Author: Alyse Horn

Beaver County residents utilize Innovate program to formalize entrepreneurial dreams

Posted on by Alyse Horn

Above: The second cohort of the Innovate program during a showcase in November 2022. Photo by Akyera Thompson. To view more photos from the event, click here.

During Christina Leeman’s time as a social worker, she became highly aware of the lack of affordable housing in Aliquippa.

According to the Vibrancy Index, there are 9,238 residents in the community and 56 percent of residents are homeowners compared to 71 percent in Beaver County.

“I never realized the problem and how hard it was to find safe housing,” Leeman said. “It was really put on my heart to pursue this, then Covid happened. But now doors are opening and now is the time.”

In November of last year, Leeman completed the Innovate program to help formalize her business Unique Grace Properties, which aims to connect rent burdened families with safe and affordable housing so they can thrive. The three month cohort is for early stage entrepreneurs with the goal of launching leaders in the direction of their dreams. 

Greenhouse Lab hosts Innovate, and Leeman learned about the program from its Executive Director John Jordan. 

“Innovate is specifically designed for people who are either starting new businesses and nonprofits, or who desire to get more serious about a side hustle they’ve been operating,” Jordan said.

Leeman currently has one house she and her husband are fixing up to rent with the vision of acquiring four more houses over the next two years. Through her involvement with Innovate, she was able to work individually with a coach who helped her hone in her business plan, and in group sessions she could talk through her ideas with the other 12 participants to get feedback.

Melissa A. Rhines during the November showcase presenting her business, Broken in2 Beautiful. Photo by Akyera Thompson.

Ferdinando Turkovich was in the latest cohort with Leeman for his business Crossroads Craftsmens Shoppe. He said the six group sessions and one-on-one coaching sessions worked out perfectly with his schedule and provided him with the direction he needed.

“Innovate helped me synthesize my dream and make it something more tangible,” Turkovich said. “I was able to process the information in my head in such a way that allowed me to put it on paper and see it as something that is obtainable instead of something that, in the mindspace, dies on the cutting board.”

Crossroads Craftsmens Shoppe is a custom woodworking shop with the goal to provide heirloom quality wood products at affordable prices, but the ultimate goal is to create a makerspace that provides access to professional tools, advice, and “allow individuals to explore their healing through tactile activities.”

Turkovich would like to work with adolescent kids who’ve experienced trauma and provide them with coping mechanisms through woodworking. Eventually, he would like to add metal fabrication and auto-body repair to the shoppe. 

“Those are the three main areas that if you learn one of those trades you are most likely to be successful, and when I say successful, I mean it’s something that you can rely on that ultimately gives you a [profession] and a way to escape the things that are going on around you in a healthy way,” Turkovich said. 

The Innovate program also included: Michelle M. Gabriel, Good Noodle Neighborhood; Stephanie Mason, Mason’s Delectable Delights; Karyn Stuart, The Sanctuary; Jamyra Harrell, Traveling Arrows; Melissa A. Rhines, Broken in2 Beautiful; Chynna Wilcox, The Table ESL Center; Lakeshia Tucker, B3 Women’s Empowerment Community; Erik Kerr, Getting Ahead Beaver County; Maximilian Elliot, The Lemonaide Lab; Marquay Priest, Priest Cleaning Solutions; Troi Moon, Moonlight Hair Co.

When Jordan co-founded Greenhouse Lab in 2020, he wanted to create a social impact incubator to help people start new businesses and nonprofits that would “revive and renew” the Aliquippa community. They offer five different services to leaders through a platform that builds on relational, practical experiences of the grassroots leaders in the area: strategic coaching, relevant trainings, marketing support, shared workspace, and financial management. 

Innovate is one of the two main programs offered by Greenhouse Lab, the second being Cultivate, which is designed for Innovate participants to continue receiving support as they implement their plans and launch their initiatives. Jordan said the development of these programs was largely based on materials from New Sun Rising’s Launch Incubator curriculum. 

“NSR said ‘Here is our stuff, adapt it if you need to,’” Jordan said. “Scott [Wolovich] and I have met pretty regularly for him to coach me through this and make sure we are adapting stuff well. I really value his input into the process and helping me think through things differently.”

The first session of Innovate was held in the early months of 2022 with seven participants, and the second cohort nearly doubled in size with 13 participants. The third cohort will begin February 2023 with a cap of 10-12 participants.

Jordan said the program is able to work at the capacity of how many coaches are available for the number of participants, which is volunteer based. When the second cohort concluded in November 2022, the program held a showcase for participants to present their full-formed ideas. 

“A lot of the coaches left saying, ‘If we could just bottle up that showcase and give that to people [to hold on to].’ It was a really cool night to experience what these folks represent in our community and what they’re bringing to our city and the cities around us,” Jordan said.

If you’d like to volunteer as a coach for the Innovate program, email john.jordan@greenhouselab.org.

If you’d like to learn more and support Unique Grace Properties, email celeeman75@gmail.com. For Crossroads Craftsmens Shoppe, email turkannacreations@gmail.com.

Outreach & Engagement Toolkit created to assist stakeholders in community planning

Posted on by Alyse Horn

To make community planning more accessible to grassroots movements and organizations with limited resources, New Sun Rising has developed an Outreach & Engagement Community Toolkit that helps kick-start important conversations with their communities.

Intended for non-profits, local governments, and community leaders looking to create an outreach and engagement strategy for their project, plan, or initiative, the toolkit is a comprehensive resource that breaks down the importance of each method and how to execute it.

“Over the past many years, local leaders have developed so much knowledge on how to create and implement community-engaged plans and projects,” said Sophie Smith, who authored and completed this research as former Sustainability VISTA with New Sun Rising. “Without proper outreach and engagement, any group that strives to lift up community and increase equity is missing a huge part of the equation.  We hope that this toolkit will make the ‘how-to’ more accessible to local leaders.”

