YWCA Greater Pittsburgh – Housing Programs
6907 Frankstown Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA  15208
 
Organization Description and Mission:
The mission of the YWCA Greater Pittsburgh is the elimination of racism and the empowerment of women and girls.  Current programming is designed to empower low-income women and their families to become self-sustaining through a holistic approach that includes asset development, housing and case management, childcare and childcare training, children and youth services, anti-racism training, and legal and personal counseling services.
 
The housing programs are designed to assist homeless women towards stability and empowerment for themselves and their children.  The YWCA houses a total of 36 families at any given time in scattered site apartments throughout the City of Pittsburgh.  Families also receive home-based case management and life-skill training and support.  The goal of the YWCA’s housing programs is to empower homeless women to  make choices that lead to improved self-esteem and economic stability.
 
Critical Community Need(s) to be addressed through member service:
The critical community needs to be addressed through member services are:

• Increased awareness and access to community-based health and welfare services and programs;
• Improved relationships among homeless parents and their children;
• Provision of safe housing;
• Increased access to healthy and nutritious food.

Site Location:

816 Middle Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15212

Northview Heights Health Center, 525 Mt. Pleasant Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15214

412-321-4001 Main
412-321-4063 Fax
www.nschc.org
nschc@nschc.org
 
I. Organization Description and Mission:
The North Side Christian Health Center is a not for profit, inner city Primary Health Care Center that began 10 years ago through the efforts of local churches and individuals recognizing a need for primary health care and whole person outreach to Pittsburgh’s North Side community. The Health center provides primary health care services to all persons regardless of age, finances, gender, religious belief, race, national origin or ability to pay. In addition to providing primary health care to men, women, and children, the center reaches out to the community through churches, home visitation, health wellness classes, and health fairs in the local community. The center has a discount pharmacy for patients unable to afford the high cost of medications.  The Center also has mental health counselors and drug and alcohol counselors on site several days a week as well as counselors for individuals who have been sexually abused.

Program for Health Care to Underserved Populations (PHCUP)

Main Clinic Site:  Birmingham Clinic
44S 9th Street (South Side)
Pittsburgh, PA
 
Organization Description and Mission:
The Program for Health Care to Underserved Populations is committed to improving the lives of individuals needing health care but lacking appropriate access to health services.   We seek to do this through innovative partnering with communities-in-need, catalyzing a spirit of service and volunteerism within the heath profession, and articulating the individual, health system, and societal benefits of these unique models of care and service.
 
Critical Community Need(s) to be addressed through member service:
Coordinate appropriate, culturally competent and needed health care as well as social service referrals to the region’s uninsured and medically indigent, regardless of their ability to pay.
Support health professional students at all levels of training to be exposed to, participate in, and learn from providing care to disadvantaged and distressed communities of patients.
Assist our Program and community partners, government agencies, and key stakeholders, in the accumulation and analysis of data that promotes a better understanding of community needs, barriers to and gaps in service delivery, and outcomes from innovative models of care.
Develop programs in partnership with health professional students, volunteer providers and collaborating agencies that address holistic and social needs of our patients to ultimately improve their access to health services.   
 
.

Operation Safety Net
1518 Forbes Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA   15219
 
Patient locations:    streets, alleys, underpasses; riverbanks, abandoned buildings; drop in centers; newly housed scattered apartments; and hospital rooms
Most of these sites are in the greater Pittsburgh area
 
Organization Description and Mission:
 
OSN’s mission is to promote the health, health care access and well being of those living on the streets.  It is to provide leadership in creating an educational environment for nurturing and training service-oriented health care professionals.
 
Critical Community Need(s) to be addressed through member service:
 
Create an environment for the exchange of information between clinicians, staff and patients for public health projects including:   Operation TB Outreach; street and van outreach sessions; severe weather shelter. Assistance in client case management.

