South Hills Interfaith Ministries

SHIM MOBILIZES COMMUNITY RESOURCES AND IMPLEMENTS SUSTAINABLE PROGRAMS THAT COMPASSIONATELY HELP OUR NEIGHBORS MEET BASIC NEEDS, ACHIEVE SELF-SUFFICIENCY AND BUILD COMMUNITY.

SHIM WAS FOUNDED IN 1968 BY A MINISTER, A RABBI, AND A PRIEST WHO JOINED TOGETHER TO ADDRESS THE GROWING NEED THAT PEOPLE IN THE SOUTH HILLS WERE EXPERIENCING. BEGINNING AS AN INFORMATION AND REFERRAL CENTER IN SOUTH HILLS VILLAGE MALL AND OFFERING YOUTH PROGRAMMING AND INTERFAITH ACTIVITIES, SHIM CONTINUED TO ADAPT OVER THE YEARS TO THE EVER-CHANGING NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY. FROM CONNECTING PEOPLE TO EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES IN THE MID-1980S, TO HELPING PEOPLE WHO WERE STRUGGLING WITH HOMELESSNESS IN THE EARLY 1990S, SHIM GREW TO BE THE TRUSTED HUMAN SERVICE AGENCY SERVING THE SOUTH HILLS. IN THE EARLY 2000S, THOUSANDS OF BOSNIAN REFUGEES WERE RESETTLED IN THE SOUTH HILLS AFTER ESCAPING A WAR-TORN COUNTRY AND SEEKING A NEW LIFE IN AMERICA. WITH THE SUPPORT FROM THE ALLEGHENY COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES, SHIM ESTABLISHED A FAMILY SUPPORT CENTER AND EXPANDED PROGRAMMING TO ADDRESS THE NEEDS OF REFUGEE AND IMMIGRANT FAMILIES. SINCE THEN, MANY OTHER REFUGEES FROM AROUND THE WORLD HAVE BEEN RESETTLED IN THE SOUTH HILLS. TODAY, SHIM PROVIDES FOOD, CLOTHING, FINANCIAL AID, EDUCATION, FAMILY SUPPORT, AND A HOST OF OTHER SERVICES TO PEOPLE IN NEED IN PITTSBURGH'S SOUTHERN SUBURBAN NEIGHBORHOODS. WITH 23 FULL-TIME AND 10 PART-TIME STAFF MEMBERS, AND HUNDREDS OF VOLUNTEERS, SHIM SERVES MORE THAN 9,000 INDIVIDUALS ANNUALLY. SHIM'S ACCOMPLISHMENTS ARE OFTEN MEASURED BY ITS ABILITY TO MEET THE NEED IN THE SOUTH HILLS COMMUNITY. IN THE LAST YEAR: -SHIM PROVIDED 760,542 POUNDS OF FOOD TO MORE THAN 6,000 THOUSAND INDIVIDUALS -SHIM'S 13 COMMUNITY GARDENS PROVIDED 18,000 POUNDS OF PRODUCE TO SHIM PANTRIES. -APPROXIMATELY 3,700 INDIVIDUALS ATTEND PANTRY DISTRIBUTIONS EACH MONTH, 35% OF WHOM ARE CHILDREN, 15% OF WHOM ARE SENIORS, AND 8% OF WHOM ARE DISABLED. -SHIM SERVED APPROXIMATELY 1,200 INDIVIDUALS WITH UTILITY ASSISTANCE, HELPING TO AWARD $107,000. -FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS AIDED 150 INDIVIDUALS THROUGH $56,790 IN EMERGENCY GRANT FUNDING.

SHIM PROGRAMMING OPERATES AT THREE SITES IN BETHEL PARK, BALDWIN, AND WHITEHALL BOROUGH. WHILE SERVING THE GREATER ALLEGHENY COUNTY REGION, SHIM'S PROGRAMS PRIMARILY SERVE THE COMMUNITIES OF BALDWIN-WHITEHALL, BETHEL PARK, CASTLE SHANNON, DORMONT, GREENTREE, MT. LEBANON, SOUTH PARK, AND UPPER ST. CLAIR. CHILDREN AND FAMILIES, ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO ARE FOREIGN-BORN, ARE A PARTICULAR FOCUS OF SHIM PROGRAMS. SHIM SERVES MORE THAN 200 CHILDREN ACROSS ALL YOUTH PROGRAMS. MANY CHILDREN ENROLL AT A YOUNG AGE AND STAY ENGAGED THROUGH THEIR HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION. -LAST YEAR 9 OUT OF 11 EARLY CHILDHOOD PROGRAM GRADUATES STARTED KINDERGARTEN WITHOUT NEEDING LANGUAGE SERVICES. -IN 2022, FOR THE TENTH CONSECUTIVE YEAR, 100% OF YOUTH MENTORING SENIORS GRADUATED FROM HIGH SCHOOL. 13 HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS GRADUATED, MOST OF WHOM ARE NOW ENROLLED IN COLLEGE. -SHIM'S AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM AND YOUTH MENTORING WERE RECIPIENTS OF A 2018 APOST QUALITY AWARD -IN 2019 YOUTH MENTORING RECEIVED THE EXCELLENCE IN MENTORING AWARD FROM THE MENTORING PARTNERSHIP OF SOUTHWESTERN PA. -SHIM PROVIDED 1,550 BACKPACKS WITH SCHOOL SUPPLIES IN 2022.TO SUPPORT KIDS FROM BIRTH TO GRADUATION SHIM OFFERS HOME VISITS, AN EARLY CHILDHOOD PROGRAM, AFTER SCHOOL, YOUTH MENTORING, AND SUMMER CAMP. SHIM PROVIDES ESSENTIAL RESOURCES AND WORKSHOPS FOR FAMILIES INCLUDING NURTURING PARENTING CLASSES, GROUP COUNSELING, ENRICHING FAMILY ACTIVITIES, AND IMMIGRANT SERVICES AND CONNECTIONS (ISAC). WOMEN GAIN ADDITIONAL SUPPORT THROUGH THE SMART INVESTMENTS PROGRAM AND WOMEN'S GROUPS. MEN ALSO PARTICIPATE IN GUIDED COUNSELING GROUPS THROUGH A MEN'S AND DAD'S GROUP. ADDITIONALLY, BILINGUAL STAFF PROVIDE WALK-IN SUPPORT AT SHIM'S FAMILY CENTER. WHILE MANY PROGRAMS WERE FORCED TO MOVE TO VIRTUAL PLATFORMS, SHIM STAYED CONNECTED TO FAMILIES. THIRTY-ONE MEN AND WOMEN ATTENDED SUPPORT GROUPS AND 37 INDIVIDUALS ATTENDED NURTURING PARENTING CLASSES. ISAC SERVED 37 HOUSEHOLDS COMPRISED OF 69 ADULTS AND 54 CHILDREN. SHIM ASSISTED 504 CLIENTS THROUGH WALK-IN SUPPORT AT SHIM'S FAMILY CENTER.

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