Included in the toolkit are sections on how to build connections and target your audience, different types of engagement like creative advocacy, participatory asset mapping, and more. 

Dorrian Glenn, program manager for Grow Sto-Rox, is using the toolkit to create a plan for his community and has found it easy to implement because of “how detailed the different steps are explained.”

“This has compressed all of the important things necessary for me to be successful out of the gate in having an effective community engagement strategy,” Glenn said. “Working by myself, I sometimes become disorganized in trying to figure out how to gather information and implement a plan. [The toolkit] focuses my intention and gives me a playbook to take it one step at a time.”

The toolkit is interactive, allowing users to input notes directly into the PDF and be saved to come back to at a later time as they work through the document. A full description of how to use and share the toolkit with partners and participants in your organization can be found below the ‘download’ buttons on the webpage.

“When designing the toolkit, it became very clear that the interactivity and accessibility of the documents were of utmost importance,” said Hunter Smith, lead data analyst + designer at New Sun Rising. “Throughout the design, I made sure to include elements that allowed users to keep record of what they learned and how they wanted to use these strategies with their communities.”

To learn more and utilize the Outreach & Engagement Toolkit, click here.

 

Thank you to Scott Wolovich, Brittany Reno, Megan Tuñón, Zaheen Hussain, Brian Wolovich, Dorrian Glenn, Alyse Horn, Jamie Johnson, Dan Stiker, Ashley Johnson, Judi Costanza, and Ruby Velasco for their time and insight in creating the content for and reviewing this toolkit. 

Elements of the Triboro Ecodistrict: the six focus areas

Posted on by Alyse Horn

Above: The Millvale Youth Bike Rally, hosted yearly by the Millvale Community Library, gives out free bicycles to kids and teens in the borough. The library is solar powered and has a Community Free Fridge on the back deck with free pantry items, produce, and prepared meals for neighbors in need.

When the ecodistrict planning process began in Millvale in 2012, residents identified three quality of life lenses necessary for sustainable community development: Food, Water, and Energy.

This was released with the first iteration of the Millvale Ecodistrict Pivot Plan in 2014, which sought to build on community assets in designing system-based solutions to address community challenges.

After further engagement and implementation work with the community, the Millvale Ecodistrict Pivot Plan 2.0 was released in 2016 and expanded the lenses to include: Equity, Air Quality, and Mobility. These lenses were adopted and modified by Sharpsburg and Etna to fit their communities and in 2019 the Sharpsburg Community Vision Plan and Etna EcoDistrict Plan were released. 

In an effort to create language that is accessible to everyone, the quality of life lenses serve to provide a framework that uses comprehensive and inclusive language while highlighting the three Borough’s most central needs in following their ecodistrict plans.

To learn more about the elements of the Triboro Ecodistrict and what they mean to each community, we’ve compiled a list of the three Borough’s lens definitions and projects that align with each.

While the projects may be housed under a specific issue, it should be noted that many serve multiple issues simultaneously with Equity acting as the overarching lens found in each quality of life area.

By pursuing these community-serving initiatives, the Triboro Ecodistrict fosters three inclusive communities that embrace diversity and empower residents to shape their future individually and collectively.

Equity

Millvale: Millvale is a place of self-determination, where Millvalians are able to participate and shape their future as well as the future of Millvale.

  • Project: Millvale Youth Dance and the work of Jenny Jo Mendak
    • Mendak, owner of Hometown Tattoo and a Millvale representative on the Triboro Ecodistrict Advisory Board, started Millvale Youth Dance and Events because the borough was lacking space and programs for local kids. Including the dance, she also hosts talent shows, pizza parties, hikes, and her door is always open for kids who need someone to talk to. In an effort to create a third space for kids, she is currently working with the Millvale Community Development Corporation to turn a vacant lot into a playground with funding from The Grable Foundation.

Sharpsburg: Sharpsburg is a community of opportunity where we thrive as individuals and collectively.

  • Project: Sharpsburg Comprehensive Affordable Housing Action Plan 
    • Over the past five years, interest in Sharpsburg properties has reached heights not seen in generations. As more young families and people with higher incomes seek to live in Sharpsburg, the risk of displacement faced by longtime residents, especially renters, is critical. Add to this pressure the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to redevelop Sharpsburg’s riverfront, long a metal scrapyard, from brownfield to mixed-use community asset, and it’s clear that the community needs to work to preserve and plan for a diverse mix of housing options that allows for people at all income levels to enjoy life in Sharpsburg. Over the next year, Sharpsburg Neighborhood Organization and community partners will work with Studio for Spatial Practice to engage residents in a planning process that will help create a strategy for everything from housing-related programs for residents to development plans for different types of housing affordable and accessible to Sharpsburgers.

Etna: Etna is an inclusive community that embraces diversity and activates everyone to shape our future together.

  • Project: Etna Center for Community
    • Located at 341-343 Butler St., the Etna Center for Community will be a community center and community library upon completion. Etna entered an agreement in December 2021 with the Millvale Community Library to create the Rivertown Library System, and the two boroughs will share staff and resources to bring complementary services to each community. There’s been a critical educational asset missing from Etna since the library closed in 2004 and the Etna Center for Community will reinforce equity as well as each of the Triboro’s quality of life issues with programs such as: early childhood education, senior programming, food programming, access to technology, and more. In August 2022, Etna Community Organization began a monthly Library Series to gain feedback and input from the community on what kinds of programming they’d like to see.

Food

Millvale: Millvale is a foodie paradise known for hyper local production. 

