Groups Receiving Support from NPC

Bethlehem Haven

The mission of Bethlehem Haven is to serve homeless women by providing supportive housing and assistance to achieve self-sufficiency. For more than 20 years, the Haven has provided shelter and safety for thousands of homeless women. Hot suppers are served daily to 35-60 women and clean bedding, towels, nightgowns, and soap are provided. Staff/volunteers prepare the meals and wash the ladies clothing at night so that they have clean articles for the next day.


Brown Chapel A.M.E. Time Out for Kids Program

The Brown Chapel A.M.E. Time Out for Kids Program serves youth on Pittsburgh's North Side.  The Program provides help with homework as a first priority.  When homework is completed, one-on-one tutoring is provided to students having difficulty with reading.  The Program teaches children basic computer usage and offers extracurricular trips.  The Program also teaches self-esteem enhancement, basic sewing, conflict resolution tips, and spiritual and scriptural precepts.  In addition, children are fed hot meals daily. Quarterly, there are Reading Is Fun (RIF) distributions and family & friends "drop-ins."


East End Cooperative Ministry

East End Cooperative Ministry (EECM) is an interfaith coalition of 47 congregations, parishes and institutions united to serve human needs of Pittsburgh's East End residents.  EECM serves the frail, the homebound elderly, the hungry, the homeless and children and youth in the neighborhoods of East Liberty, Garfield, Lincoln-Lemington, and Larimer by providing urgent necessities such as food and shelter. EECM also offers a wide range of programs that help individuals and families escape the cycle of poverty and gain the personal resources they need for more satisfying, self-supporting lives.

Our Sunday School shares Christmas gifts with children and our Vacation Bible School provides goods for their food pantry and programs through their offering.  Although receiving our financial support, volunteer support is a more critical need.


Habitat for Humanity of Greater Pittsburgh

Habitat for Humanity of Greater Pittsburgh mission is to eliminate substandard housing in Allegheny County by bringing people together to build, rehabilitate, and repair homes, communities, and hope.

Jubilee Soup Kitchen

Jubilee Soup Kitchen is part of the Jubilee Association. Lunches are served daily from 11:00am to 1:30 pm at the Kitchen. NPC members, including the FISH youth group, have helped prepare and serve lunches to about 200 daily. These are primarily homeless folk whose only hot meal is there. Some food distribution is also made. NPC members also redid the restrooms there several years ago.


Living Stones

Living Stones is a group of volunteers responding to a call God placed on our hearts.  His call was clear and simple: Feed the hungry.  And so Living Stones does.  Living Stones serves monthly meals to groups of people who are struggling, providing them with food, prayer and fellowship.  Many of these people return every month; faces once sorrowful, now smiling and eager to greet new friends.  Their stories are heartbreaking, but they persevere.


Monroeville Mall Ministry

Monroeville Mall Ministry (MMM) is an interfaith outreach of the Judeo-Christian community of the eastern Pittsburgh suburbs. Located in the Monroeville Mall, its primary activity is the blue booth "Talk Shop" on the mall second floor. A member of NPC has served on the board of directors and as executive director. Volunteers are trained to listen carefully and empathetically and to make appropriate referrals to professional agencies if such a need is indicated. Free one night shelter and meals are provided by area motels and restaurants to those in need. Store and bus information is also provided as a courtesy to shoppers. A local clergy person is on call every day for backup in crisis situations as is direct contact with government agencies. The MMM also sponsors Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) each year between February and April 15, a community Good Friday service, and book reviews as well as an educational TV program. An average of 750 visitors per month come to the "Talk Shop" seeking information, meaningful conversation or help with major personal or family problems. Volunteers are asked to give a minimum of two 3-hour sessions per month in the "Talk Shop" booth. Training sessions and in-the-booth training as well as seminars by professional counselors are provided to the volunteers. NPC and individual congregation members have supported MMM financially and physically for over 15 years.


National Day of Prayer

The churches in Murrysville, Export and Delmont join together each year to participate in the National Day of Prayer. Our communties are unique in that unity. It is a privilege to honor, worship, and praise Jesus together as we also pray for our country. The Pastors from most of the churches in the three communities pray for different areas such as Education, Government, Business, The Press, The Family and The Military. The Mayors and other community leaders usually attend and support this day.


