Tag: pittsburgh

  • Book ‘Em Needs Your Books & Paper Bags

    Book ‘Em Needs Your Books & Paper Bags

    Letter to Book 'Em. Photo Credit: Book 'Em Facebook Page.
    Letter to Book ‘Em. Photo Credit: Book ‘Em Facebook Page. Click here to read the text of the letter.

    Attention book lovers! Book ‘Em is a Pittsburgh non-profit that needs your help to send books to prisoners in Pennsylvania.

    I spent a few hours yesterday in the basement of a building on Penn Avenue yesterday with a group of volunteers who were picking out books and packing them up to be sent to prisoners across the state.  I had no idea that the basement below the Thomas Merton Center was set up as a little book-shop by mail.  If you love browsing book stores and picking out books then this is the volunteer opportunity for you! Prisoners from across the state can write in and request books. Some requests are specific, most are for general categories of books. I love browsing bookstores, but I have promised myself I will not buy any new books until I’ve read the ever growing pile of books in my house. Fulfilling each request was a challenge of browsing the Book ‘Em bookshelves and make a best guess at what each person might like to read.

    Here are a few things that I learned about Book ‘Em this weekend:

    • Many of the requests that I filled yesterday were for educational books. If you have books to donate please check the list of requested books here.
    • Book’Em’s biggest need is money to cover the cost of shipping books. If you want to help with the cause, please consider sending a few dollars to Book ‘Em via the donation page here.
    • Paper Bags! Book ‘Em wants your empty paper bags. Instead of throwing out paper grocery bags, please donate them to Book ‘Em to be used for wrapping up books to be mailed.
    • Volunteer! Volunteers are needed to help pick out books and pack them for shipping. You can see a calendar of volunteer days here.

    Books and paper bags can be dropped off at the Thomas Merton Center, 5129 Penn Ave, Monday through Friday from 10 to 4 and during our Sunday work sessions.

    If you would like to learn more, follow Book ‘Em on Facebook here or in this 2013 Post-Gazette article about Book ‘Em: “Book ‘Em shipments brighten Pennsylvania inmates’ lives.

  • 2016 Pittsburgh Marathon Map & Hashtags

    2016 Pittsburgh Marathon Map & Hashtags

    Sunday May 1, 2016 is a busy day in the City of Pittsburgh. Today is the Pittsburgh Marathon and graduation at University of Pittsburgh.

    Here is a .jpg of the Pittsburgh Marathon Map. You can download a larger .pdf of the map here: 2016 Pittsburgh Marathon Course Map.

    2016-pittsburgh-marathon-map

    Pittsburgh Marathon Hashtags & Twitter Accounts to Follow

    If you are following the race on social media, here are some hashtags to follow…

    Follow these folks on Twitter for Pittsburgh Marathon updates:

    I’ve added all of these accounts to this PghMarathon Twitter list.

    Tweet and UPMC is Giving the Neighborhood with the Most Spirit A Green Makeover

    Check out UPMC’s Steel City Spirit contest and use these hashtags. The neighborhood with the most tweets wins. (Kudos to the UPMC team for designing a really great website for this contest.)

     

  • Happy Hour This Wednesday to Support the Women’s Center & Shelter

    Happy Hour This Wednesday to Support the Women’s Center & Shelter

    The Women’s Center & Shelter of Greater Pittsburgh in a constant Catch-22. It needs to promote itself and its services to people in the community, but also needs to be discreet and protect the privacy of clients.

    Last year WC&S answered more than 5,000 hotline calls, provided legal advocacy for nearly 4,000 clients, and sheltered more than 500 women and children.

    But the WC&S also had to turn away 755 women and children last year. They consider turning away victims of intimate partner violence unacceptable. When their beds are full, they always try and find alternate arrangements. However, that’s not always possible.

    WC&S is in the middle of a capital campaign to renovate and expand its facilities. The campaign is called Shelter From The Storm, and it needs your support. The goal of expanding their facilities is to ensure they provide sanctuary for those here in the Pittsburgh area who need it.

    To get the word out, the WC&S is hosting a happy hour this Wednesday, March 30, at Olive or Twist. The goal is to inform new Pittsburghers and young professionals about what they do and what services they provide to women and children in the area. You can buy tickets at the door or in advance here.

    WCS - Happy Hour


    What: Happy Hour to Benefit Women’s Center & Shelter of Greater Pittsburgh

    When: Wednesday, March 30, 2016 | 5:30-7:30pm

    Where: Olive or Twist

    Tickets: $25 online or at the door

    Follow: @WCSPittsburgh

     

  • Startup Weekend Pittsburgh is back Nov. 20-22– get 20% off tickets!

    Startup Weekend Pittsburgh is back Nov. 20-22– get 20% off tickets!

    startup-weekend-pittsburghI’ll keep this short since it’s no secret that I love Startup Weekend– if you’re interested in entrepreneurship and the tech scene at all, there’s no better way to get involved than jumping right in! Use code SWheartsPGH for 20% off.

    The most recent Startup Weekend, hosted by Work Hard Pittsburgh, was a Civic-themed event held in September that focused on making impacts in our community.

    We were due for a general-themed event open to all ideas, regardless of vertical or sector, so Startup Weekend Pittsburgh is coming this weekend!

    For a quick recap, here’s what you can expect over the course of a Startup Weekend:

    • Pitch your brilliant idea, form a team, and work together to build something great
    • Meet some really smart, really motivated people and make valuable long-term connections
    • Learn from seasoned mentors who have built their own companies and know what it takes
    • Develop new skills and expand your talent set
    • Actually build the foundations of company. Market validation, business modeling, prototyping, development– it all happens over the course of 54 hours
    • Have all your meals covered, and plenty of celebration beer on Sunday

    If you can’t make it for the whole weekend, we also have tickets for just the Friday and/or Sunday night pitches. It’s a perfect way to get a feel for what a Startup Weekend is like, without committing for the whole weekend.

    Go here for more info and here for tickets. Don’t forget to use code SWheartsPGH for 20% off all tickets!