The goal of the Learning Centers and Resource Libraries initiative is to provide children who are experiencing homelessness with equal access to the same educational opportunities their peers enjoy.

Learning Centers are powerful educational environments. Each is stocked with books, art supplies, computers, the latest in educational software, printers, scanners, CDs and DVDs, a DVD player, a globe, and a laminated world map. Working with the individual agencies and their staffs, HCEF supports 9 Learning Centers in Allegheny County housing facilities serving families with children.


"We are privileged that HCEF has partnered with us throughout the years to provide our kids with the extra support they need to succeed in school and in life. You really understand the devastating difficulties faced by kids who become homeless. The recent cuts in federal funding have put our children's programs in jeopardy. Your ongoing generosity is crucial to the continuation of these services." – From an agency leadership team


Learning Centers also serve as physical sites for after-school and summer programs that supplement and complement the public school education and for programming designed to provide agency staff members with new tools for assessing children's needs, building relationships with the public schools, and addressing specific issues (bullying and violence prevention, for example) that affect resident mothers and children.




And Learning Centers are a safe place where children's creative expression is acknowledged and encouraged – both in words and in pictures with art and craft supplies made possible by HCEF.

Visit "Expression Junction" and explore the Refrigerator Door Gallery and Special Exhibits of the children's work. Stop by often to check for new works.




In 2006, with funding from the Pennsylvania Department of Education, Resource Libraries were established in all 15 housing facilities HCEF serves (including those without HCEF Learning Centers). Each library has over 900 professionally selected books and regularly replenished. There are books for children and youth at all age and reading levels, books for children not yet reading, books supporting school curricula and reference needs, books purely for pleasure reading, books on finding a job or exploring possible careers.

Each Resource Library has an Allegheny County Library Association (ACLA) borrowers card. Given the joint partnership between ACLA and the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, clients and staff members have internet access to a common catalog of the holdings of all the public libraries in the county.

In addition, an HCEF subscription to the internet-accessible Grolier On-Line After School Fun and Learning Center and Scholastic's BookFlix means that children living in each of our partner agencies have ready access to these content-rich educational tools. As important, when families move to other supportive housing or to their own homes, the HCEF subscription allows them to continue accessing these websites.

A self-reporting monthly survey of agency staff informs us that we can anticipate a yearly average of 20,000 individual uses of the learning and resource centers for study, research, and play by all age groups (including the children's mothers).

Why Learning Centers and Resource Libraries are important

When children become homeless, the uncertainties of their situation and the accompanying emotional stress may mean they do not attend school for days, even weeks. Once back in school – often not the school they had been attending – they may have difficulty adjusting to new teachers, different expectations, and unfamiliar classmates. Take-home work may require educational resources (encyclopedias and dictionaries, for example) not readily available to them. They are further disadvantaged when homework assignments require access to a computer, which they likely do not have. Children who are homeless can quickly fall behind.


What can happen when a child has the kinds of resources available in an HCEF-supported Learning Center?

Recently, when the Executive DIrector of an Allegheny County transitional and permanent housing facility stopped by the Learning Center while the After School Program was in session, she was approached by one of the children.




"Jimmy came up to me and handed me an envelope. It was his report card and he had all A's. In the next few minutes a half dozen children shared their report cards with me, and it was all good news. Every one of those who shared were on the Honor Roll. Before he lived at ____ , Jimmy was in more than three schools in one year (more than nine schools in all) because his mother was shelter hopping. As you know all too well, this is the phenomenon that occurs when homeless people do not find permanent housing before their allowable 'time' in the shelter is exhausted. With the stability of a home and people who care, Jimmy is living up to his potential. Did I mention he's in the Gifted Program?

"We are doing all we can to help our children and their mothers succeed. How grateful we are for generous people like you who make it all posssible! Thank you."

Is there a place for you in this picture?

HCEF is seeking Reading Tutor volunteers to work with children in the facilities with Learning Centers. Interested? See this MS Word document: Reading Tutor information sheet.


What we've accomplished

HCEF Learning Centers and Resource Libraries are serving children as well as their moms in nine of the region's shelters, transitional and bridge housing centers, and a drop-in center for unhoused youths.

In Pittsburgh:

  • Open Arms
  • Salvation Army Family Crisis Center
  • Three Rivers Youth - The Hub
  • Womanspace East, Inc.
  • Women's Center and Shelter of Greater Pittsburgh
and in Allegheny County:
  • Sisters Place, Clairton
  • HEARTH, Perrysville
  • Womansplace, McKeesport
with a Learning Center and Resource Library being developed at
  • Sojourner House and Sojourner MOMS

Resource Libraries have been established in seven shelters where, because of limited space, a Learning Center is not feasible.

In Pittsburgh:

  • New Beginnings, Homewood
  • San Kofa House, Homewood
and in Allegheny County:
  • Allegheny Valley Association of Churches Hospitality Network,
        Natrona Heights
  • Alle-Kiski Area Hope Center, Tarentum
  • Bridge to Independence, Braddock
  • Crisis Center North, North Hills
  • Healthy Start House, Duquesne

An agency's director has written:

"With your continued support, we are able to
positively impact the lives of our children."

How does HCEF help create a Learning Center and Resource Library?

See our photo story of "a work in progress."




The Homeless Children's Education Fund is a registered 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization with United Way Donor Option #963315. Donations are tax-deductible in accordance with IRS rules and regulations. The official registration and financial information of the Homeless Children's Education Fund may be obtained from the Pennsylvania Department of State by calling toll free within Pennsylvania, 1-800-732-0999. Registration does not imply endorsement.

Updated 9/20/08