to come in and meet the neighbors,” said Wisniewski.

Meghan McLane and Colleen Wisniewski, shown with their children, are co-owners of Dandelion Kids, a kid’s resale store in Dormont.

Gilfillan Farm Barnyard Beer Benefit

sells out in six minutes

The Barnyard Beer Benefit is the primary fundraiser for the Gilfillan Farm, a 15-acre working farm home to the Historical Society of Upper St. Clair.

Last year, the tickets sold out in 30 minutes, so the event’s popularity is increasing. Food and drink vendors will be on-site, along with games and live music from local bands.

All proceeds from the May 25 event go toward capital projects at Gilfillan Farm, enabling more partnerships and activities with groups like Horses with Hope, SHIM Food Pantry and local schools.

“All of the proceeds go to the continued preservation and restoration of Gilfillan Farm,” said Rachel Carlson, president of the Historical Society of Upper St. Clair and Gilfillan Farm. “We were able to take the proceeds from last year, which were about $62,000 and use a grant we received from the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission to repair the foundation of our 1857 barn.”

By Michele Gillis Photos courtesy of Gilfillan Farm

Carlson said the way the foundation was working before the repair was that every time it would rain, mud and dirt would run through the barn and create a big mess.

“Now that the foundation has been repaired, they can put the free-standing stalls in when they are needed to separate horses for whatever reason they might need to in the future,” she said.

But, maintaining historical buildings and keeping them in good working order is more challenging than it sounds.

The goal is to have everything on the property represent the late 1800s.

“Because it is a registered National Historic Place, we are supposed to follow the Secretary of Interior standards for historic preservation,” said Carlson. “Which basically means anything that we need to do is way more expensive than what you would have on your own home.”

For example, the barn project they just completed needed drainage, but hidden drainage was required to maintain the authenticity of the 1850s.

“There couldn’t be a gutter above where you see slats. It has to be underground with rocks and hidden pipes,” said Carlson. “The goal is to preserve the property, so you have to get the water away, but it can’t be something you would do in your own home. Also, the mortar can’t be modern, so we had to replicate the type they would use in the 1850s.”

The Barnyard Beer Benefit has become very important in helping Gilfillan Farms maintain the original buildings on the farm, and so many local vendors are willing to step up and participate.

“Since we first started coming to the event, this has been one of our favorites,” said E.J. Kleckner of Rusty Gold Brewery. “We do a lot of events, and this is one of the best, logistically. We are always looking for ways to give back to the local community and preserve our local history, and supporting the farm is a great way to do both.”

Kleckner said that although they bring plenty of beer to the event, it isn’t really the main focus.

Aerial view of the Gilfillan Farm and property.

“I feel this event is less about drinking as much beer as possible and more about the event as a whole with beer, food, music and additional activities, which is another reason why we like it,” said Kleckner. “Based on our experience, people seem to really enjoy the event, which is why I think it sells out so fast. Most come in large groups, and not everyone drinks, so most usually have a designated driver.”

Since the event is so well-organized and well-attended, Kleckner feels it will continue selling out yearly.

“Overall, I think if you provide a great value for the guests, set up well to make the vendor’s life easy, preserve history and have a worthy cause for the funds, all of which makes for a great event,” he said.

More than 200 years after the Gilfillans acquired two tracts of land equaling more than 500 acres, the Gilfillan Farm is not only bountiful in its farming history but is rich in family and community history as well.

The Gilfillan Farm was registered as a National Historic Place on Nov. 30, 1979.

“I’m distantly related to the Gilfillans,” said Carlson. “I think it’s like third cousin three times removed. It’s some drastic thing like that. I think everyone in Western Pennsylvania is somehow related.”

Carlson said volunteers run the entire farm except for a part-time archivist.

This means donations and fundraisers are necessary to keep the farm open and available to the public as designated by Margaret Gilfillan, the previous owner, who gifted the farm to the Historical Society of Upper St. Clair when she passed.

The Gilfillan Farm engages with the community in several ways by partnering with community organizations.

One organization they partner with is Horses with Hope, which builds a bond between horses and humans to help people experience success both inside and outside of their comfort zone.

“Margaret’s intention was to have the Historical Society operate a model working farm that would be open to the public and serve to educate the public as to life on a traditional farm,” Anne Davis, executive director of Horses with Hope, the ‘farmer’ at Gilfillan Farm. “Horses with Hope helps to realize Margaret’s vision for the farm with the horses and other livestock as well as programs currently offered through therapeutic riding.”

Davis said the Horses with Hope program improves the lives of individuals with special needs and behavioral disorders and enhances the current education resource programming.

“Future programs look to collaborate with local community educational programs and broaden the educational reach to additional schools and groups,” said Davis.

