June 6, 2025 UnConference Focuses on Engaging in Out-of-School Time Programs Participants took part in sessions involving mindfulness techniques, behavior management, developing lasting relationships with students, and CPR and First Aid training at Trying Together’s UnConference: Authentic Engagement in Out-of-School Time Programs on June 5. Learn More The conference, held at Carnegie Mellon University’s Entertainment Technology Center, was led by Trying Together, APOST, and the Allegheny Department of Human Services and featured sessions with WQED, the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy, Brookline Teen Outreach, and other regional programs. The morning kicked off with three different tracks – a First Aid/CPR class and two other tracks that featured three sessions apiece on a variety of topics relating to caring for children. The afternoon’s activities included a tour of interactive activity stations in the Entertainment Technology Center and Everyday Mentoring Training provided by The Mentoring Partnership. Morning Sessions During the CPR/First Aid class, participants were shown how to properly apply gloves before assisting with CPR services and given the three steps as a responder – check the scene for safety and check the person, call 911, and then provide care. Participants then practiced responses on mannequins. In a Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy class, “Wellness Through Nature Chilling,” participants learned about practicing mindfulness through nature. They observed leaves and were asked by session leaders Patty Himes and Kathny Hunninen how the leaves felt and smelled. Later, they sat in chairs spread throughout a field behind the CMU building to observe what they saw in its natural surroundings. A session titled “PBS 101” featured WQED’s Cathy Cook and Gina Masciola talking about the station’s Family Corner Newsletter, summer safety, Pride Month and Juneteenth resources, and programming for families. “We expect that the resources we’re sharing are meant to support what you’re already doing,” Masciola said. “We always say that if WQED is doing its job correctly, you’ll turn us off and do something. It’s about inspiration and exploration.” During a session titled “Building Relationships Through Cultural Connections,” the Center of Life’s Sarah Crawshaw discussed how educators should not assume that students are comfortable with being given a nickname without them explicitly approving it – especially for students from other countries or cultures whose names might be challenging to pronounce. “It’s important for children to feel comfortable and confident in their names,” she said, adding that students should feel comfortable in correcting educators who mispronounce their names. Kierra Price, of Brookline Teen Outreach, discussed the difference between traditional and positive behavior management during another session. “Societally and culturally, we tend to lean into behavior management, which has caused more problems,” she said. “Traditional behavior management typically involves no conversation, but positive behavior management is about fostering an environment for conversation. If we can build a stronger relationship with a child, we can meet their needs much better and provide a better redirection for them.” In a session on mindfulness for co-regulation, Awaken Pittsburgh’s Shannon Jenkins explained the Autonomic Ladder, which argues that the nervous system produces three elementary states – ventral vagal (a feeling of safety), sympathetic (fight-or-flight), and dorsal vagal (shutdown). She cited an example of a teacher mistaking children whispering after a test for cheating and ripping up their papers, which led to the students being in the dorsal vagal state. Participants discussed how their bodies react when they feel angry, happy, or nervous. They took part in an activity in which they rubbed their palms together vigorously, raised their arms, and breathed in and out. Attendees said they noticed a cool tingling and a sense of release. In the “Regulate & Recharge” session, Open Up’s Tessa Karel said that her organization’s mission is to find ways to remove barriers – whether financial or the ability to feel comfortable in a space – to help people improve wellness. The session focused on mindfulness techniques, including one in which participants stood in a circle and passed an invisible energy ball. Afternoon Sessions During the afternoon, UnConference attendees were able to tour four activity stations in the Entertainment Technology Center – The Cavern, The Cave, The Green Screen Room, and the CMU Brick Club, where participants learned about LEGO play methodology to help young people with social-emotional development. Elsewhere, the Mentoring Partnership led an Everyday Mentoring Training session that focused on such tenets as speaking and listening from the heart, honoring privacy and remaining present, speaking and listening with respect, and protecting one’s community in regard to early childhood education. They said that everyday mentoring focuses on expressing care, challenging growth, providing support, sharing power, and expanding possibilities. “Be mindful of how to respect young people,” said Sophia Duck, The Mentoring Partnership’s training and engagement manager. “The category of sharing power makes young people feel seen and heard – you’re saying, ‘I value you.’”