The United Presbyterian Church of New Kensington Food Pantry

This Food Pantry is similar to the Loaves and Fishes Emergency Food housed in our building.  This emergency food source serves the greater New Kensington area.


Pine Springs

Pine Springs Camp is the Presbyterian Church (USA) resident summer camp. NPC adopted a cabin and was responsible for repairs and additions. A member of NPC has served on the board of directors and members of NPC have served as camp counselors, nurses and director of week long camps. The camp is popular and has played a large role in the spiritual development of many NPC children.


Rainbow Kitchen Community Services

Since 1984, Rainbow Kitchen Community Services has focused on helping individuals and families of the Steel Valley area cope with inadequate incomes by providing the basic stepping stones needed to work towards independence.  While the organization was established in response to the closing of the steel mills, which displaced thousands of workers living in the area, to this day poverty remains a major social and economic issue.  In response to this continued need, RKCS provides support to over 1,300 community residents annually through the Anti-Hunger and Case Management programs.

Rainbow Kitchen Community Services is committed to improving the quality of life for low income individuals and families through programs that address hunger, child nutrition and supportive services.


Sojourner House

Sojourner House is a shelter for homeless, addicted women and their children.


Trafford-Level Green Christian Food Bank

The Trafford/Level Green Christian Food Bank started in 1985 with the help of area churches. The need became obvious when Westinghouse laid off quite a few workers in the area. The bank has continued to grow, moving from Trinity UM Church to Christian Life Church to Level Green Presbyterian Church to its new home in the old library on Cavitt Avenue. While the space is now larger, so is the need and expense of operating it. The bank now serves an average of 53 families monthly and handles emergency needs, and the numbers are growing. The food bank can be reached by calling any church in the Trafford/Level Green communities.

The Level Green/ Trafford Christian Food Bank distributes food on the third Thursday of every month from 6 to 7 p.m. on Cavitt Avenue in Trafford. Interested residents need only to come to the food bank at those times to apply for assistance.


Union Mission of Latrobe

The Union Mission provides a temporary haven for homeless men and a Christian commitment to assist in their re-entry to society by providing: shelter; clothing; 3 meals a day; hygiene; structured interaction; job referrals; professional counseling; an environment that encourages motivation, self esteem and spiritual development. Since its inception, in 1987, the Union Mission has assisted approximately 1200 men, served approximately 8,000 meals each year and succeeded in helping approximately 60% of its men meet their established goals. Today, the Union Mission's focus remains the same: To allow disadvantaged individuals an opportunity for a bright, productive future. To this end, the Mission continues to update and initiate progressive programs.


Welcome Home

Welcome Home is an Emergency Shelter for women and families.  This shelter has a capacity of 4 families and 10 single women and is located in Greensburg, PA.


Westmoreland County Food Bank

The Westmoreland County Food Bank (WCFB) is a private, non-profit organization that collects, stores and distributes food and household products to over 80 member agencies in Westmoreland County. These include soup kitchens, food pantries, shelters, summer food programs for children and day care and senior centers for people with low incomes. Over 15,000 individuals are served each year. The Food Bank is located in Delmont just off Route 22. In addition to financial support, each quarter, NPC organizes a volunteer group to assist in food packing or whatever is needed at the WCFB.


Westmoreland County Prison Ministry (The Carpenter's Builders, Inc)

The Chaplain at the Westmoreland County Prison is affiliated with The Carpenter's Builders, Inc. However, they provide no funding for the prison ministry. All funding comes from Churches throughout the county. The prison warden has said "Chaplain Jim Badamo is a tremendous asset to this institution and is considered to be a vital member of our treatment team."

Chaplain Badamo provides an array of services, including pastoral counseling, religious teaching and preaching and leading Christian worship. He also facilitates inmate adjustment to prison, visits prisoners in isolation, helps inmates make plans for release, counsels inmates' families, and provides opportunities for Christian education. Chaplain Badamo also recruits, trains, and coordinates religious volunteers. The prison warden says, "His impact goes beyond the services and activities, just the presence of a chaplain during a low point in one's life can bring comfort and healing to inmates."