Pittsburgh AIDS Task Force
5913 Penn Ave.
Pittsburgh, PA 15206
 
Organization Description and Mission:
The Pittsburgh AIDS Task Force is dedicated to saving, sustaining, and empowering the lives of people living with HIV/AIDS and preventing the spread of infections.
 
Through compassionate and caring work we respond to the disease in all its diversity by:

• Providing seamless, integrated services to individuals and families living with HIV/AIDS, including direct services, housing, referrals, and advocacy;
• Delivering innovative, targeted outreach and education programs to those at risk of infection;
• Taking leadership in collaborating with other organizations to achieve mutual goals.
• Providing access to nutritious and medically compatible food for clients living with HIV/AIDS

 
In the tradition of PATF’s caring founders, we will continue to employ these ethics and values: Compassion, Confidentiality, Dignity, Excellence, Integrity, Respect for Diversity.
 
PATF is the largest and oldest AIDS service organization in Southwestern PA. We provide case management, supportive services, legal advocacy, food bank, and housing to anyone who is HIV/AIDS positive. Our prevention department conducts HIV testing at our primary site as well as at community locations, including the Allegheny County Jail. Through contracts with the ACHD, the CDC, and SAMHSA we provide a variety of HIV prevention programs throughout the county.
 
Critical Community Need(s) to be addressed through member service:
 
A healthy diet improves teh quality of life for HIV?AIDS diagnosed individuals and helps them to live with dignity and security.  Meeting immediate nutritional and other basic needs is essential in enabling individuals to better fight the disease.  Weight loss, wasting, and malnutrition continue to be common problems for individuals living with HIV/AIDS.  Good nutrition helps the body process medications taken by people with HIV and helps to reduce the side effects of them.

Pittsburgh AIDS Task Force
5913 Penn Ave.
Pittsburgh, PA 15206
 
Organization Description and Mission:
The Pittsburgh AIDS Task Force is dedicated to saving, sustaining, and empowering the lives of people living with HIV/AIDS and preventing the spread of infections.
 
Through compassionate and caring work we respond to the disease in all its diversity by:

• Providing seamless, integrated services to individuals and families living with HIV/AIDS, including direct services, housing, referrals, and advocacy;
• Delivering innovative, targeted outreach and education programs to those at risk of infection;
• Taking leadership in collaborating with other organizations to achieve mutual goals. 

In the tradition of PATF’s caring founders, we will continue to employ these ethics and values: Compassion, Confidentiality, Dignity, Excellence, Integrity, Respect for Diversity.
 
PATF is the largest and oldest AIDS service organization in Southwestern PA. We provide case management, supportive services, legal advocacy, food bank, and housing to anyone who is HIV/AIDS positive. Our prevention department conducts HIV testing at our primary site as well as at community locations, including the Allegheny County Jail. Through contracts with the ACHD, the CDC, and SAMHSA we provide a variety of HIV prevention programs throughout the county.
 
Critical Community Need(s) to be addressed through member service:
 
HIV counseling and testing in our main office and at community venues. Outreach on the streets of East Liberty, Garfield, and Wilkinsburg to encourage individuals to get tested.
 
Educational presentations for PATF’s Speaker’s Bureau at public schools, colleges, and community events to raise awareness about HIV and HIV prevention.

GREATER PITTSBURGH COMMUNITY FOOD BANK: Special Distributions and Inventory Coordinator

Site Information: Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank, 1 N. Linden St, Duquesne, PA 15110

Organization Description and Mission: The Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank is a non-profit organization that collects and distributes food through a 350+ member network in 11 counties in southwestern Pennsylvania. Our mission is to eliminate hunger and develop collaborative strategies to encourage self-reliance. We accomplish this mission by: 1. Serving as a central collection facility for grocery products and distributing them to member agencies serving the needy in SW PA.; 2. Involving the community as food donors, volunteers and financial supporters of the Food Bank and our member agencies; 3. Working collaboratively with other on programs that empower the needy to meet their own nutritional needs; and 4. Communicating the nature of and solutions to the problem of hunger. Critical Community Needs to be addressed through member service: Hunger Assistance, Community Nutrition, Coordination of outreach to promote a variety of human services agencies and programs.