Allegheny County Leaders Hold Roundtable to Address Child Care Teacher Staffing Crisis Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato joined Trying Together, the Allegheny Conference, state legislators, and child care providers Thursday for a roundtable to discuss new state and local survey data showing how a worsening child care teacher shortage – driven by low wages – is closing child care classrooms and causing parents to struggle to find the care they need to be able to work. Learn More During the roundtable at Providence Connections, results from a September Start Strong PA survey were shared to demonstrate how the staffing crisis is affecting programs in Allegheny County and across the state. “Of the 118 providers that participated in the survey, 89% reported staffing shortages,” Innamorato said of the Allegheny County providers. “Those programs have 373 unfilled teaching positions, and if those positions were filled, they could serve an additional 3,000 children.” A total of 1,140 Pennsylvania child care providers took the survey, of which 92% reported difficulties in recruiting staff and 85% said they struggled with teacher shortages. The shortages, which are leaving more than 3,000 unfilled positions statewide, could serve an additional 25,320 children if programs could recruit and retain the staff they need. The numbers represent only 17% of the total open registered programs in the state. Leslie White, director of early childhood and youth programs for Providence Connections, said low wages are preventing programs from finding qualified early childhood educators. “They are doing some of the most important work in our society – nurturing the next generation. But the reality is that many teachers can find other jobs that require far less specialized skills and pay more an hour, often with benefits,” she said. “I’ve been doing this work for nearly 40 years and fighting for better pay. The time is now to invest in the child care teaching workforce.” During the event, Matt Brown, an early educator at Providence and participant in the Your Career, Our Future campaign, shared his passion for teaching young children and why more qualified educators matter for the field. The initiative shares the experiences of current early educators and the families they serve in the hopes that more people will answer the call to become early educators. Speakers said the foundational role child care plays is a critical part of the state’s economy and the bipartisan support that it has garnered to date. “The report shows this is not just an inconvenience for working parents – this is a major economic issue that affects every business, every community, and every family in Pennsylvania,” Trying Together Public Policy Director Emily Neff said. “It is no surprise that this impact is understood by Pennsylvanians and, as such, they want lawmakers to prioritize early learning in the budget.” Majestic Lane, chief opportunity officer for the Allegheny Conference, noted that the staffing crisis is a detriment to the economy, citing a recent economic analysis conducted by the Conference citing child care as one of the top barriers for employment in the region. “Child care is vital to the future of our economy and the quality of life in our region,” Lane said. “When families don’t have the resources they need and their ability to work is severely diminished, it has a measurable economic impact on our communities and our commonwealth.” At the press conference, participants encouraged state lawmakers to prioritize early learning in the 2025-26 budget by including Gov. Josh Shapiro’s proposal to invest $55 million in a new and recurring Child Care and Recruitment and Retention line item to grant licensed child care providers participating in the child care subsidy program an additional $1,000 per educator. “We’ve heard the problem, we’ve heard the solution, and we know the cost of inaction,” Trying Together Executive Director Cara Ciminillo said. “To grow our economy and support working families, we must invest in child care.” State Reps. Lindsay Powell (D-21st District) and La’Tasha Mayes (D-24th District) and representatives from other state legislators attended the press conference and expressed their support for the investment in the child care workforce.
June 4, 2025 Trying Together Exec Director Discusses Your Career, Our Future on Yinz Are Good Podcast Trying Together’s executive director discussed the Your Career, Our Future campaign alongside the Early Excellence Project on Yinz are Good’s latest podcast. Learn More Cara Ciminillo, Trying Together’s executive director, joined Dr. DaVonna Shannon, director of research and impact for the Early Excellence Project, to discuss the initiative with Yinz are Good host Tressa Glover. The Early Excellence Project champions Black and Brown child care providers by fostering equality, equity, and accessibility in early childhood education. Ciminillo and Shannon discussed how the Your Career, Our Future campaign has collected stories from early educators and families in the Pittsburgh region with the intention that their shared experiences will inspire more people to answer the call to become early educators. Making Educators the Centerpiece The campaign centers around 15 educators and parents, who relay their positive experiences with the early childhood education field. Ciminillo cited several stories