Wilkinsburg Community Ministry

Acting as the cooperative body of the member congregations, Wilkinsburg Community Ministry(WCM) develops programs geared to meet the physical, social, economic and spiritual needs of the people of Wilkinsburg.

The WCM offers Social Services to help the residents of Wilkinsburg meet their everyday living needs. WCM offers different programs geared toward assisting people to live with and pride. They include a food pantry, holiday gifts and food, clothing and furniture, and utility and crisis assistance. Each month WCM serves over 125 families through the above programs.

The WCM offers Services for Seniors to help senior citizens succeed and meet the goals they have set for themselves in a caring, non-threatening and compassionate manner in the face of declining health or other life circumstances. They include Meals on Wheels, Case Management (where a social worker is available to assessment, evaluation, and recommendations, assistance with obtaining benefits or services, such as rent rebates, insurance, PACE, or ACCESS), counseling and emotional support, problem solving and creative approaches to receiving or giving care, information and referral linking individuals, their families or pastors with agencies, services or information, and Energy Assistance.


Young Overcomers United (Y.O.U.)

Young Overcomers United specializes in reaching the young addict between the ages of 15-25. The best support an addict can get is from someone who has been there and you can relate to. That is why the young people who have gone through the program successfully are now leaders supporting those who are struggling. Young leaders helping others their same age and similar situations is a powerful tool.

The program concentrates on building relationships on the premise of respect. Accepting that each person is unique and understanding the intricacies of their addiction. Creating an atmosphere where they are comfortable to share the truth about their lives and actions. Allowing them an opportunity to articulate their problem aloud makes them able to hear that they, in fact, have a problem to solve.

Implementing the biblically based ten steps into their lives one step at a time is the start to solving that problem. Guiding the young person throughout the process and offering choices to a better lifestyle. Changing their mentality by reaching into their hearts and souls enables them to be free from their addiction.

Part of the recovery process is giving back. In becoming the best you can be they encourage young people to give back by sharing the hope they were given, back to their community.

The young people are mainly from Plum, Murrysville, Monroeville, Penn Hills, and Greensburg. This local group meets in Pittsburgh East Gospel church in Plum and provides counseling, prayer, a hot meal and support. Repentance, acceptance, commitment to Christ and finding a home church are important goals for the youth in this program.


Cook Native American Ministries

Cook Native American Ministries, a multi-denominational Christian center for learning, is committed to providing Native Americans with the knowledge and skills that will allow them to excel in accomplishing the work of their churches and communities. The school maintains close connections with the Presbyterian Church ( U.S.A.), and is a member of the Racial Ethnic Schools and Colleges consortium of that denomination. In its 95 years of existence, Cook has educated hundreds of students, representing some ninety tribes throughout the U.S. and Canada, many of whom have gone on to become successful ordained and lay pastors, tribal officials, and professionals in varying fields. 


Lend A Hand

Lend A Handis a non-profit (501 C 3) organization founded in 1989 as a local disaster response and assistance program. The Mission and Purpose of Lend A Hand is to coordinate a reliable system of transportation, labor, housing and meals, and job assignments for volunteers who wish to help people suffering extraordinary hardship as the result of natural disasters.  Lend A Hand has been responding to natural disasters throughout the country since its inception. Over 3,000 volunteers have stepped forward to assist those in need. Lend A Hand has always worked to help the uninsured and the underinsured to recover their homes from the damage of wind, water and fire.
Lend A Hand works out of donated offices provided by the Presbytery of Carlisle.


Pittsburgh Theological Seminary

Pittsburgh Theological Seminary is a graduate professional institution of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). Located in the heartland of Presbyterianism and part of a thriving city, we seek to prepare men and women for pastoral ministry and Christian lay leadership in all phases of the Church's outreach.

Dedicated to excellence in theological education, the faculty strives to prepare graduates who will demonstrate both personal piety and the keenest possible intellectual understanding of the Gospel and its implications for individual and social living. Serious attention is given to the study of biblical languages and exposition and to the teaching of theological, historical, ethical, and practical disciplines for the successful and meaningful practice of ministry.

The Seminary is rooted in the Reformed history of faithfulness to Scripture and commitment to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In keeping with our tradition, we continue our mission to be a caring and ecumenical community, to nurture personal faith and corporate worship, to promote global consciousness and service and to encourage students and faculty to relate their studies to the numerous styles of ministry emerging today.