Davis said that historically, the Gilfillan family often hosted local community members and school groups, sharing what life was like living and working on a farm. Through these experiences, Margaret was inspired to ensure the farm was used similarly even after she could no longer be there. The Historical Society of Upper St. Clair continues to work with local schools and community groups to facilitate learning and engagement with the property. Another partnership with the community is their alignment with the SHIM Garden.

“All of the produce grown in the gardens goes to the local food pantries,” said Carlson. Sue Wyble, the organizer of the SHIM’s Alexander Gilfillan Garden at the farm said the SHIM community garden began in 2016 as a collaboration between Westminster Presbyterian Church, Upper St. Clair High School and the Historical Society of Upper St. Clair.

Since then, it has expanded to include 12 raised beds, ten 40-foot rows of growing area and a new blueberry cage built by USC high school students.

“The garden is coordinated and maintained by volunteers, and all of the harvest is delivered weekly to SHIM, where it is distributed at their three pantries located in Baldwin, Whitehall and Bethel Park,” said Wyble. “Last year, the Alexander Gilfillan Garden contributed 3,300 pounds of fresh vegetables to SHIM. The garden has been

Photo of the historic Gilfillan Farm.

Live music from two different bands will entertain guests during the Barnyard Beer Benefit.

Guests enjoy sampling different beers at the Barnyard Beer Benefit to raise funds for the Gilfillan Farm.

Gardeners show off their harvested crops from the SHIM gardens planted and grown at Gilfillan Farm.

Horses have been a part of the farm’s history since its beginning, and it continues today with Horses with Hope.

The Barnyard Beer Benefit is a fun event where community members can network while sampling beers, beverages and food from local vendors and supporting Gilfillan Farm.

a meaningful way to bring the community together to help so many of our neighbors in the South Hills. We are so grateful for the support we’ve received from our partners and the use of the property at Gilfillan Farm. It’s been a wonderful experience.”

There are also volunteer beekeepers at the farm who maintain their apiary, where they have a small collection of beehives that provide honey on the farm. “Some of that honey this year will be used by Recon Brewery to brew a beer for the Barnyard Beer Benefit using that honey,” said Carlson. “Some of the rest of the honey went as a small thank you to some of our donors from last year.”

They also partner with the Upper St. Clair school district in several ways to involve the children in the community with the farm. Last year, the Eisenhower Elemen-

tary School did an art project in the front garden where they created mosaic flowers that were on display.

There are three elementary schools in Upper St. Clair, and all three worked together this year to create an art installation. The farm works with the high schools as well, and this year, the Interact Club helped with their honey harvest.

“We try to integrate with lots of different groups in the community all because we want to fulfill Margaret’s wishes for the property,” said Carlson. “The way the historical society got the property was Margaret left it to them in her will in 2001. She left it with the direction that it be maintained as an operational farm, knowing that might not always be possible and that it would be a historical, educational and cultural resource for the community. We try to do all four of those things at all times.”

On May 18, from 12-4 p.m., visit the Upper St. Clair Community Day at Gilfillan Farm to experience Gilfillan Farmhouse tours. Meet the horses and staff from Horses with Hope to learn about different therapies. SHIM garden volunteers will also be on-site to discuss their work and participate in a children’s planting activity. Meet the Washington Spinners and Weavers, who will have a fleece-to-shawl demonstration and listen to the Steel Clover Band, who will be playing Celtic music to honor the Gilfillans, who were Scottish.

The property is also available for rent for private tours or special events such as weddings. For more information, visit gilfillanfarm.org.

Samples of sweets from local businesses such as Bethel Bakery will also be available.

The event will feature food samples like chicken salad from Emma’s Kafe and Deli.

Beyond the pantry: Beyond the pantry:

SHIM offers wrap-around services for South Hills residents in need

Most people are familiar with the South Hills Interfaith Movement for its food pantry. This stalwart nonprofit started in 1968 and offers a wide range of services today to “wrap around” the community’s needs.

SHIM has grown and adapted to the needs of the communities it serves in the South Hills. From unemployment in the 1980s, homelessness in the 1990s, increased immigrant and refugee populations in the 2000s to the recent pandemic, SHIM has been positioned to help those in need.

Food pantry numbers increased dramatically during the pandemic, said Rachel White, development and communications manager for SHIM.

“Before the pandemic, we served just under 2,000 people per month at our food pantries. During the pandemic, that number jumped 61 percent, and we’ve actually seen it continue to rise, so we are serving more people than we ever have before,” she said.

“As people were coming out of the pandemic there was inflation and a lot of the pandemic protections were disappearing, so people felt squeezed and we are still seeing families that are trying to make ends meet,” she said.