from the campaign. One educator entered the the profession at a young age and rose from being a classroom aide to an executive director. Another was a stay-at-home father who become a classroom educator due to his interest in understanding how his child was developing. “We’re always trying to center the educator,” Ciminillo said. “They are exemplars of people coming into the field. We ask how we can help others to see themselves in these stories to draw other people to the field. You need to help people see what opportunities exist, so making provider stories the centerpiece is important.” A Need for Investment Ciminillo and Shannon said the campaign aims to combat an ongoing early educator shortage that has resulted in repercussions for businesses, the economy, and local communities. “One of the pain points that we’ve heard frequently – it predated COVID and was exacerbated after COVID – is that child care programs are struggling with staffing,” Ciminillo said. “We are a field where wages are suppressed and the reason why is that families can’t pay more. Child care is expensive and it’s a regulated system; it’s based on a child-to-staff ratio. The public system has not invested enough to alleviate that problem.” Ciminillo said that this lack of investment in early childhood education has resulted in low wages for teachers and, in turn, teachers leaving the profession as well as challenges in recruiting and retaining them. “What happens is that providers subsidize (a lack of funding) with their own wages,” she said. “As a result, you’re not getting as much interest in going into the field as other fields that are higher income-generating.” Ciminillo noted that many early childhood educators were making just over $9 per hour prior to COVID-19, but are now earning an average $15. However, she said wages will need to continue to rise due to the profession’s often challenging nature. She said the job’s primary focus is “brain building.” Shannon added that part of the Your Career, Our Future campaign involves letting families know that early childhood education is not “babysitting.” “Children are developing in these early childhood programs, which are very high-quality,” she said. “The message to employers is: If you don’t know how to invest in early childhood education, you will lose staff. People won’t be able to work if they can’t afford child care.” To listen to the entire interview, “Episode 168: Trying Together & Early Excellence Project’s Your Career, Our Future Campaign,” visit the Yinz are Good podcast’s website.
OCDEL Shares Keynote Speeches, Other Resources from Conference Pennsylvania’s Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) has shared resources from its recent conference for those who were not able to attend. Learn More OCDEL’s Stable and Secure: Supporting Children Through Trauma-Sensitive Approaches conference was held on April 22 and 23 in downtown Pittsburgh. The event drew experts, educators, and practitioners, who explored how trauma-informed care can support the well-being of children, families, and the professionals who serve them. Those who were unable to attend can access presentation slides and view recordings and other valuable materials to listen to the insights of those who participated. Materials from the conference’s first day include Luisa Olivio-Wolf’s keynote speech, “Honoring and Supporting Language, Culture, and Identity of Families and Children.” Resources from the second day of the conference include Dr. Marnie Aylesworth’s keynote speech, “Compassion for Self: The Act of Taking Back Our Power.” For additional resources, visit OCDEL’s conference page.
June 3, 2025 Three Rivers Festival to Host Musical Performances, Activities, and Artist Market The Three Rivers Arts Festival will bring four days of free art and music to Pittsburgh’s cultural district in early June. Learn More The festival, which runs from Thursday, June 5 to Sunday, June 8, will offer a variety of events and activities, musical performances, artists, and vendors. For visual arts, there will be an artist market, exhibitions, and films, while performances will include everything from popular music artists to dance. The artist market runs from noon to 8 p.m. every day of the festival. It will feature hundreds of independent artists from around the nation selling handmade fine arts and crafts that vary from jewelry and paintings to woodworking and photography. Some of the musical performance highlights include: Ras Prophet (Thursday, June 5 at 3 p.m.) Megan Paullet and the HR Department (Thursday, June 5 at 6 p.m.) The Shiners (Friday, June 6 at noon) Tiera Kennedy (Friday, June 6 at 6 p.m.) Souls of Mischief (Saturday, June 7 at 4 p.m.) Rell Z the Genius (Saturday, June 7 at 5 p.m.) Cautious Clay (Saturday, June 7 at 7:30 p.m.) Lisa Loeb (Sunday, June 8 at 6 p.m.) Suzanne Vega (Sunday, June 8 at 7:30 p.m.) Dance performances include ballet, garba, and a dance battle featuring cash prizes and trophies. For children, the festival will feature a creativity zone and the YMCA of Greater Pittsburgh’s Magical Community Garden in the Strip District, both of which are open in the Strip District every day from noon to 6 p.m. The Pittsburgh Glass Center will offer mini-mosaic craft activities, while the Pittsburgh Center for Arts and Media will hold a clay workshop. For more events and information, visit the festival’s website.