The Shack Neighborhood House ( W. Va.)

The Shack Neighborhood House serves the people of the once thriving Appalachian coal mining community of Scott's Run northwest of Morgantown, West Virginia. The Shack Neighborhood House has a 77 year long tradition of providing a safe, secure place for families and children to come and play. The Shack attempts to provide services for children throughout their entire school careers, during the entire year. The Shack is very proud of the quality of programming they provide, as well as their record for consistent scholastic improvement for children participating in their programs. Even with their academic successes they also have a lot of fun! They very much believe that their students, families, volunteers, and adults form lasting, meaningful friendships through their interactions with each other at their facility. At the Shack, money doesn't matter so much as good will, and successes are measured more in terms of effort and less in terms of physical gain. Our Lost Sheep high school group has made many work trips to The Shack over the years.


Agape Flights

Agape Flights provides the following services:

  • Makes regular weekly flights to Haiti and the Dominican Republic, delivering mail, critical supplies, manpower resources and equipment for over 300 missionary families
  • Receives and distributes millions of dollars worth of medicine, medical supplies, nutritional supplements, Bibles, school and office supplies, building materials and other mission-critical items
  • Responds to some 200 weekly requests from missionaries for information and needed supplies
  • Provides banking and other professional services for missionaries.
  • Coordinates short-term, volunteer mission teams
  • Organizes and implements missionary-initiated, self-sustaining community development projects
  • Encourages fellowship among the missionary community
  • Sponsors revivals and retreats for missionaries and their families
  • Serves as a repair center and parts supplier
  • Utilizes the Agape network to speed disaster relief directly to those in need.

Today, for about 300 missionary families in Haiti and Dominican Republic, Agape Flights is a lifeline to family, friends, supporters and supplies. Agape Flights serves Christ by serving His missionaries on some of the most challenging mission fields in the world.


Medical Benevolence Foundation

The Medical Benevolence Foundation (MBF) exists to proclaim and demonstrate the gospel of Jesus Christ through a healing ministry.

In partnership with the Presbyterian Church (USA), MBF:

  • Interprets and provides information about the international health concerns of the Presbyterian Church(USA) and its international partners;
  • Raises funds to support international health programs;
  • Recruits healthcare professionals and other types of volunteers to serve in health related mission programs outside the U.S.;
  • Shares gifts of donated surplus medical supplies and equipment with international partners

The programs involve both hands on involvement through volunteers giving of time or the donation of equipment, supplies and funds. A personal visit to NPC was the catalyst for our involvement. We supported the digging of a well in Mobin-Cruchu, Haiti. This was the springboard for our working more closely with Thomas Presbyterian Church on our mission trips to Haiti. Projects are under way in approximately20 countries with over 61 areas of concern ranging from autoclaves, medicine, hospital room equipment, public health teachers woman's literacy instructors, medical technicians, skilled and unskilled labor clean water, portable chairs, ultra-sound equipment, text books, and bicycles.


Pioneers

The mission of Pioneers is to bring Jesus Christ to the un-reached people of the world.  We support an NPC-related missionary through this program.


Presbyterian Church General Assembly Mission

The Presbyterian Church General Assembly Mission is Newlonsburg's largest mission financial contribution. This contribution supports mission work at the presbytery, synod and General Assembly level. Through the gifts of ours and other churches, the whole church supports the mission of the whole church. The mission work takes place in about 90 countries and many corners of the U.S. through programs and people. This happens through evangelism, health care, agriculture, leadership development, self-development projects, water projects, education, and church development. The mission supported by us through unified giving to the Presbyterian Church USA provides up close and personal ministry and witness in about any way you might imagine.

Sometimes it is difficult to feel connected to such an amorphous body. Imagine a ministry you know because it is close to us and imagine a similar ministry happening in Christ's name all over the USA and the world, seeking to serve God's people and share the gospel. Specifically the fall 2003 NPC mission trip to W. Va. was one such mission supported by funds from the Synod of the Trinity and the Katrina mission trips to the Volunteer Village supported by the Presbyterian Disaster Assistance.