June 17, 2020 Pittsburgh Families Invited to Receive Free Children’s Books Since the City of Pittsburgh’s Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library launch in February 2019, the program has grown to include over 3,200 local children and recently sent its 30,000th book. Thanks to funding received from the Hillman Family Foundation and McCauley Ministries, the program will continue to sustain and grow services in Pittsburgh. About the Program The Dolly Parton Imagination Library is a free program for any child who lives in the City of Pittsburgh age zero to five to receive one book a month in the mail until their fifth birthday. When they turn five, they will have their own library of up to 60 books. The City of Pittsburgh’s program is affiliated with the national initiative started by music legend Dolly Parton. Participating children will begin receiving books through the U.S. Postal Services approximately eight weeks after the registration form has been received. Eligibility To be eligible for the program, preschoolers must: be a resident of the City of Pittsburgh, have a parent or guardian fill out an official registration form, and notify the United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania of any address changes. Registration To sign up for this program, register your child(ren) online via the Imagination Library website! Interested in mailing in or submitting your registration in person? See their webpage for more details. More Information For any questions, please contact Tiffini Simoneaux at tiffini.simoneaux@pittsburghpa.gov or 412.255.2505. To view the booklist, visit the Imagination Library website.
May 15, 2020 Changes Made to Summer Activities During COVID-19 Pandemic On May 15, the City of Pittsburgh announced how summer activities will be impacted by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. While many activities will be allowed, others will be cancelled or postponed. All decisions follow federal and state guidelines. About In a City press release, Mayor William Peduto praised Pittsburgh residents, stating, that “Pittsburgh residents have done a great job during these trying times staying safe and looking out for each other.” However, he recognized that the battle against COVID-19 is far from over, and social distancing and other measures must remain in place to win this fight. With a larger number of residents venturing outdoors as the weather warms, the City has outlined lists of activities that will or will not be permitted during the pandemic. Decisions on closures and activities may be revisited as pandemic circumstances and federal and state guidelines change. Permitted Summer Activities Activities that can safely comply with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) social distancing guidelines will be allowed. Permitted activities include the following: Drive-in movies (by the Special Events office) Farmers Markets Pickup of bulk trash Road closures in City parks (more information below) Tennis courts (singles matches encouraged) Pickleball courts (singles matches encouraged) Skate parks Fields (but not for organized group sports) Frisbee Golf Lawn Bowling Bocce Expanded summer food program (likely to begin June 15) City crews are working to reopen facilities starting May 15 and will continue their work into next week. Drive-in movies organized by the Special Events office will begin June 13. More information will be released later. Farmer’s Markets will begin June 3 in Carrick and begin in other neighborhoods thereafter. Social distancing and safe purchasing requirements will be in place. Non-Permitted Summer Activities Large group events that cannot safely comply with social distancing will not be allowed. Non-permitted activities include the following: July 4 fireworks City-sponsored concerts 5Ks, the Great Race and other races (though they can be held virtually) Summer Camps Citiparks summer youth baseball Summer Line Dancing Pistons in the Park Playgrounds, park shelters, and spray parks will remain closed until further notice. Swimming pools (including the Oliver Bath House) will also remain closed. While the CDC says that swimming itself is safe, the guidelines require at least six feet of distance between users and no more than ten people would be allowed at any time. It has been determined that city pool waiting areas, locker rooms, and lounging areas are too cramped to allow for appropriate distancing under these guidelines. Activities To Be Determined Final decisions on other activities and facilities have not yet been made, including decisions on the following: Recreation centers Senior Healthy Active Living centers Block party permits Mellon Tennis Bubble Art Cart Water fountains and water features Park restrooms Organized group sports including deck hockey, soccer, baseball, and basketball DOMI Task Force The City Department of Mobility and Infrastructure (DOMI) has established a task force to study methods of using some streets and sidewalks to allow for safe recreation and business activity. Its recommendations will be issued soon. In the meantime, plans are underway to close some streets in City parks to vehicular traffic. No timetables are yet set, but plans are for the following closures: Sheraden Park: Adon Street West End Park: West End Park Drive at Weaver and Herschel Highland Park: Reservoir Drive; Farmhouse Drive at Jackson Street/Connecting Road/Heberton/Grafton (These will be partial closures to allow for Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority access to facilities.) More Information For more information, read the full press release. *Information provided by the City of Pittsburgh
April 30, 2020 Mayor Peduto Calls for Online SNAP Purchasing Options On April 28, Mayor William Peduto issued a letter to U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue in support of efforts to expand affordable SNAP purchasing options — including food delivery and online ordering — for vulnerable populations during the COVID-19 pandemic. About Mayor Peduto’s letter follows calls by U.S. Senator Bob Casey and others to expand the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which provides eligible low-income residents with an Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) debit card to purchase food. Currently, SNAP recipients cannot make any food purchases online. While other consumers can use online ordering and delivering to protect themselves and others from spreading the virus, these options are not available to low-income residents and families who are forced to make their purchases in person, increasing their likelihood of contracting COVID-19. Senator Casey has been calling on the USDA to expand SNAP delivery options since March when stay-at-home guidelines were put