Kidsburgh Provides Advice on How to Talk to Children About Big Emotions Children often have big emotions or feelings and the challenge can sometimes be getting them to say how they’re feeling. As part of Mental Health Awareness Month, Kidsburgh has provided advice on how to talk about big emotions – whether it’s fear, embarrassment, frustration, or others – with children. Learn More For many toddlers, who are still trying to figure out how to form sentences, expressing emotions or even just tiredness can be difficult, Kidsburgh writes. The article notes that while it may be tempting to react with discipline or distractions when children act out, the root cause could be something else – such as emotional illiteracy. Kidsburgh notes that crayons, clay, music, puppets, or other forms of expression might ultimately help parents to build emotional vocabulary, rather than responding to outbursts with punishment or attempting to distract children from their source of bother. In the article, Dr Aileen Oandasan, an Allegheny Health Network psychiatrist, said that most children begin to learn simple emotion words around age two and this typically grows from ages three to 5. During this span of time, such basic emotions as happy, sad, or mad are “developmentally normal.” However, Oandasan says, emotional vocabulary depends on a variety of factors, including: A child’s temperament and development factors Parental factors, such as social or environmental conditions Reinforcement of emotional vocabulary by teachers and caregivers Oandasan goes on to say that art is an important tool for helping children to develop an emotional vocabulary. Suggested projects include feelings collages, creative art projects (painting, sculpting, or drawing), and play acting through the use of puppets or dolls that involve scenarios featuring emotionally provocative situations. To learn more, read Kidsburgh’s article, “How Do You Feel Today? Advice on Talking Big Emotions with Little Kids.”
June 2, 2025 Pittsburgh Cultural Trust Announces Trust Family Series of Performances The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust will host its Trust Family Series of seven performances that will run from September through April. Learn More The series of performances is intended for all ages and aims to instill imagination and curiosity in both children and adults. The lineup includes: Dog Man: The Musical (Saturday, Sept. 27 at noon and 4 p.m.) The 4th Witch (Saturday, Oct. 25 at 7 p.m.) Omnium Circus: I’m Possible (Saturday, Nov. 22 at 2 p.m.) Dinosaur World Live (Saturday, Jan. 17 at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.) The Great Race: The Story of the Chinese Zodiac (Saturday, March 14 at 2 p.m.) Robot Song (Saturday, March 21 at 2 p.m.) Hare & Tortoise (Sunday, April 19 at 2 p.m.) Tickets are on sale now. Those who purchase three or more shows can save up to 15 percent on their order. For more information on the series or to buy tickets, visit the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust’s website.
May Recalls on Children’s Products Below is a list of May recalls from the following federal agencies: the Consumer Product Safety Commission, the Food and Drug Administration, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. May Recalls Dlesot recalled its snap children’s hair clips due to lead poisoning hazard. The clips violate the federal ban for lead in paint, which can be toxic if ingested by young children and can cause adverse health issues. Xylolin recalled its peg doll toy sets due to the risk of serious injury or death from choking. The peg dolls’ spherical ends can block a child’s airway. Deuter recalled its Kid Comfort, Kid Comfort Pro, and Kid Comfort Active Child carriers due to fall hazards posed by the items. The hinges on the foldable rear kickstand support leg can crack or break, possibly causing a child to fall. Boyro recalled its high chairs due to risk of serious injury or death from falling or entrapment hazards. The chairs, which violate federal regulations for high chairs, pose a deadly fall hazard to babies because their restraint system is not attached to the product and the locks or latches can fail. Additionally, the high chairs pose an entrapment hazard because the opening between the seat and tray is large enough that a child can become entrapped in it. NICREW recalled its submersible RGB LED Lights due to risk of serious injury or death from ingestion. The lights, which violate federal regulations for consumer products with coin batteries, have a remote control with a lithium coin battery that can be easily accessed by children, posing an ingestion hazard risk. The recalled products also do not have the required warnings. Leon Rading recalled its digital wall clocks due to ingestion hazards. The clocks, which violate federal regulations for consumer products with coin batteries, pose a risk of serious injury or death to children. The remote control for the clock has a lithium coin battery that can be easily accessed by children and the clocks do not have the required warnings required under Reese’s Law. Fat Brain recalled its rollers tile toys that are used in PlayTab Modular Activity Boards due to magnet ingestion hazards. The toy violates federal regulations for toy magnets because it contains a magnet that can become loose, posing an ingestion hazard to children. When high-powered magnets are swallowed, they can attract each other or other metal objects and become lodged in the digestive system. This can result in perforations, twisting, and blockage of the intestines, infection, blood poisoning, and death. FidgetThings recalled its Chill Pill Magnetic Haptic Fidget Toys Red Bumpy due to risk of ingestion. The toys violate federal regulations for magnets, posing an ingestion hazard to children.When high-powered magnets are swallowed, they can attract each other or other metal objects and become lodged in the digestive system. This can result in perforations, twisting, and blockage of the intestines, infection, blood poisoning, and death. Child safety gates sold on Amazon were recalled due to risk of serious injury or death from entrapment and fall hazards. The gates violate federal safety regulations for expansion gates and expendable enclosures because a child’s torso can fit through the opening