• In Pennsylvania, there was a 46% increase in the number of children and youth experiencing homelessness from the 2008-2009 school year to the 2009-2010 school year.
  
• There were 18,204 children and youth experiencing homelessness in Pennsylvania who were enrolled in school in the 2009-2010 school year.
• Students experiencing homelessness throughout the nation scored higher in standardized reading and mathematics tests than in the previous year, but in Pennsylvania students experiencing homelessness continue to score poorly in reading and mathematics when compared to both the general population as well as economically disadvantaged students.

1.10.12 HCEF Trustees attending their annual meeting were presented with a check for $85,000 from proceeds of the September-October 2011 Haunted House at Hundred Acres Manor. Over the eight years the Haunted House has been in operation, HCEF has received $344,000 in support of its work with and on behalf of children caught up in the challenges of homelessness.

12.26.11 Joan Eichner and Nancy Hubley's Letter to the Editor entitled "Thousands of the youngest are among the homeless" appeared in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Joan is Children's Director of the Education Law Center. Both are active participants in HEN. Note: The letter is the last of those posted on that day.

12.25.11 HCEF's Homeless Education Network (HEN) is pleased to announce The Heinz Endowments' grant of $125,000 in support of HEN's mission to "Serve as the catalyst for community collaboration aimed at improving educational outcomes for children and youth experiencing homelessness as mandated by the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act."

12.25.11 HCEF has been honored with a donation of $15,000 from the Civil and Environmental Consultants, Inc.

12.25.11 See HCEF Founder Joe Lagana's letter to the editor of the Pittsburgh Post Gazette entitled "Myriad social needs." The letter was co-authored by Stephen J. Bagnato, Professor of Psychology and Pediatrics, University of Pittsburgh. The letter is the second on this archive of the 12.25.11 letters to the editor.

12.22.11 Charlie LaVallee's "Guest voice: Homeless children need chance for education" appeared in the Erie Times-News.

12.15.11 HCEF is grateful for The Mars National Bank's $500 EITC grant in support of our innovative after-school educational programming for children experiencing homelessness.

12.15.11 The G. Whitney Snyder Charitable Fund has honored HCEF with an operations grant of $3,500.

12.14.11HCEF has received from Dollar Bank a grant of $10,000 in support of educational programming.

12.9.11 The Max Talbot Foundation has provided a grant of $20,000 in support of HCEF's 2012 After-School and Summer Education Enrichment Program for Disadvantaged and Homeless Children with the hope that this donation "will aid in assisting HCEF efforts to truly make sure no child is left behind."

12.9.11 The E.V. Randall, Jr. Foundation has gifted HCEF with $1,000 toward the educational opportunities made possible by our CAPE program.

12.9.11 The Ayers Foundation has honored HCEF's programming for the children we serve with a grant of $15,000 in support of the CAPE program.

12.1.11 The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette publishes Invisible students: Pennsylvania's homeless youth deserve an education, too written by Nicole Anderson, regional coordinator of the Homeless Children's Initiative - Allegheny Intermediate Unit, and Charlie LaVallee, director of HEN - Homeless Education Network.

11.29.11 HCEF Advisor Brett Keisel has been named the Steelers 2011 Man of the Year. See the story here.

11.29.11 Long-time HCEF friend and supporter Bob Fragasso and his sponsorship of a course entitled Introduction to Entrepreneurship at the Urban Pathways Charter School in downtown Pittsburgh is featured in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Bob is CEO and Chairman of Fragasso Financial Advisors.

11.15.11 With the sponsorship of HCEF, Roy Juarez, Jr., and Dr. Shelly Hipsky (with her young daughter) spent the evening at Adagio Health Healthy Start House in Duquesne, a transitional housing program for pregnant women and mothers of young children who are homeless. Shelly spoke of the international "Blanket the World with Kindness" initiative to provide blankets to children experiencing homelessness, and with her daughter presented Woobie blankets to the resident moms. Roy spoke to those gathered about the importance of having hope and self-respect, of dreaming about the future while in a shelter setting. Also in attendance were young men from nearby Auberle’s Movin’ On'. (Juarez recently told his personal story of homelessness to the audience assembled for the Extravagant Evening fundraising event presented by Dr. Shellie Hipsky. See Recent Events.)

11.12.11 The Young Brothers Tae Kwon Do Inner School Tournament and homeless awareness event at North Hills Senior High School raised $15,000 in support of HCEF.

11.7.11 The Institute for Children, Poverty, and Homelessness (ICPH) has made available a .pdf version of its Fall 2011 issue of UNCENSORED – American Family Experiences with Poverty and Homelessness. See especially the article entitled "Building Bridges to Learning – Programs Focused on Reducing Academic Gaps for Homeless Children," which begins on page 8. HCEF's Education Program Manager, Laura Bailey, was interviewed for the article. Her observations are on pages 12 and 13 of the document.

11.7.11 The Google Community Grants Fund of the Tides Foundation has provided a grant of $3,000 in support of the LabRatz Science Club and after-school math education programs available to HCEF's partner homeless housing agencies with Learning Centers.

11.1.11 Equitable Gas Company has notified HCEF that it is the beneficiary of a $15,000 EITC grant in support of the after-school educational programming we provide in Learning Centers HCEF has created within not-for-profit homeless family housing agencies across Allegheny County.

10.27.11 See the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette article "Poverty indicators show Pa. has work to do; 19th in poverty, tied for last in keeping youth connected"

10.25.11 Grateful thanks to Direct Energy which honored HCEF with a $5000 EITC grant in support of our innovative educational programs for children experiencing homelessness in Allegheny County.