The Birth Circle

Ambassador Coordnator Description

Site Information

The Birth Circle
East Liberty Family Health Care Center
7171 Churchland St
Pittsburgh, PA 15206
 
Organization Description and Mission:
 
The Birth Circle is a grassroots partnership between East Liberty Family Health Care Center, and Metro Family Practice, housed at East Liberty Family Health Care Center, aimed at reducing infant mortality. East Liberty Family Health Care Center and Metro Family Practice have each been providing health care within their designated Medically Underserved communities since 1982 and 1978. The family practices are known throughout their neighborhoods for providing whole person healthcare. The patient population at both offices is primarily African-American and a majority of patients live at or below the poverty line. The East Liberty Family Health Care Center is a faith-based and federally-qualified health care center with a mission to witness to God’s love, known in Jesus Christ, by offering quality, whole-person health care to all, especially to the poor. Metro Family Practice is a federally-qualified health care center look-alike, known for its care for the poor and underserved, as well as its commitment to the gay, lesbian and transgendered communities in Pittsburgh.
 
The Birth Circle’s mission is to work with the East End communities to build an integrated circle of care that addresses the needs of childbearing families. We do this by developing knowledgeable, supportive networks of women based in their neighborhoods trained to provide accurate, non-judgmental information about pregnancy, birth and early parenting. These networks are made up of community ambassadors and doulas supported by local maternal-child health professionals and organizations, including UPMC for You, Magee-Women's Hospital and UPMC Braddock. The Birth Circle model is two-fold, our ambassadors work with women in the community, addressing diverse aspects of childbearing and women's health and our doulas accompany families to the health care centers and hospitals, caring for all members as they bring their baby into the world.
 
Our ambassadors are trusted lay-women who provide accurate health information and emotional support to other women throughout their neighborhoods who are pregnant or of childbearing age. Recruited because they are known as the “go-to” women in their neighborhoods, ambassadors are trained in the basics of healthy pregnancy behaviors, normal birth and positive early parenting. Ambassadors make themselves available to women informally to answer questions about having a healthy pregnancy and birth wherever those questions come up—on the bus, in the grocery store, at church, at school or work. They are supported through continuing education each month provided by local health professionals. When preparing for motherhood, women rely not only on medical professionals, but also on friends, family and community. By making themselves available as informal resources, our ambassadors become recognized as the wise women within their communities.

HEALTH CARE FOR THE HOMELESS
 
Clinical Assistant

I. Site Info

Site Name and Location:

Health Care for the Homeless/Primary Care Health Services, Inc.
7227 Hamilton Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15208

 
Organization Description and Mission:
PCHS provides comprehensive primary and preventive health care services to medically underserved and indigent populations residing in Allegheny County.  Health Care for the Homeless operates as part of PCHS, Inc. and serves homeless men, women, and children in the greater Pittsburgh area, providing primary care, mental health, substance abuse, and/or case management services.  HCH, in partnership with Allegheny County, has been awarded a three-year federal grant to create an Integrated Delivery System, co-locating primary care, mental health, and substance abuse services at several sites across Allegheny County where the homeless population frequently seeks services.  The purpose of the IDS is to provide a "no wrong door" approach to service access for the homeless.     
 
Critical Community Need(s) to be addressed through member
service:
Consumers utilizing HCH clinics face many barriers to accessing care.  Many of these consumers are uninsured or underinsured, lack transportation, and fail to seek care except on an episodic basis, therefore jeopardizing the continuity of their care.  The Homeless Consumers served in HCH Clinics have little or no resources with which to navigate the health care system.  The Pittsburgh Health Corps members will provide case management assistance to address these issues by assisting consumers in applying for entitlement programs, obtaining transportation, providing health education, improving continuity of care by assisting in the set-up and utilization of Electronic Medical Records in our homeless clinics, and more.