into effect in Pennsylvania and across the United States of America. The Food Policy Council wants the USDA to allow SNAP recipients to purchase food for delivery and to allow other safe food purchasing options, such as allowing users to use their EBT cards for Instacart or online farmers market services. What is SNAP? The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) provides nutrition benefits to supplement the food budget of low-income families so they can purchase healthy food. Eligible applicants receive an Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) ACCESS Card to make food purchases. To check your eligibility or apply, please visit the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services website. For questions about SNAP, call the Department of Human Services helpline at 1.800.692.7462 or your county assistance office. For individuals with hearing impairments, please call 1.800.451.5886. More on SNAP Purchasing Options To learn more, view the full press release or a copy of the letter to Secretary Perdue. *Information provided by the City of Pittsburgh
May 22, 2019 City Receives Grant to Support Safe Travel for Schoolchildren On May 22, 2019, officials from Mayor William Peduto’s administration discussed a state grant of more than $450,000 to support safe routes to school for elementary and middle school students in Pittsburgh. About A bill was discussed at Pittsburgh City Council’s standing committees meeting accepting $464,000 from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation’s (PennDOT) Transportation Alternatives Set-Aside Program, which provides assistance to municipalities to support the creation of safe and appealing alternatives to single occupant vehicle travel. More than 30 million Americans nationwide transport their children to and from schools every day, which research shows increases hazardous road conditions and harms the environment. The Safe Routes to School program seeks to address that by supporting walking and biking to school, leading to eased traffic conditions and better health for schoolchildren. “The ability to walk or bike to school has long been one of the classic characteristics of Pittsburgh, but over recent decades it has become increasingly hazardous for children, who are our most valuable and vulnerable travelers,” said Department of Mobility and Infrastructure (DOMI) Director Karina Ricks. “This grant will allow us to dedicate resources to help us collaborate with school leaders and parents to identify areas where low-cost improvements can be rapidly implemented.” What’s Next? DOMI is proposing using the PennDOT grant to hire a Safe Routes to School coordinator who is part educator, part engineer and will work on programming for students to walk and bike more easily. The coordinator will work on traffic calming and other safety improvements on streets near schools best suited for walking and biking. Once approved, DOMI plans to have a person in the position by the beginning of the 2019-2020 school year. Learn More To learn more about PennDOT’s Transportation Alternatives Set-Aside program, visit their website. *Information provided by the City of Pittsburgh
May 14, 2019 Imagination Library Online Registration Now Open On April 27, 2019, Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto announced that a new program will offer free monthly books to Pittsburgh children from birth to age five. The program is currently accepting applications from parents and guardians. About the Program The free book program – in conjunction with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, the Benter Foundation, and the United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania – will mail all eligible children an age-appropriate book every month up until their fifth birthday. Participating children will receive their first book through the U.S. Postal Services six to eight weeks after the registration form has been received. Eligibility To be eligible for the program, preschoolers must: be a resident of the City of Pittsburgh, have a parent or guardian fill out an official registration form, and notify the United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania of any address changes. Registration To sign up for this program, register your children online via the Imagination Library website! Interested in mailing in or submitting your registration in person? See their webpage for more details. More Information For any questions, please contact Tiffini Simoneaux via email (tiffini.simoneaux@pittsburghpa.gov) or phone (412.255.2505).
February 4, 2019 Pittsburgh Launching New Book Gifting Program With support from The Benter Foundation, Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto’s administration plans to launch a free book program for children from birth to age five. Tomorrow, Pittsburgh City Council will introduce legislation to accept $250,000 from the foundation, introducing Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library program to the city. Since starting in 1995, this program has sent more than 113 million books for free, to children in the United States, Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom. The Role That Access Plays Studies of the Imagination Library have discovered: Parents believed their children were more interested in reading when receiving the books every month Parents read aloud to their children more often Children were excited when books arrived in their name Positive views of the program transcended demographics and longer participation provided better outcomes The City’s Role The Imagination Library covers overhead costs, databases, monthly mailings, and a book selection committee. The City of Pittsburgh, as an affiliate of the Imagination Library, would cover the ongoing costs for mailing each book every month, as well as enrollment and promotional activities. Once funding is approved, outreach and communication plans will be launched, as well as engaging with local organizations that work with young children and families. Quotes from the Partnership Tiffini Simoneaux, manager of the City’s Office of Early Childhood in Mayor Peduto’s Bureau of Neighborhood Empowerment: “Research shows that early literary experiences, including access to books in the home, are fundamental ingredients for academic success. This program will enable young children throughout the city to build a home library of up to 60 books.” Bill Benter, president of The Benter Foundation: “We’re pleased to partner with the City of Pittsburgh and other community allies to help children develop a lifelong love of reading. Having your own books at home unlocks a new world of learning and language that can help Pittsburgh’s children thrive.” *Information provided by the City of Pittsburgh