  • Project: Millvale Market
    • A project by Jen Saffron, owner of Sprezzatura, and Derek Dumont, former buyer for Harvie, the Millvale Market aims to offer local produce, pantry items, and prepared foods for residents. Millvale is considered a food desert, and this market changes that for the community. Accepting SNAP benefits, they are going to work with as many local farmers and purveyors as possible while offering affordable products.

Sharpsburg: Sharpsburgers will have access to affordable and healthy food and will be connected to a regional food network.

  • Project: Sharpsburg Local Food Network 
    • In 2020, the Sharpsburg Market Garden opened and continues to grow fruits and vegetables that are freely given to anyone in need. In its first year, it provided 190 pounds of produce for the community. In 2022, Second Harvest Thrift Store installed a Community Free Fridge and Pantry outside of the building that is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year for anyone to take what they need or leave what they don’t.

Etna: Etna is a food-secure community with opportunities to grow, buy, share, and eat food locally. 

  • Project: Dinners for Neighbors
    • During the early days of the pandemic, Etna Community Organization created the Dinners for Neighbors program and offered free, prepared meals for residents to pick up every Wednesday. The meals were funded by donations and the food was prepared by local restaurants and caterers. They also delivered meals to the residents of Etna Commons, the borough’s senior high rise, who were particularly isolated during that time. Etna also partnered with Sharpsburg Neighborhood Organization and Allegheny County Health Department to distribute produce boxes. In the end, the program ran for 17 weeks. They distributed 3,650 meals, reinvested $31,138 in 24 local businesses, and provided 8,800 lbs. of fresh produce to residents.

Water

Millvale: Millvale is part of a just watershed system known for productive and pleasurable landscapes. 

  • Project: Girty’s Run Cleanup
    • In July 2022, George Ackerman and Olivia Ivatts organized a Girty’s Run Cleanup (Girty’s Run is a tributary of the Allegheny River and runs through Millvale). Fifteen volunteers finely combed the creek and removed a wide variety of trash from the run. A special thanks to the Penn State Extension Master Watershed Steward program, and Mary Wilson, who brought out most of the volunteers to help that day.

Sharpsburg: Sharpsburg will integrate and celebrate water as an asset throughout the community.

  • Project: FEMA Community Rating System
    • With Sharpsburg’s long history of flooding and related issues, many property owners are required to pay for flood insurance through FEMA’s National Flood Insurance Program. In an effort to offset the costs and improve flood mitigation activities in the community, the borough is working to enter into the National Flood Insurance Program’s Community Rating System. The program gives communities a classification based on their level of flood mitigation and preparedness activities, which results in discounts applied to flood insurance premiums for all property owners in the community. In July 2022, Sharpsburg Neighborhood Organization hosted the first Flood Awareness Day + Week.

Etna: Etna is a resilient community that protects its people and waterways through creative water interventions. 

  • Project: Etna EcoPark
    • With its main function being stormwater management, this park sits at the lowest point in Etna’s flood plain and is built on the site of a flooded-out and abandoned building. It has a 1000 sq. ft. rain garden and the entire surface of the park is permeable. The space also hosts monthly Nature Nights, an environmental program for kids and families in the area.

Mobility

Millvale: Millvale is a place where people of all ages have the freedom to move safely. 

  • Project: Solar Powered Crosswalks
    • Through grant funding provided by New Sun Rising from the PA State Department of Community and Economic Development through State Rep Sara Innamorato’s office, solar powered crosswalks were installed by the Borough of Millvale Public Works Department on Evergreen Avenue. The road is highly trafficked and the crosswalks add additional visibility and safety for pedestrians. (This project has also been installed in Etna and Sharpsburg using the grant funding.)

Sharpsburg: Mobility is essential for all generations and should improve quality of life and advance the economy. 

  • Project: Bike Share Program at Sharpsburg Community Library
    • Through Healthy Ride’s Recycle A Bike program, Sharpsburg Neighborhood Organization (SNO) and Triboro Ecodistrict secured five bicycles for the Sharpsburg Community Library; the organizations are working together to design and launch a bike share program giving residents the opportunity to check out bicycles using their library card. New bicycle racks are being installed for this program at the library using funding from the Hillman Foundation and with help from Bike Pittsburgh.

Etna: Etna is a connected community where people of all ages have safe, reliable, and affordable mobility options.

  • Project: Etna Riverfront Trail and Park
    • A decade ago, the Borough of Etna and residents began reimagining what the long industrialized riverfront could look like through the Allegheny County Community Trails Initiative. The Etna Riverfront Trail and Park development plan included 17 municipalities and will eventually connect to the Three Rivers Heritage Trail, which will connect Pittsburgh to Erie when completed. The Borough is also developing another trail from Shaler to Etna, with support from Etna Community Organization, called the Pine Creek Connector Trail. I will run from Kiwanis Park in Shaler through to the Etna trail with improvements to the pedestrian and bike infrastructure in Etna and around the Route 28 interchange.

Air Quality

Millvale: Millvale is home to clean air communities where people breathe easy indoors and outdoors. 

  • Project: The Reserve & Shaler Land Protection Project
    • Allegheny Land Trust is working to protect 62-acres of farm and forest land in the Girty’s Run Watershed in Reserve and Shaler Townships, upslope and upstream of Millvale Borough. The community and Shaler Area High School Sustainability Students are raising $50,000 locally to unlock grants and close the funding gap, with $650,500 needed to purchase the land by December 2022. Protecting this land will preserve habitat for native flora and fauna, absorb heavy rainwater from Girty’s Run Watershed, and conserve thousands of trees that offset our carbon footprint.
    • In 2021, Allegheny Land Trust permanently protected 155-acres of Girty’s Woods from development.