between the gate slat and side wall as well as the secondary opening. The locking mechanism does not fully engage and the gate does not resist a push-out force. BuddyLove recalled its children’s Mini Danica Loungewear sets due to burn hazards. The pajamas violate flammability standards for children’s sleepwear, posing a burn hazard and risk of serious injuries or death to children. Areson recalled its Rolanstar 6-Drawer Dressers due to risks involved in tipping over or entrapment. The dressers are unstable if they are not attached to the wall, posing serious tip-over and entrapment hazards that can result in injuries or death to children. The dressers violate performance requirements of the STURDY Act because they can tip over with fewer than 60 pounds applied horizontally. Sivan recalled its dressers due to tip-over and entrapment hazards. The dressers are unstable if they are not attached to the wall, posing serious tip-over and entrapment hazards that can result in injuries or death to children. The dressers violate performance requirements of the STURDY Act because they can tip over with fewer than 60 pounds applied horizontally. Primark recalled its DTR Plush Bag Stitch and DTR Plush Bag Angel due to choking and ingestion hazards. The zipper on the back of the plush bags can detach, posing a serious injury or death from choking or ingestion of the zipper pull. Nezmi recalled its infant swings due to suffocation hazards. The swings pose a risk of suffocation to babies because they were marketed for infant sleep and have an incline greater than 10 degrees. The swings also fail to meet mandatory warning requirements under federal swing regulations. The remote control included with the swings contains a lithium coin battery and is missing the required warnings and instructions for consumer products containing those items. Macy’s recalled its Holiday Lane infant-footed pajamas because the elastic on its ankles can be too tight and can restrict blood circulation, posing an injury hazard.
May 30, 2025 Westmoreland County Child Care Roundtable Discusses Impact of Child Care Teacher Shortage on Employers Business, nonprofit, and community leaders gathered Thursday at the Westmoreland County Chamber of Commerce to address a child care teacher shortage that is affecting both the economy and families across the state and called for state investments in teacher recruitment and retention efforts. Calls for Recruitment and Retention Funding Trying Together joined the chamber of commerce, local advocates, and representatives from state Sen. Kim Ward’s (R-39th District) office to highlight the results of new state and local surveys that reveal how the teacher shortage – driven by unlivable wages – is forcing child care classrooms to close and leaving working families scrambling to find care. “Today, we are talking about the child care staffing crisis, a challenge that has reached critical levels and is affecting employers, workers, and families alike,” said Dan DeBone, president and CEO of the chamber of commerce. The Westmoreland County Chamber of Commerce has joined more than 70 state chambers of commerce and economic development organizations to urge the General Assembly to work across the aisle to allocate funding for child care teacher recruitment and retention. Emily Neff, Trying Together’s director of public policy, said that 83% of the 29 Westmoreland County providers that participated in a September 2024 survey conducted by the Start Strong PA Campaign reported staffing shortages, while 86% reported challenges in recruiting teachers. “Those programs have 69 unfilled teaching positions, and if those positions were filled, they could serve an additional 747 children in Westmoreland County,” Neff said. One employer shared that she is trying to help a staff member who is a new mother find child care so she can return to work and fears she might lose the staffer due to the challenges in finding child care. Another employer said that child care is a barrier to effectively covering shift work and has had to change the schedule to meet the needs of employees who cannot find child care. Of the 1,140 child care providers who took the survey statewide, 92% reported recruitment challenges and 85% said they were struggling with teacher shortages that are leaving more than 3,000 positions unfilled statewide. A total of 25,320 additional children could be served if those positions were filled. Teacher Shortage Driven by Low Wages Eva Wood, executive director of Ligonier Valley Learning Center, said that low wages is the primary reason why it is challenging to retain and recruit new teachers. “The wages for child care teachers are so low that they fail to meet the cost of living in every single county in Pennsylvania,” Wood said. “They are doing some of the most important work in our society – nurturing the next generation. But the reality is that many teachers can find other jobs that require far less specialized skills and pay more an hour, often with benefits. Our Ligonier location had to close the infant and toddler child care program and the Latrobe location just lost six teachers who are moving on to higher paying jobs, some outside of the field.” The event also spotlighted the “A Day in the Life” project, a partnership between Trying Together, Start Strong PA, and Pre-K for PA. The project shares photos and stories to help the public and lawmakers gain a deeper understanding of the realities facing children, families, and early childhood educators in Pennsylvania. Speakers during the press conference also highlighted a March poll conducted by Susquehanna Polling and Research that found that 98% of voters agreed that early childhood education plays an important role in what it takes to lead a healthy and productive life. The poll also found that 83% of respondents supported increasing state funding for child care teacher recruitment and retention. “New polling data from a March 2025 statewide poll showed overwhelming Pennsylvania voter support for early childhood care and education programs and increased state funding to strengthen and grow these services,” said Hailee B. Roye, Trying Together’s policy and practice manager. Looking to Take Action? Sign the petition to tell the PA General Assembly to prioritize child care in the final 2025-2026 PA budget!