Global Links
4809 Penn Ave.
2^nd Floor
Pittsburgh, PA 15224
www.globallinks.org
 
Global Links is in the Bloomfield/Garfield neighborhood of Pittsburgh and is accessible by PAT bus lines from downtown or Oakland.
 
Organization Description and Mission:
Global Links is a medical relief and development organization dedicated to a two-fold mission of environmental stewardship and improving health in developing countries.  Global Links collaborates with U.S. healthcare institutions and the World Health Organization to redirect still useful materials away from the waste stream to public health improvement efforts in targeted countries throughout the hemisphere. 

Critical Community Need(s) to be addressed through member service:
Global Links relies on the support of volunteers throughout the greater Pittsburgh area to efficiently and economically fulfill our mission.  Since we focus on recovering unused supplies and gently used medical furnishings and equipment from area hospitals, Global Links relies on hundreds of hospital personnel from the major hospitals of the area to set aside appropriate materials for Global Links.  We serve an important role in the Pittsburgh area by providing hospitals with an environmentally responsible alternative to disposing of useful materials.  We thereby reduce the amount of hospital generated waste entering landfills. 
 
Each year over 100 individuals and 80 groups volunteer more than 6,000 hours to help sort and pack critically needed medical supplies for shipments overseas.  In addition, Global Links relies on specialized medical volunteers to advise Global Links staff regarding the appropriate use of many of the sophisticated supplies and surgical instruments that we receive. 
 
Never before has the demand for our services of providing medical support to hospitals overseas been greater.  Additionally, the national Green Health movement has spurred hospitals to find alternatives to landfill and incineration of surplus materials.  To do this, it is essential that we further increase the organization’s volunteer base and expand our outreach and education work within area hospitals.
 
The Health Corps members help in the following ways:

1. Increase the number of volunteers Global Links could accommodate to help sort and pack medical supplies and thus increase the amount of supplies we are able to process.
2. Increase the exposure Global Links has in the Pittsburgh community.
3. Help maintain the quality of Global Links shipments by helping to research incoming medical supplies Global Links receives from area hospitals.

In addition to the crucial support members provide to Global Links and the patients we serve overseas, Global Links’ outreach efforts are also of benefit to the greater Pittsburgh community.   Through our outreach efforts, Global Links helps educate the local community about the structural surplus of materials that exists in the U.S. health system and the need to find an alternative to throwing this material in our increasingly full landfills.  In so doing, Global Links is helping to deepen the environmental awareness of the general public and hospital community while providing education on global health issues that affect all of us.  

Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank,
1 N Linden St, Duquesne, PA 15110

Organization Description and Mission:  
The mission of the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank is to eliminate hunger and develop collaborative strategies that encourage self-reliance; its ultimate vision is to build a community that makes food accessible to all people while promoting dignity, wellness, and improvement in the quality of life. 

Citical Community Needs to be addressed through member service: Work with programs (Farm Stand Project, Choose Healthy Options Program, Kids COOK Afterschool Program) that empower people and children in need to meet their own nutritional needs. 

Tobacco Free Allegheny
Office – One Allegheny Square, Ste. 101, Pittsburgh, PA 15212
 
Organization Description and Mission: 
Tobacco Free Allegheny (TFA) was established by the Allegheny County Health Department in 2002 to administer and manage the comprehensive tobacco prevention and cessation program for Allegheny County. TFA is a nonprofit organization (501c3) supported by the Pennsylvania Department of Health (DOH) through the Tobacco Settlement Fund governed by Act 77.
 