10.19.11 Allegheny County proclaims October 16-22 Homeless Children's Awareness Week. Receiving proclamation are Outreach and Volunteer Services Manager Susy Robison, Board of Trustees Chair Rob DeOrio. and presenter Amanda Green Hawkins, District 13 representative.

10.17.11 EZ Trip Stores of Easy Energy USA. Inc. presented the Haunted House at Hundred Acres Manor with a check for $40,000 as principal sponsor of the organization's 2011 season.

10.16.11 Don't miss the Pittsburgh Tribune Review story: Schools strapped for money to educate homeless students

9.13.11 PNC Alliance, LLC honored HCEF with a $3000 EITC grant in support of its educational programing and Learning Centers for children and youth residing in Allegheny County homeless housing facilities.

9.10.11 An eager crew of Wyatt, Inc. employees re-roofed the Pump House at the Haunted House at Hundred Acres Manor as their "Day of Caring" work project. A year ago a Wyatt crew rebuilt the Maze. HCEF is a recipient of half the proceeds raised by the September-October Haunted House. See events.

 

8.19.11 The Penguin Bookshop in Sewickley raised $2,275 for HCEF through it's Pittsburgh Noir auction of hand-painted Adirondack chairs featuring literary themes.

8.15.11 Gear for Grades day and KDKA's Rick Dayton was there at William Penn Way to get the story.

8.4.11 Pittsburgh Post-Gazette story of the HCEF-Auberle Movin'On Learning Center collaboration funded by the Nathan Minoski Memorial Fund through The Pittsburgh Foundation.

8.1.11 BNY Mellon Foundation of Southwestern Pennsylvania has honored HCEF with a grant of $80,000 in support of the Learning Center After-School and Summer Educational Enrichment Programs and the Clairton Collaborative Model Replication Project.

7.20.11 HCEF and Auberle staff and clients celebrated the opening of an HCEF computerized Learning Center in the Movin'On transitional housing facility in Duquesne, Pennsylvania. Movin'On serves boys 16-21 who are in homeless situations or at risk of becoming homeless. Up to ten clients can be served at any one time and they can participate in the program for up to 24 months or to the age of 21, whichever comes first. The clients participated in remaking the space that now houses the center. The Learning Center was made possible by the Nathan Minoski Memorial Fund through The Pittsburgh Foundation. As Kevin Jenkins, Director of the Community Initiatives/Senior Program Officer at the foundation, said, "When two social service organizations work together, the outcome can only be great." (See photos here.)

7.11 KDKA video interview promoting donations for the Citizens Bank/HCEF Gear for Grades backpack and school supplies drive. Being interviewed are HCEF Executive Director Bill Wolfe and Vice President Pam Wigley of Citizens Bank.

7.18.11 HCEF has been honored with a Mylan Charitable Foundation grant of $30,000 in support of the Learning Centers HCEF has provided in residential housing facilities serving moms and kids caught up in homelessness.

7.14.11 Reed Smith's recent employees' jeans day raised $650 toward the after-school programs for children residing in HCEF partner Homeless Housing Providers.

7.16.11 Penguin Bookshop Sewickley celebrated the mission and work of HCEF with its 2011 Children's Festival featuring Pittsburgh Steeler defensive end and HCEF Advisor Brett Keisel who read three of his favorite storybooks to a group of very attentive children. Store patrons were encouraged to purchase and donate new books geared toward teen readers being served by HCEF's partner homeless housing agencies. See and hear this SewickleyPatch video of the event and listen as Brett reads.

7.10.11 HCEF is grateful for Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield's in-kind donation $10,375 for their printing of 1000 copies of our School Success for Students without Homes: A Toolkit for Parents and Providers. This generous gift makes possible wide and free distribution of the Toolkit and so ensures more children and youth, more parents can be better served by more homeless housing providers, public school educators and administrators, solicitors and regional legislators. The Toolkit explains education laws and offers the practical suggestions, resources, check lists and other tools that will help ensure children without housing have access to the full range of public education programs and services.

7.8.11 Popular local jazz vocalist Jessica Lee's regular Entrepreneurial Thursday's Happy Hour featured "Innovating to Help Children Experiencing Homelessness" with speakers Bill Wolfe, Executive Director of the Homeless Children's Education Fund; Samantha Murphy, Education Liaison, Allegheny County Department of Human Services; Nick Vargas, Family Support Specialist, Sojourner House MOMS; and Dr. Dick Deluca, retired, Department of Education, Clairion University and current chair of the HCEF Volunteer Committee.

7.8.11 The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra's Community Partners Concert is an annual collaboration with 25 Pittsburgh area nonprofit organizations. HCEF was pleased to again be one of those partnering nonprofits. With 94 tickets sold for a total revenue of $4890, HCEF was the 8th highest ticket seller among 25 non-profit organizations.

Links to media coverage of HCEF

See this video of the Penguin Bookshops Festival featuring a story time with Steeler-player Brett Keisel.

Not about homelessness in the city of Pittsburgh, but this CBS 60 Minutes broadcast video and report are worth the viewing or reading: "Hard times generation: homeless kids" and children who are falling victim to the financial crisis.

See Homeless Children's Education Fund IN THE SPOTLIGHT, sponsored by The Heinz Endowments. HCEF was the spotlighted agency from January 17 - 30, with a brief essay posted each day of the two-week period. All essays remain available for viewing.

(updated 1/13/12)

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