Sharpsburg: Sharpsburgers will breathe clean air indoors and outdoors.

  • Project: Breathe Easy Air Quality Monitoring Station
    • Located outside of the Sharpsburg Community Library, the Air Quality Monitoring Station provides residents with real-time outdoor air quality data through an online Air Quality Dashboard to inform, activate, and engage residents. The Breathe Easy Project is a Triboro-wide initiative, with Air Quality Monitoring Stations also located at Etna’s playground. This project was honored with a 2021 Governor’s Award for Environmental Excellence.

Etna: Etna is a healthy community with empowered advocates that take a balanced approach to air quality. 

  • Breathe Easy Air Quality Monitoring Station
    • The Breathe Easy Air Quality Monitoring Station at Etna’s playground, part of the Breathe Easy Project and a Triboro-wide initiative, is linked to an online Air Quality Dashboard that displays real-time outdoor air quality data to inform, engage, and activate residents. The monitoring station will be relocated to the Etna Center for Community courtyard when complete. This project was honored with a 2021 Governor’s Award for Environmental Excellence.

Energy

Millvale: Millvale is home to self-reliant urban solar villages. 

  • Project: Solar Installation at 216 North Ave.
    • In 2022, a grant was awarded by Green Mountain Energy Sun Club to New Sun Rising (NSR) and Millvale Community Development Corporation (MCDC) to fund the future rooftop solar installation and level two electric vehicle car charging stations at 216 North Ave. NSR and MCDC worked together to secure Federal Community Project Funding to renovate 216 North Ave. Owned by MCDC, they are collaborating with evolveEA with aspirations for the building to be Net Zero.

Sharpsburg: Sharpsburg will strive to become an energy independent community.

  • Project: Sharpsburg Solar Expansion
    • Through a variety of programs and efforts, Sharpsburg is working to expand its clean energy footprint and reduce its greenhouse gas emissions. As participants in the Triboro Ecodistrict Solar Co-Op with Solar United Neighbors, Sharpsburg residents and businesses interested in installing solar were able to work together to solicit joint bids from solar companies in order to bring down costs for all participants. Additionally, through the GET Solar Program from Pennsylvania Solar Center, Sharpsburg Borough was able to explore and understand its solar generation potential through the roofs of municipally owned buildings, finding that both the Department of Public Works facility and the Linden Gymnasium were strong candidates for net-positive solar generation and off-grid power storage. The Sharpsburg team is now seeking funding to make this environmental, social, and financial opportunity a reality.

Etna: Etna is an innovative community that takes collective action to provide smart energy solutions. 

  • Project: Solar Array at the Garden of Etna
    • The solar carport and EV car charger at the Garden of Etna is 6.48kW with an annual output of 6957 kWh. The car charging station is free for residents, or anyone, to use and it powers the Garden’s lights, rain barrel pumps, electric gardening equipment, and cooking appliances during food events.

Wells Fargo grants fund NSR green workforce projects

Posted on by Alyse Horn

Above: Pictured are graduates of the first Solar Workforce Training program cohort in partnership with South Hilltop Men’s Group.

Green Collar Job Pathways in Ecodistrict and Solar Workforce Program receive $22k

 

Pittsburgh, PA — The Wells Fargo Foundation has granted New Sun Rising (NSR) $12,000 for the Green Collar Job Pathways in Ecodistrict Neighborhoods and $10,000 for the Clean Energy Workforce Program. 

The Green Collar Job Pathways in Ecodistricts seeks to address the loss of income and housing instability that worsened during COVID-19, disproportionately impacting Black and low-to-moderate income (LMI) communities, and will provide community members with onramps in related fields focused initially on solar. 

The Clean Energy Workforce Program was established in 2021-2022 in part through support from the Wells Fargo Foundation. The program created a solar training and educational discovery zone facility, a solar installation curriculum and certification with Community College of Allegheny County, and a pipeline of community solar projects for field training and awareness. The current funding will expand and deepen the program for 2022-2023.

“As climate-related impacts become more frequent and intense, Pittsburgh has the opportunity to lead the way towards a more resilient, equitable future. We believe that begins by preparing our residents and small businesses to benefit from large investments spurring new economies like solar energy,” said Scott Wolovich, executive director for NSR.

Both grant programs will focus support with Ecodistrict communities such as Millvale, Etna, and Sharpsburg, as well as Beltzhoover, Knoxville, and Allentown in the City of Pittsburgh.

 

About New Sun Rising: New Sun Rising supports nonprofits, small businesses, and collaboratives to build vibrant communities through culture, sustainability, and opportunity. NSR believes that people and communities hold the knowledge and power to make positive change. We envision a future where regenerative community development practices create the conditions for true social, environmental, and economic justice.

About Wells Fargo Foundation: Wells Fargo is committed to building an inclusive, sustainable recovery for all through a focus on opening pathways to economic advancement, championing quality, affordable homes, empowering small businesses to thrive, and enabling a just, low-carbon economy.

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Sto-Rox Non-profit Community Launches “Grow Sto-Rox”

Posted on by Alyse Horn

MCKEES ROCKS – Five organizations from the Sto-Rox area recently joined forces to create a strategic collaborative called Grow Sto-Rox, including: Communities In Schools (CISPAC), Focus On Renewal (FOR), McKees Rocks Community Development Corporation (MRCDC), Sto-Rox School District (SRSD), and Zellous Hope Project (ZHP).

The group is spearheaded by New Sun Rising (NSR), who serves as the fiscal sponsor for the collaborative. After the initial establishment of a community Youth Partnership in 2014, these cross-sector organizations committed to creating equitable economic futures for Sto-Rox residents through community programs which are strengths-based and trauma-informed. 

Dorrian Glenn, program manager of Grow Sto-Rox.