The mission of TFA is to change the community norms surrounding tobacco to make it uncommon to see, use or be negatively impacted by tobacco or tobacco smoke pollution. Organizational goals are guided by a work statement which is part of its contract with the state DOH. The goals are:
            Prevent youth initiation into tobacco use
            Promote quitting among youth and adults
            Eliminate non-smokers exposure to secondhand smoke
            Identify and eliminate tobacco related health disparities
 
Tobacco Free Allegheny provides funds to organizations and agencies that can help TFA advance the goals articulated by the DOH.

CHILDREN’S ORAL HEALTH PROGRAM
 
I.             Site Info
 
Site Name and Location:
Dental Sealant Program
Allegheny County Health Department
3333 Forbes Avenue, Room 303
Pittsburgh, PA 15213
 
Organization Mission:
The Allegheny County Health Department’s mission statement is: 
To assure quality public health services by promoting individual and community wellness, preventing injury, illness, and premature death or disability, and protecting the population from harmful effects of chemical, biological and physical hazards within the environment.
 
The Dental Sealant Program is a component of the Dental Program, which addresses dental needs of underserved children (1-21 years of age).  The Dental Sealant Program provides oral health education, a dental examination and sealants to second and sixth grade children in eligible schools. 
 
Critical Community Need(s) to be addressed through member service:
This school-based prevention-oriented program provides oral health education, examinations, and dental sealants for a population of children in need of these services.  AmeriCorps member will work to have these services provided to as many schools and students as possible, with high quality service, and keep program organized and in good contact with schools, and all associated staff-persons. 
 

I. Site Information

Site Name and Location: 

The College After School Team (CAST) at Peabody High School, 515 N. Highland Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15206
 
Organization Description and Mission: 

The CAST mission is to foster mentoring relationships that promote health and well-being, academic achievement, and community service among both university mentors and high school mentees.
 
CAST provides individual and small group tutoring and mentoring to students in grades 9 through 12 at Pittsburgh Peabody High School.  Services are provided during the regular school day to students who request assistance or who are referred by staff as needing additional assistance.  The program is open to all students in the school and participation is completely voluntary. CAST staff work in teacher’s classrooms as well as in designated “CAST Classrooms” (currently, CAST occupies two classrooms within the building).  In addition to school-day activities, the CAST team plans after school activities for both academic reinforcement and social recreation, supplementing the limited offerings in place through the school. 
 
In the 2009-2010 school year, CAST would like to extend existing services to include health promotion initiatives with our students.  A wide variety of health issues exist within the student population and the community, and we believe these could be addressed as a component of our program. 
 

Member Service Description

I. Site Information

Site Name and Location:
Auberle
1101 Hartman Street
McKeesport, PA 15132

Organization Description and Mission:
Auberle is a faith based catholic agency that has been dedicated to the mission of caring for and healing abused, neglected and troubled children throughout Southwestern Pennsylvania for over 50 years. We have been able to help thousands of children and their families through our residential care, foster care, emergency shelter, in-home intervention, education, and community programs. Family preservation, the reuniting of families in a positive home environment, and preparing children to be responsible adults are the ultimate goals of Auberle.

Critical Community Need(s) to be addressed through member service:
Auberle is located in the Mon Valley and serves children and families from several counties in Southwestern PA.

The SNAP program was funded as a result of proven need by the juvenile probation department. They reported younger and younger children in the area being referred for probation and having difficulty with the police and in their schools.

The Mon Valley has an increasing need for foster homes. Allegheny County has placed an emphasis on foster care as a preferred alternative to residential placements. As a result – nearly 100 teenagers are in the county child welfare system in need of foster homes. Families are often reluctant to take teenagers and this position will ideally identify foster homes willing and able to care for teens.

This region has a high level of Outpatient needs including drug and alcohol abuse and mental health issues. Auberle Outpatient services are relatively new (less than 3 years) and this position will create awareness of the types of services available to needy children and families.

