Sisters Place - Make a donation

The Need Is Great: Make a donation today

The National Coalition for the Homeless reports in its 2006 Fact Sheet #12 that "Homelessness is a devastating experience for families. It disrupts virtually every aspect of family life, damaging the physical and emotional health of family members, interfering with children’s education and development, and frequently resulting in the separation of family members."

The number of homeless families across the United States continues to grow. According to its 2007 study of hunger and homelessness in by 23 major American cities, the US Conference of Mayors found that families with children account for 23% of the homeless population. It is likely that the percentage is even higher in rural areas where an accounting is difficult and services are fewer. The common causes of homelessness for children: lack of affordable housing, poverty, and domestic violence.

Here in Allegheny County the Department of Human Services conducted a "point in time" survey in January 2008 and counted among the homeless on that date 546 children receiving county and community services. This count represents 42% of the total 1,308 persons who were homeless the night of the survey.

mom and 3 kids

While these numbers are down slightly from those in January 2007, the availability of safe, low-cost housing continues to decline as the economy and job market also decline, and the need for Sisters Place services becomes ever more vital. At the same time some $400,000 in federal funding that once adequately funded our mission has steadily decreased. We do not expect it to return to the previous level,of support and so the need for your financial support is ever more important.

And so the Board of Directors has undertaken a major gifts campaign, and it is already providing us with the additional support that so far has kept us operating in the black. We're hoping to attract new supporters and to encourage old friends to give a little more.

Consider becoming a major gift donor. Because Sisters Place is a small organization, $500 is a major gift for us.

If you're not on the Sisters Place mailing list and would like to be informed of the campaign, receive the newsletter, be alerted to upcoming fund-raising events, and learn all the ways in which Sisters Place fulfills its mission of assisting families toward self-sufficiency, SIGN UP TODAY.

Please know that any amount you can give will help.

"Our hope is great because we have already witnessed such wonderful generosity. Every electric and gas bill we pay, every bit of food we purchase, every happy success story we hear brings your generosity into such clarity. Thank you, thank you, thank you. With your continued support, we will be able to provide all the services our children and their mothers need."

Sister Mary Parks, Executive Director

Your donation to Sisters Place is tax-deductible, and gifts may be made in honor or in memory of a special person.

There are five ways you can make a monetary donation.

Write a check payable to Sisters Place, Inc. and mail it to:
Make an on-line donation through PayPal.
Direct your United Way donation to Sisters Place through the Contribution Choice Program. Our number is 936537. You can also contribute through the Combined Federal Campaign, for which our number is now 62557.

Keep in mind that many employers match their employees' gifts to non-profit organizations
Are you an on-line shopper? Become a member of iGive, identify Sisters Place as the cause you wish to support, and have a percentage of your purchase price at over 650 popular on-line stores donated to Sisters Place.
It's FREE – no invisible costs or tricky obligations. Complete instructions are provided when you follow this link: www.iGive.com/Sisters Place.
Our newest way to contribute is through GoodSearch, a search engine that donates 50% of the revenue from its advertisers to the charities designated by its users. Powered by Yahoo, this search engine works exactly like any other. Go to GoodSearch.com, type Sisters Place (Clairton, PA) in the window that says "enter your charity here . . .,"" and then click on the verify button. Your cursor will move to the "search" window and you can begin searching, confident that Sisters Place will receive the benefits. Be sure to bookmark the site for easy return or download a GoodSearch toolbar. And spread the word.

And where might your dollars go?

$500 can provide child care for one month
$200 can provide heat for a family for one month
$100 can feed a family for one week
$60 can buy a Zone 1 bus pass so a mother can get to work or school
$50 can buy diapers for an infant for one month
$25 can put a new pair of shoes on a child's feet

We also welcome in-kind donations.

Please call 412-233-3903 to learn how to make such a donation. Because of space limitations, Sisters Place generally does not accept used clothing or furnishings.

Our current Wish List includes, but is not limited to, the following NEW, UNUSED items:

duffle bags
print cartridges (primarily HP 56)
grocery store gift certificates
full size toiletries (e.g. shampoo)
gas gift cards
bus tickets
school supplies (book bags, notebooks, markers, pens/pencils
umbrellas
snow shovels
kitchenware (toasters, bakeware, pots and pans, coffee pots, large frying pans, plastic drinking glasses)
baby wipes and diapers (all sizes, especially large)
cleaning products, paper towels, toilet paper
socks (all sizes for children and adults)
gift certificates, tickets, or prizes to use for raffles or auctions

A copy of the official registration and financial information of Sisters Place, Inc., may be obtained from the Pennsylvania Department of State by calling toll free at 1-800-732-0999. Registration does not imply endorsement.

8/11/08
Sisters Place, Inc. 418 Mitchell Avenue, Clairton, Pennsylvania 15025
Phone: 412-233-3903 Fax: 412-233-3904 info@sistersplace.org