To help Grow Sto-Rox achieve its mission, hiring a dynamic and a detail-oriented individual to manage the initiative was pivotal. After acknowledging the importance of a community-driven approach to achieving their goals, Grow Sto-Rox made the decision to hire local resident Dorrian Glenn as the new Program Manager, a position staffed at NSR. 

Glenn graduated from Sto-Rox high school in 1997. He went on to become an All-American Running Back for the Slippery Rock University football team, graduating with a BA in Communications. He later attended Point Park University where he graduated with an MBA. Glenn has extensive experience working for community organizations and is looking to spearhead the introduction of Grow Sto-Rox to the area and beyond.

Glenn will serve as the backbone and be responsible for driving Grow Sto-Rox’s work forward. In particular, he will support day-to-day communications, administration, community engagement, fundraising, and data functions.

In addition to hiring the Program Manager, Grow Sto-Rox has launched its first program called the Affinity Circles Wellness Program with the support of April Jackson. Affinity Circles seeks to rebuild the Sto-Rox community by reshaping the mindset of the Sto-Rox residents. If residents thrive, the community thrives. When residents have more control and are thriving in a vibrant community, they are more able to focus on the possibilities of success. 

The Grow Sto-Rox Program Manager position, and development of an Affinity Circles community wellness program, were made possible through grant funding from the Suckling Fund of The Pittsburgh Foundation and Heinz Endowments.

Media Contact: Dorrian Glenn, (412) 886-7081, dorrian@newsunrising.org

About Grow Sto-Rox: The Grow Sto-Rox collaborative exists to improve the quality of life of Sto-Rox residents through programs which are trauma informed, strengths based, and create equitable economic impact.

About New Sun Rising: New Sun Rising supports nonprofits, social enterprises, and collaborations to build vibrant communities through culture, sustainability, and opportunity. NSR believes that people and communities hold the knowledge and power to realize the future they envision. We strengthen them through capacity building, accessible funding, data, and creative advocacy.

Judi Costanza hired as Director of Vibrancy Funds at New Sun Rising

Posted on by Alyse Horn

New Sun Rising is happy to announce that Judi Costanza has been hired as the Director of Vibrancy Funds for the organization. 

In this role, Judi is making funding more accessible to the people and communities supported by NSR through fiscal sponsorship and programs that offer grant funding, loans, and awards. 

“As my learning about NSR continues to deepen, the idea that [we] are intersecting community development, triple bottom line fundamentals, and proven principles of business and product design is amazing,” Judi said. “The more I immerse myself in NSR, the more it feels like real change at the neighborhood level – at scale, is possible.”  

Over the course of her 20 year career with a New York based start-up, Judi accumulated a Swiss Army Knife collection of skills and held a wide range of positions at the company. As the pandemic set in, she felt it was time to honor a voice from within and focus on the compelling need for environmental and societal change. For her next venture, her list of criteria included: a collaborative team working locally, alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals, and to help channel funds from larger foundations into grassroots projects.

“Accessible financial capital is a key ingredient to building vibrant communities. Unfortunately, many change makers have difficulty securing and managing resources to fuel their efforts,” said Scott Wolovich, Executive Director of NSR. “Judi’s experience, creativity, and heart will greatly enhance our ability to support them through the Vibrancy Funds.”

Judi said she is excited to serve, learn, and help NSR grow internally so the organization can expand externally through partnerships with communities, and where she can continue learning and growing as a human.

“Previously when I thought about how real societal change takes place, I believed it started with fixing our systems. Somewhere along the way, that flipped for me,” Judi said. “The power of the people is the necessary force to lead change and I believe that starts from the ground up.”

Funding to establish the Director of Vibrancy Funds position was generously provided by Heron Foundation.

Nonprofit leaders build capacity, connectivity, and wellbeing through resilience program

Three women attending an event by Dress for Success Pittsburgh, whose CEO Tanya Vokes was part of New Sun Rising's Nonprofit Resilience Program.
Posted on by Alyse Horn

Above: During an Essential Worker Celebration in May 2022, Dress for Success Pittsburgh provided their mobile services to employees within the Butler Health System.

When Tanya Vokes was invited to participate in New Sun Rising’s Nonprofit Resilience Program, the first thing she thought was “I don’t have time for this.”

Vokes, the CEO of Dress for Success Pittsburgh, said a lot of nonprofit leaders, like herself, are pulled in so many different directions and taking on a three month program was a big commitment, but she convinced herself to do it.

“Once I did get involved, I was really happy with the results of the program,” Vokes said. “Right away it was a super supportive environment. Jamie is amazing, and the other nonprofit leaders who were in the cohort were really authentic and brought their true selves to the sessions.”

The Nonprofit Resilience Program (NRP), with the fourth cohort wrapping up in March, is led by New Sun Rising (NSR) Director of Programs Jamie Johnson. (This is the third cohort sponsored by Staunton Farm Foundation.) Recognizing the health of an organization and the mental health of a nonprofit leader are intrinsically intertwined, the NRP begins with one-on-one self-care coaching and an Emotional Intelligence Assessment with development sessions created based on the results.

This opportunity for self awareness and acceptance, and to work through things in a formal way, was a particularly important piece of the program for Vokes. 

“We tend to think we’re doing an alright job, but maybe we aren’t necessarily fully thinking through those [cause and effect] pieces, so having the opportunity to do that with like minded individuals, who have the same challenges as it relates to making time for ourselves as leaders, was really valuable to me.”

Anthony Harper, co-founder and lead instructor at Beta Builders, said the second phase of the program around strengthening connectivity through peer relationships was the highlight for him. He said he’s only been in the nonprofit space for a couple years, and “it was nice to get collective insight from people who have been doing it for awhile.”