Prevention Point Pittsburgh

I. Site Information

Site Name and Location:

Prevention Point Pittsburgh

907 West St. 5^th Floor

Pittsburgh, PA 15221

Oakland Outreach site

3333 Forbes Ave

Pittsburgh, PA 15213

Hill District Van Outreach site

Centre Ave and Elmore

Pittsburgh, PA 15213

Organization Description and Mission:

Prevention Point Pittsburgh (PPP) is a 501c3 non-profit public health organization with the mission to prevent the transmission of HIV and Hepatitis and overdose fatalities among injection drug users, a historically vulnerable, high-risk, and underserved population. Our services include needle exchange, health and risk reduction counseling, condom and bleach distribution, overdose prevention with Narcan prescription, case management and crisis intervention, and HIV and Hepatitis C testing in collaboration with the Allegheny County Health Department. Our services are authorized by The Allegheny County Board of Health and Allegheny County Council, and are absolutely unduplicated in the region. PPP serves as the sole provider of needle exchange services for the entire region of Southwestern Pennsylvania. www.pppgh.org

Critical Community Need(s) to be addressed through member service:

HIV, Hepatitis, drug overdose, injection related health issues

Site Supervisor assigned to support member:  Name/Title/Phone/Fax/Email:

Renee Cox

Executive Director

Phone: 412-657-4931

Email: renee@pppgh.org

II. Service Description

Service Activities/Responsibilities:

September 2009-August 2010, Sundays-Thursdays

• Health education and risk reduction counseling with regards to HIV, Hepatitis B and C, other injection related infections, and drug overdose to 800 active injection drug users
• Distribution of health education/outreach materials and prevention tools to reduce HIV, Hepatitis, drug overdose among 800 active injection drug users
• Delivering overdose prevention training, education, and Narcan distribution to underserved communities at risk
• Service coordination of health interventions to active injection drug users
• Recruitment, training, orientation of volunteers and volunteer management
• Entering outreach and health interventions completed into database
• Conducting interviews with clients to evaluate measurable behavior change associated with participation in program
• Compiling reports and statistics of individuals served
• Conducting research on specific health issues and program development to better serve health needs of active injection drug users
• Assisting in the promotion, marketing, and advocacy of harm reduction services
• Development, dissemination, and coordination of health literature based on client health need
• Administrative duties relating to health services rendered

Overall Service Goals: (be sure to include numbers, amounts, and time lines)

To reduce HIV/HCV transmission and overdose risk among active 800 injection drug users through the provision of risk reduction counseling, prevention tools, and educational materials from Sept. 2009-August 2009.

Outcome Measures: (be sure to qualify what measurable impact the member will have through service at Partner Site)

Member will increase number of individuals served as well quality of services rendered through improved volunteer training and management. Member will conduct evaluations on services rendered to measure impact from Sept. 2009-August 2009.

III. Performance Measures:  The PHC AmeriCorps program is based on National Health Corps Performance Measures. Each PHC member should provide services that fall in at least one of the NHC Performance Measures below:

1. Access to Care

Does your service position include assessing eligibility for, completing paperwork for, and enrolling community members in adult/child health insurance and/or patient medication assistance programs?(please check one)  ?  YES    X  NO

If “yes”, please provide site specifics and explain the details regarding how the member will provide service with these programs:

2. Individual & Group Health Education Instruction

Does your service position include any of the following:

Teaching health education classes, workshops, one on one sessions, leading clubs or organized activities on public health topics including home/public safety, violence prevention, smoking cessation, nutrition and exercise, asthma, diabetes, hypertension, HIV/AIDS, hepatitis and other public health topics that meet local community needs.  (please check one)  X  YES   ?  NO

If “yes”, please provide site specifics and explain the details regarding how the member will provide health education:

Member will conduct health education sessions (both one-on-one and in groups) with regard to HIV, Hepatitis, drug overdose to active injection drug users and other communities at risk.