May 28, 2025 Summer Nutrition Programs Feed Children Out of School Caregivers can sign up for several summer nutrition programs that help keep children fed during the summer months when they are out of school. SUN Bucks Caregivers can sign up for the federal child nutrition program SUN Bucks, also known as Summer EBT, which provides eligible children with an EBT card that can be used to purchase groceries. The program is run by Pennsylvania’s Department of Human Services, with support from the Department of Education. Children who are eligible and automatically signed up for SUN Bucks include: Children ages 6 to 18 who receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), or medical assistance with qualifying income during the school year or summer 2025. This includes home-schooled and cyber-schooled children. Children who attend schools that participate in the National School Lunch Program and applies for free and reduced-price meals during the school year, receive SNAP, TANF, or medical assistance with qualifying income any time, or is directly certified for free school meals as a foster child, migrant, or someone experiencing homelessness Children who attend schools that participate in the National School Lunch Program and whose families meet the income guidelines for SUN Bucks, but were not automatically enrolled in the program by being in one of the categories listed above, may be eligible. They would need to apply directly to SUN Bucks. The monthly household gross income limit for SUN Bucks is: $2,248 for a household of one $3,041 for a household of two $3,833 for a household of three $4,625 for a household of four $5,418 for a household of five +$8,732 for each additional family member The benefit amount for summer 2025 is currently not listed on the SUN Bucks website. Qualifying families who already receive SNAP benefits will see the benefit added to their card. For those who do not receive SNAP benefits, an EBT card will be mailed to them. Those interested in the program should make sure that their child’s school has a current mailing address. More information on how to activate the card, how to check its balance, or how it can be used to buy food is available online. Those interested in utilizing the program should fill out this application. Summer Youth Cafe The Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank’s Summer Youth Cafe is a federally-funded child nutrition program that provides healthy meals while schools are on summer break. It opened for the season in May. Those interested in becoming a program site or sponsor should complete a partnership inquiry form. The cafes are open to anyone 18 years old and younger at no cost. Those interested should visit the cafe’s website and follow the instructions to find a local site. Summer Meal Site Finder The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Summer Meals for Kids Site Finder provides a directory by state of places where families can find meal service options for children. Currently, Pennsylvania is not listed among the states, but the site is regularly updated. Carnegie Library Summer Meals The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh is participating in the 2025 Summer Food Service Provide to ensure Pittsburgh youth have access to free food during summer vacation. Unless otherwise noted, the library locations listed below offer meals or snacks from Monday, June 16 through Friday, August 15. Allegheny (12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.) Beechview (2 p.m. – 3 p.m.) Brookline (12 p.m. – 1 p.m., 3 p.m. – 4 p.m.) Downtown (1 p.m. – 3 p.m.) Hazelwood (3 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.) Hill District (12 p.m. – 1 p.m., 4 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.) Homewood (1 p.m. – 2 p.m.) Knoxville (Through Thursday, August 14; 12 p.m. – 1 p.m., 3:30 p.m. – 4 p.m.) Main (Oakland) (Tuesday, June 17 through Thursday, August 7; 2 p.m. – 4 p.m.) South Side (11 a.m. – 12 p.m., 3 p.m. – 4 p.m.) Woods Run (12 p.m. – 1 p.m., 3 p.m. – 4 p.m.)