“More than half of these households have someone employed and working, so we see a lot of people who are working, and they are still not able to make ends meet and are struggling before the paycheck arrives,” she explains.

“Last year, we served about 7,800 people, about 3,900 people per month (not everyone comes each month). Each family is encouraged to come twice a month as needed,” she said. SHIM has six different monthly distributions at three locations: Bethel Park at SHIM’s main

By Jill Thurston

Photos courtesy of SHIM

facility, the Family Center at Wallace School and Baldwin United Presbyterian Church on Knoedler Road.

The pantries run by SHIM are often a jumping-off point for other services they provide. “Twenty percent of the people who attend pantries are referred to other services, such as utility assistance, youth programs or the CheckMates program for seniors. Our wrap-around services really help people address what’s going on…maybe a one-time emergency grant to someone who is being evicted or needs a car repair. We focus a lot on empowering people to really find self-sufficiency,” she said.

SHIM’s services are primarily centered in the school districts of South Park, Bethel Park, Baldwin-Whitehall, Keystone Oaks, Mt. Lebanon and Upper St. Clair. “We serve the greater South Hills area. Our pantries last year served 44 zip codes, and this year 69 zip codes. The more people who find out about SHIM, the more people are willing to get here for help. But, we are mainly concentrated in those school districts,” she said.

SHIM offers utility assistance, financial aid via an emergency grant program, CheckMates, a Family Center located in Baldwin and 13 community gardens that support the food pantry, most run by local congregations.

“Because we serve such a large population of immigrants and refugees, the gardens cater what they grow to the wants of that population, so things you can’t find easily in the grocery store here in Pittsburgh, our gardens will grow. So, all sorts of gourds, bitter melons and really hot peppers. That’s a really cool feature that they have a say in the produce that’s grown,” said White.

White said the garden at SHIM’s flagship

facility in Bethel Park, 5301 Park Ave., will be rebuilt after renovations to the building are completed in the next few months. The upgrades stem from a $370,000 grant from the Gaming Economic Development Tourism Fund received in 2022, as well as other support from the community, and aim to make the location more accessible and welcoming to visitors and volunteers. The move further aligns the building with Americans with Disabilities Act standards and offers more gathering space inside.

“We will have more space to gather people. We really value bringing people together to solve problems together, to bring community members together, and we are going to have more space to do that,” said White.

SHIM’s Family Center, located in Baldwin-Whitehall School District’s former Wallace school building, was established in the early 2000s in response to the influx of refugees coming into the area, said White. Programming is designed to support families, offering groups for women, men, fathers and youth in addition to parenting classes. The Family Center operates a preschool, structured youth programs, an after-school program and even a summer camp. “We serve children from birth to graduation,” said White.

Partner agencies like the Allegheny County Department of Human Services and Jewish Family and Community Services give SHIM an even deeper opportunity to help those in need. “We partner a lot with other agencies. If we can’t help you with something, we can probably refer you to someone who can. We have great relationships with the Allegheny County Department of Human Services, JFCS, and we rely on a lot of great partners for our youth programming (Venture Outdoors, Tickets for Kids), as well

as our local libraries. It takes a village, and we are very grateful to our partners who offer services and the generosity of the community,” White said. SHIM contracts with Allegheny County’s Department of Human Services for its youth programs and Family Center services. They also partner with United Way and receive referrals from the United Way’s 211 line, a helpline that connects people with services.

And then there is the volunteer workforce. Over 300 volunteers donated 15,000 hours last year. According to White, that effort saved $490,000 in labor costs. Volunteers stock shelves, pack boxes for distribution, drive the truck to the Greater Pittsburgh Food Bank, work in the garden and CheckMates programs, and help with the after-school youth program.

New volunteer opportunities include flowers donated and then arranged by volunteers for nursing homes in the area. Recently, SHIM adopted a highway and will organize a trash pickup.

Looking for a way to help? “Sometimes we do family volunteer nights when we pack beans and rice and

other items for distribution, so that’s a great volunteer opportunity for younger kids,” suggests White.

“Donation drives are a great way to earn community service hours for school and it’s really helpful for us. We are constantly in need of food. We have kids that do donation drives in their neighborhoods, hand out fliers and collect on their porch, and that’s a great way for people to rally behind a cause and find out about suburban hunger. Kids feel really empowered doing this.”

“Food insecurity is hidden in plain sight in our neighborhoods. It can be less obvious in the suburbs. We work hard to lessen the stigma that can sometimes surround it. Things happen, and it’s usually temporary, but we really need that safety net for when people need help. And it’s easy to help. We are always encouraging people to do what they can,” White said.

To find out about volunteer opportunities, visit SHIM’s Facebook page or SHIM’s website, shimcares.org.

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