3. Health Screening, Testing & Immunization

Does your service position include the member organizing, coordinating, promoting and/or participating in health screenings, testing and immunization campaigns for HIV/STDs and other communicable diseases, BMI, blood pressure and other issues that respond to local needs? (please check one)  X  YES ?  NO

If “yes”, please provide site specifics and explain the details regarding how the member will provide service relating to health screenings, testing, and immunization:

Member will refer clients to on site HIV/HCV screenings at outreach site.

4. Health Information & Outreach Material Distribution

Does your service position include the member distributing health education and outreach materials to individuals in underserved populations?

(please check one)  X  YES           ?  NO

If “yes”, please provide site specifics and explain the details regarding the information that will be distributed and how it relates to the services provided by the site as a whole:

Member will distribute health education/outreach materials and prevention tools to active injection drug users at risk for HIV, Hepatitis, and drug overdose.

5. Promotion of Health Professions

Does your service description include giving the member the opportunity to be trained on health professions, health care settings, health care education opportunities, the healthcare needs of the underserved, health disparities, cultural competency, and various health related topics such as tobacco, asthma, hypertension, nutrition and HIV/AIDS? ?(please check one)  X  YES         ?  NO

If “yes”, please provide site specifics and explain the details regarding how the member will be trained, gain experience in the health related topics mentioned:

Member will become an expert on health risks with regard to injection related HIV, Hepatitis, and drug overdose.

IV. Logistical Information

Expected Schedule for Providing Service at Site:

Sunday-Thursday 9am-5pm

Orientation Plan:

Member will be trained by current staff and attend trainings related to service position

Service Location(s) if different from site address: Same service location

Additional Info (parking, transportation, ID, etc.):

All sites are accessible by bus. Member is responsible for own transportation. Free parking is available at all sites.

Member Qualifications:

Strong commitment to harm reduction philosophy

Ability to work in fast paced environment
Strong commitment to harm reduction philosophy
Ability to provide individualized and client centered risk reduction outreach with open minded and nonjudgmental approach
Thorough knowledge of issues related to injection drug use, Hepatitis C, HIV/AIDS, safer injection, sexually transmitted diseases, human sexuality, and transgender issues
Knowledge of issues related to drug use and addiction
Ability to develop and maintain trust with program participants
Ability to maintain confidentiality

Ability to train and manage volunteers

Ability to work as a team
Ability to work independently with minimal supervision
Must demonstrate strong organizational, research, writing, reporting, and communication skills
Excellent documentation, record keeping, and computer skills

GPCFB Nutrition Assistant

I. Site Information

Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank
1 North Linden Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15110

Organization Description and Mission:

Our mission is to feed the hungry in southwestern Pennsylvania through a network of partners and to mobilize our region to end hunger.

Critical Community Need(s) to be addressed through member service:

Work with programs (Farm Stand Project, Choose Healthy Options Program, Kids COOK afterschool program) that empower people and children in need to meet their own nutritional needs.

Site Supervisor assigned to support member:

Matthew Bolton
Nutrition Supervisor
Phone (412) 412-460-3663 ext. 253
Fax (412) 460-0418

II. Service Description

(Remember, a member cannot duplicate services provided by a current employee or that an employee has provided within the past 6 months)

Service Activities/Responsibilities:

Assist the Nutrition & Marketing Supervisor provide more nutrition programming to agency sites in the form of pantry demos and afterschool programs.

• One afterschool program (KCOOK) once a month (8 total) October-May 2008
• Conduct Kids Cook afterschool programs at member agency sites
• Conduct food demonstration six times a month (54 total) October – June 2008
• Schedule, prepare and present pantry and farm stand food demonstrations at member agency sites
• Support food bank nutrition education activities October – July 2008
• Assist with the Choose Healthy Options Program (CHOP)
• Research and prepare articles and recipes for the Cooking and Nutrition newsletter, CSFP and Produce to People materials
• Work with Breakfast-911 to provide breakfast foods to Duquesne elementary school and provide breakfast nutrition education materials to children and parents
• Assist the Speakers Bureau Director to raise awareness in the community to the issues of hunger and poverty
• Create new materials for children’s programming
• Traveling to communities to tell the food bank’s story to adult audiences as well as children
• Assist with mailing to new contacts, businesses, schools, churches, etc.
• Create healthy snack recipes for children’s programming