Based on the initial goals and phases identified by The Partnership Network, a partner and advisor on this program, the sharing of collective experiences based on empathy and honesty helps participants better manage adversity in the future. For Harper, this ran parallel with his experience.

“Being able to reach out to people who are having the same experiences… and they can share with me different ways they’ve coped with situations and how they were able to move forward, it’s really been a support system for me,” Harper said.

This program came at a transitional time for June Hicks, development manager at Greater Valley Community Services. She said it wasn’t what she was expecting, given the state of the current virtual training world, but the NRP breakout rooms, open feedback, and bonding was “refreshing” and she “looked forward to each session.”

“The information I received made me align my future goals for the next chapter in my life,” Hicks said.

Click here to learn more about the NRP and here to learn about the third Northside cohort.

2022 ONS Mini-Grant Awardees

Posted on by Alyse Horn

Pittsburgh, PA — This year, One Northside (ONS) was able to distribute 24 mini-grant awards for small-scale community projects. These $1,000 grants were given to Northsider’s whose projects demonstrate pledged support of their neighbors, help strengthen connections, increase accessibility to resources, and/or activate significant places in their community. 

The projects and project leads are:

#PghCatFolx – Northside, Susan Kerr | 5th Annual Youth Christmas Concert, Charlene R. Fields | A Marvelous Transitional Living Home, Shayla Bryant | Alpine Parklet Native Perennial Demonstration Garden, Laura Winter | By Her Own Design: A Writer’s Workshop and More!, Brett Monae Searcy | Creating A Sense of Community in Summer Hill, Jacob George | Daniel’s Den Cancer Foundation, Roxanne L Robinson | Fall Festival, Karen Lucarelli | Family Childcare Home, Yolanda Ann Davis | FEDERAL STREET FLOWER ISLANDS 3, Anna Yoder | Fierce and Fabulous Sewing Club, Ruby Helvy | Financial Literacy Workshop Series 2; Business Training Camp, Jamara White | Floral Arrangements and Wreaths, Charlene Anderson | GOALS (Getting Over Adversity to Live Successfully), Danielle Lynn King | Heir Force Community Holiday Celebration, Russell L. Bynum | Mattress Factory Presents: Northside Futures, Kemuel Benyehudah | Mindfulness Writing: Workshops to Overcome Trauma, Shalace N Moore | Northside Public Safety Council Technical Support, Joanne Pomietto | Observatory Hill Community Gardens, Leslee Schaffer | Pittsburgh VegFest, Leila Sleiman | Senior Serenade, Carla Arnold | Storyburgh: DMZ Storytelling, Pamela Monk | Tabitha’s Daughters, LLC October Weekend Retreat, Maxine Garrett | Together We Stand, Tangerine McDaniel.

This is the only round of mini-grants for 2022. It was previously stated that 15 mini-grants were available. Given the number of applicants, New Sun Rising (NSR) was able to redirect funding to the program to back an additional 10 projects.

About New Sun Rising: New Sun Rising supports nonprofits and small businesses to build vibrant communities through culture, sustainability, and opportunity. NSR believes that people and communities hold the knowledge and power to make positive change. We envision a future where regenerative community development practices create the conditions for true social, environmental, and economic justice.

About One Northside: One  Northside is a community-driven initiative to improve the quality of life in all 18 neighborhoods of the Northside. Since early 2014, hundreds of Northside residents have engaged with local leaders and stakeholders in community-wide conversations to create a shared agenda for the revitalization of this vital component of the greater Pittsburgh region.

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September 8, 2022: This release previously stated that 25 mini-grants were awarded. Due to unforeseen circumstances, Pop Up Play Event: An Amazing Day of PLAY!, Twila Simmons-Walker was a unable to accept the mini-grant, leading to 24 mini-grants being distributed. 

MCDC seeking Request for Proposals for 216 North Avenue

Posted on by Alyse Horn

The Millvale Community Development Corporation (MCDC), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, is seeking a qualified construction firm to provide reconstruction cost estimating services for 216 North Avenue, a mixed-used certified green building redevelopment in the heart of Millvale’s business district. The 216 North Avenue Mixed Use Hub will provide a home for MCDC operations and shared office, arts, meeting, and small business incubation space.

Due date for Request for Proposals (RFP) is Friday, August 5, 2022 at 5 p.m. via email to Brian Wolovich, project manager. Submit to brianwolovich@gmail.com

For the full RFP, click here. To view the project sheet, click here.

Local nonprofits to release “Boom & Bust,” a documentary posing questions about the future of petrochemicals in Beaver County

Posted on by Alyse Horn

AMBRIDGE, Pa. — It’s on the minds of many in the county, though some more overtly than others. 

After five years of construction, hype from government officials and pushback from environmentalists, Shell’s petrochemical complex in Potter Township is slated to open in the coming months. In January 2020, RiverWise, a Beaver County-based sustainable community development nonprofit, alongside community leaders, took a week-long trip to numerous petrochemical complexes along Louisiana’s Gulf Coast.

RiverWise, key stakeholders from Beaver County and members of Allegheny County-based nonprofit New Sun Rising journeyed to Louisiana to get better acquainted with some of the petrochemical mammoths of the south. Traveling more than 2,000 miles, learning from organizational leaders, environmental advocates, community organizers, politicians and everyday residents of the region, RiverWise observed, asked questions and filmed extensive portions of the trip.

On Thursday, July 28, RiverWise, in association with New Sun Rising, will release “Boom & Bust,” a documentary illustrating the journey from Beaver County to the Gulf Coast region. Filmed, produced and edited by local filmmaker Christopher Padgett, the documentary is intended to spur conversation, elevate awareness and mobilize residents to think critically and ask difficult questions about the future health and vitality of Beaver County. 