Overall Service Goals:

• Become familiar with FB sources of food and inventory: Donated State Food Purchase Program (SFPP), Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP), The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP, USDA, government commodities), Wholesale Buying Program
• Be able to access FB nutrition education resources and credible internet sites to support education and recipe development
• Shadow nutrition staff and learn how to schedule, prepare, and present nutrition education programs and demos
• Be able to develop recipes and nutrition education materials

Outcome Measures:

• To become aware of the problem of hunger and food insecurity throughout Allegheny County by working with others to improve the amount of nutritious food available to food pantry clients
• Help empower people in need to meet their own nutritional needs, while communicating the nature of and solutions to hunger

III. Performance Measures:

The PHC AmeriCorps program is based on National Health Corps Performance Measures. Each PHC member should provide services that fall in at least one of the NHC Performance Measures below:

1. Access to Care

Does your service position include assessing eligibility for, completing paperwork for, and enrolling community members in adult/child health insurance and/or patient medication assistance programs?

(please check one) ? YES           X NO>

If “yes”, please provide site specifics and explain the details regarding how the member will provide service with these programs:

2. Individual & Group Health Education Instruction

Does your service position include any of the following:

Teaching health education classes, workshops, one on one sessions, leading clubs or organized activities on public health topics including home/public safety, violence prevention, smoking cessation, nutrition and exercise, asthma, diabetes, hypertension, HIV/AIDS, hepatitis and other public health topics that meet local community needs.

(please check one)  X  YES    ?  NO

If “yes”, please provide site specifics and explain the details regarding how the member will provide health education:

• Conduct Kids Cook afterschool programs at food bank member agency sites
• Prepare pantry demonstrations at member agency sites

3. Health Screening, Testing & Immunization

Does your service position include the member organizing, coordinating, promoting and/or participating in health screenings, testing and immunization campaigns for HIV/STDs and other communicable diseases, BMI, blood pressure and other issues that respond to local needs?

(please check one)  ?  YES  X  NO

If “yes”, please provide site specifics and explain the details regarding how the member will provide service relating to health screenings, testing, and immunization:

4. Health Information & Outreach Material Distribution

Does your service position include the member distributing health education and outreach materials to individuals in underserved populations?

(please check one)  X  YES    ?  NO

If “yes”, please provide site specifics and explain the details regarding the information that will be distributed and how it relates to the services provided by the site as a whole:

• Research and prepare articles and recipes for the Cooking and Nutrition newsletter, CSFP and Produce to People materials
• Participate at Health/Senior/Children’s fairs
• Work with Breakfast 911 to provide breakfast foods to Duquesne elementary school and provide breakfast nutrition education materials to children and parents

5. Promotion of Health Professions

Does your service description include giving the member the opportunity to be trained on health professions, health care settings, health care education opportunities, the healthcare needs of the underserved, health disparities, cultural competency, and various health related topics such as tobacco, asthma, hypertension, nutrition and HIV/AIDS?

(please check one)  X  YES    ?  NO

If “yes”, please provide site specifics and explain the details regarding how the member will be trained, gain experience in the health related topics mentioned:

The member will have a clear understanding of health disparities, cultural competency and the health needs of the underserved relating to improper nutrition. They will be familiar with services (beyond free food from the Food Bank) and will meet with the staff that provide/refer to these benefits.

IV. Logistical Information

Expected Schedule for Providing Service at Site:

Orientation Plan: Orientation will begin upon start date of AmeriCorps member with separate orientations with every department.

Service Location(s) if different from site address:

Additional Info (parking, transportation, ID, etc.): Food bank parking lot.

Member Qualifications: Bachelor’s degree from four-year College or university; or Associates degree in Nutrition.