In creating “Boom & Bust,” Padgett, who serves as Director of Communication for RiverWise and is the owner of Human City Creative, hopes the film accurately represents the complexity and beauty of Beaver County — and its complicated past — and breathes new life into the value of community-centered listening, engagement and sharing.

“Taking this trip with such curious and genuine community leaders was a powerful experience,” said Daniel Rossi-Keen, executive director of RiverWise. “For years now, Beaver County residents and leaders have been assured that the arrival of Shell will inevitably transform the region for the better. Our trip suggests that the story is far more complex and nuanced than that. We returned from this trip realizing just how much we have to learn and do if we want to ensure that our communities meet the needs of future generations of Beaver County residents. We are hopeful that this film will help to illustrate some of that story and encourage ongoing conversation about our region’s future.”

Like Rossi-Keen, Scott Wolovich, executive director of New Sun Rising, is hopeful the film can serve as a vehicle for community conversation around a pressing topic with far reaching implications.

“Spending time alongside people living in a close relationship with large petrochemical facilities was a moving experience,” Wolovich said. “By sharing what we saw, heard, and learned through this film, we’re hopeful that people in our own region will become inspired to pursue a future that works well for all.”

“For me, Beaver County is a beautiful and complex area. One of the county’s stories is a story of loss, hope and the search for what new life looks like,” Padgett said. “By sharing this story, I hope it can be an invitation to enter into those conversations more and more as a community.”

The film will premiere at 7 p.m. July 28 at Iron Horse Theatre Company, 348 Maplewood Ave. in Ambridge. The evening will feature the first official release of “Boom & Bust,” followed by drinks and hors d’oeuvres. Space is limited and registration is required. To register for the event, visit here. Find the film’s preview here.

The July 28 release of the documentary is one of several to take place in the coming months. A second showing will take place in Beaver County during the second week of August. A third showing is expected to take place in Pittsburgh toward the end of August. A virtual showing of the documentary will also take place in the coming weeks. Those who are interested can stay connected with RiverWise and New Sun Rising by following @getriverwise and @newsunrisingpgh on social media for the official dates and times of later film screenings. 

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RiverWise employs sustainable development practices to create a regional identity around the rivers of Beaver County. At the heart of this work is a concerted effort to organize stakeholders to dream, learn, and collaborate about the future of our rivers and the communities that surround them. For more information, visit: http://getriverwise.com.

New Sun Rising supports the people building vibrant communities through culture, sustainability, and opportunity. They provide capacity building, accessible funding, data, and creative advocacy to help nonprofits, social enterprises, and collaboratives lead and benefit from the future they envision. For more information, visit: https://www.newsunrising.org.

Human City Creative uses story-telling to listen, share and preserve stories of people and cities in process; to connect community by seeking understanding, grace, empathy, and celebrate the value of one another. For more information, visit: https://www.humancitycreative.com.

Data + Creative Advocacy initiative launches to promote impact, social innovation

Posted on by Alyse Horn

Graphic by Hunter Smith

To support the data needs of under-resourced organizations and communities, New Sun Rising (NSR) launched the Power in Numbers (PiN) initiative in 2019.

At 1 p.m. on Wednesday, June 29, Power in Numbers 2.0 kicked off with a virtual event to introduce two new resources, the Vibrancy Portal 2.0 data platform and the Creative Advocacy Playbook. The event, led by NSR Executive Director Scott Wolovich, had participants from the United Kingdom, California, and New York, among other locations. 

The Vibrancy Portal is a tool for nonprofit, social enterprise, and municipal leaders that aims to make data more actionable through greater access, insights, and integration. The new updates include a redesign of the user interface, more dynamic database structure, enhanced and expanded data sets, organizational ecosystem mapping, and the addition of Beaver County to the map.

“We know that for social innovation to grow, there needs to be investment in data and communications, and the ability to more effectively engage with the world around us,” Wolovich said. “Unfortunately, most small and community-led organizations lack this critical capacity.”

“Our own research showed that 80 percent of leaders placed high value on these things, but only 17 percent of them reported receiving related funding. This lack of investment really restricts their ability to compete for resources and grow their impact.”

The Portal serves to democratize data through two primary functions: a community data Explorer and organizational data Manager.

For the free and publicly available Explore website, NSR built upon work started with Carnegie Mellon University and participants in their own fellowship program to create a geo mapping application that is organized by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). Although similar tools exist, most provide information at the county level and are not sensitive enough to show differing conditions between neighborhoods.

The Manager section of the website allows leaders to collect, analyze, and communicate data around 5 key areas: Issues, Capacity, Impact, Finances, and Reports. The site is password protected allowing teams to collaborate and encourage an actionable data model.

Lydia Moran of CONNECT, said they have been working with dozens of organizations over the last two years to create a multi-municipal climate action plan. During the Power in Numbers session, Moran also shared progress from the regional DISCOVER network. With so many different organizations involved across these efforts, a database like the Vibrancy Portal could make it easier to collect data and communicate regional impact.

“It’s really hard for us to talk about regional impact if we’re all measuring different things, and we’re not speaking the same language.” Moran said. “I’m very excited about this platform.”

The idea for the Creative Advocacy Playbook, which is being co-created with RiverWise, came from wanting to shift the paradigms and mindsets that hold existing systems in place and combat divisiveness while increasing engagement and awareness. The playbook will be publicly available and begin to support the launch of campaigns later this summer. While Wolovich admits there have been artists producing creative advocacy for years, “what makes this initiative unique is that it’s focused on building creative capital as an asset starting with the nonprofit and community itself.”

As far as the Vibrancy Portal goes, it is free, public, and ready to be explored. 

“It’s a dynamic ongoing project, and we’ll continue to build it out as we’re able to attract more resources,” Wolovich said. “We do have gaps in the data that we know are important for communities that we are working with, and welcome the help to identify or even think about different ways to approach those gaps.”

Although the initiative is in its early stages, one thing that has been made clear is that institutionally collected data largely shapes the narrative around communities. Power in Numbers helps under-resourced leaders work beyond the limitations of traditional data to more fully reflect, resource, and inspire the life of their community. 

Do you know an organization, issue, or community that would benefit from greater data utilization and creative advocacy? Email info@newsunrising.org to get involved.

Cultural festivals flourish through sustainable, collaborative values

Posted on by Alyse Horn

When it comes to setting the culture of community events, artists hold power. They create opportunities for others to become immersed in their environment and help establish sustainable, equitable pathways for the future.

During the weekends of May 14th and 20th, Pittsburgh saw the kickoff of festival season around the city, three of which included the Greater Pittsburgh Festival of Books (GPFB), Millvale Music Festival (MMF), and Pittonkatonk. GPFB and Pittonkatonk being fiscally sponsored projects of New Sun Rising (NSR) and MMF as a project of Millvale Ecodistrict partner, Millvale Community Development Corporation (MCDC).

This was the first year of the GPFB and founder Marshall Coehn said well over 2,000 people pre registered for programs, which were all free and spread across six venues in East Liberty.

“The poetry tent was filled. The children’s events were filled. Billy Porter’s event was filled within the first 20 minutes it was announced,” Cohen said. “The feedback we are getting has been really good and we are very pleased with the turnout.”

Cohen attended his first book festival around 30 years ago in New York City, and since then he and his wife have traveled far and wide to experience others. The two that stand out to him are held in Los Angeles and Boston, and as the GPFB grows, he hopes to emulate Boston’s model. Cohen said he is sending out a survey to those who registered, and will be accessible on the website for those who attended the festival, to collect data on the event that will be used to entice more publishers and authors to participate next year.

“We want to get more national authors here, but at the same time give more Pittsburgh authors national exposure,” said Coehn. “Pittsburgh is now able to say, along with Los Angeles and Boston and Miami and Chicago, ‘We too have a book festival, here’s what happened at it and you should think about coming to it.’”

From the beginning stages of planning, which started pre-pandemic, Cohen said NSR was a tremendous help in knowing that he didn’t have to “worry about the administrative side of things.” Fiscal sponsorship through NSR allows leaders to focus on project design and implementation while NSR takes care of compliance, and reduces friction between the work required to manage funds and implement ideas.

Pete Spynda, co-founder and co-organizer of Pittonkatonk, has been fiscally sponsored for nearly a decade and said he has grown considerably with NSR’s guidance. Held in the Vietnam Veterans Pavilion, this was the ninth year of the festival. Filled with Balkan brass, cumbia, hip-hop, and big bands, “Pittonkatonk is music in public spaces that belong to everyone, with no stage, no doors, and no right way to express yourself,” according to the website.

“Ten years ago I didn’t know how to write a grant, and now I can connect with the foundation and think about building a sustainable festival mostly through their mentorship and I’m very thankful for that and the resources they provide,” Spynda said. 

Since 2018, NSR has collaborated with Pittonkatonk to run The Activist Greenhouse during the event, which is a community resources tent that connects people with social and environmental justice organizations. This year’s performers included May Day Marching Band, Casa San Jose, Afro Yaqui Music Collective, 1Hood Media, Sto-Rox Marching Band, Lemon Bucket Orchestra, Hugo Cruz and Caminos.

Spynda said there were around 10,000 people at the event this year, based on the estimate from Pennsylvania Resources Council (PRC) after weighing the compost, recycling, and waste collected that day. Pittonkatonk and PCR have partnered since 2019 with the goal of making tonk a Zero Waste event. This year, Spynda said Pittonkatonk maintained an 83% diversion rate, meaning out of 827 pounds of trash, 274 pounds were composted and 370 pounds were recycled, and there were 40 pounds of reusable materials collected. 

“The first couple years of the festival I had to rent a dumpster and hauling service to get rid of all the trash. It was a lot and hard to manage,” Spynda said. “Thanks to foundations like The Hillman Foundation, The Pittsburgh Foundation, The Heinz Endowments, and support of New Sun Rising we are able to pay for this resource and make the event even more sustainable.”

The Millvale Music Festival also went Zero Waste this year by partnering with PRC as well as NSR, Triboro Ecodistrict, and ZeroFossil. Melissa Mason, MMF organizer, said 90% of waste being diverted from the landfill is needed to consider an event Zero Waste.

“Last year we did pretty decent and it was our second year [going Zero Waste] so we had some numbers to compare it to,” Mason said. “In 2021 we were at 58% diverted and this year we were at 76% so that was a nice jump and the big difference was that we had compostable cups in all of our outdoor bars.”

The festival manages five bars and they also provided compostable cups to Grist House Craft Brewery. Mason said it was great to have NSR and the Triboro Ecodistrict stepping up to sponsor the Zero Waste initiative alongside PRC and ZeroFossil, because it showed the community’s support for going green.

This was MMF’s fifth year with 350 musical acts, over 40 visual artists, a mobile “stage” by Redfishbowl, and two new stages were added: The Purple Onion at the Millvale Food + Energy Hub, 112 E. Sherman St., and Distinctly U, 419 E. Ohio St. 

“I was at both The Purple Onion and Sprezzatura stages [in the Hub] and it was awesome,” Mason said. “I love the swanky jazz club atmosphere at Sprezzatura, and The Purple Onion kind of had this kind of speakeasy vibe. I hope we can start having more music there regularly.”