The Soul Pitt

PUSH co-owner Deavon Hammonds, ask Debra Bonneau five questions about what she is PUSHing through and how she is coping with being a caregiver.

1. What are you are PUSHing through right now?
Being a full-time caregiver for my mother who has severe dementia, while maintaining and taking care of myself so that I am able to be there for her.

2. How have you been able to spread the word and gain control over these circumstances?
I document our precious moments and post videos on Facebook to share and show others that they are not alone in this situation of caring for a loved one with dementia.  Sharing on social media opens up a dialogue and I get feedback and give feedback to others.  Follow my journey by searching on hastag #dementiaisthedevil on Facebook. Continue reading →

Eight new graduates across Point Park University’s four schools shared their thoughts about who has helped them along their journey to earning a master’s degree from Point Park. Below is the response from a friend of Soul Pitt, Mr. Lorenzo Boone:

Photo from http://www.pointpark.edu

Lorenzo Boone, M.F.A. in Writing for the Screen and Stage

“To begin, I have to acknowledge my 85-year-old mother, who I am fortunate to still have with me. It is her lost opportunities and dreams that I carry on my shoulders daily. Through her life, I recognize that we stand on the shoulders of giants. Professors Nelson Chipman and Elise D’Haene also played a significant role in my development, and gave me incentive to keep driving towards my goals. They helped me believe that my style of storytelling and the voice that accompanies it needs to be told. They convinced me that even though it may not be traditional or mainstream, it has a place and it has merit.”

SOUL PITT CONGRATULATES LORENZO ON HIS ACCOMPLISHMENT!

         
[click photos for larger view]

St. James Food Service Ministry opened up on Sunday, June 24, 2012. Under the direction of our Coordinator Hazel Jackson, the Food Service Ministry is a ministry in which the young people of the church Ages 12 and up could learn about the process of preparing a meal & serving it. They also learn how to properly set up a dining hall for that purpose. As Mrs. Jackson says “Presentation and setting the atmosphere is key to the enjoyment of a good quality meal.”

The Food Service Ministry is open every 4th Sunday from 1:00 PM – 6:00 PM. There is no seating after 5:00 PM The meal is only $12.00 for adults 13 and up and $6.00 for youth 6-12 Years old. Free for those 5 and under.

‘PITTch’ perfect products: Wrist support concept awarded top prize

Student Claire Letts explains “The Monroe” weighted skirt at PITTch Fest on Friday. The weighted hem prevents “wardrobe malfunctions.”

The ideas at the second annual PITTch Fest ranged from functional fashion and thermal-powered cellphone chargers to an innovative brace to help patients with Parkinson’s disease.

Ultimately, it was a new approach to wrist support that took the top prize in the contest’s proficient category. The judged contest for regional entrepreneurs to pitch their ideas wrapped up the 25th annual Showcase for Commerce on Friday afternoon.

Wrivo LLC’s Wristocat won $3,000 in funding to create a polished prototype to take to market.

David Luciew, a Johnstown design professional who developed the product with his wife, Michele, while he was recovering from surgery to correct carpal tunnel syndrome, focused his pitches on building a better mousetrap.

“With our life and livelihood relying on ability to use a computer, the mouse giving us the most problem is sitting right there on our desk,” he told judges in the Stars and Stripes room at the Cambria County War Memorial.

The one-size-fits all product would work with a mouse, keyboard or any other computer input that requires hands.

Judge Donna Michele Baxter, CEO and founder of Soul Pitt Media, said she liked the “sleekness” of the design she watched in Luciew’s marketing video.
“It looks like an Apple product,” she said.  “It’s definitely sexy.” Continue reading →

The Borough of Wilkinsburg has been a dry community since 1870, but the Wilkinsburg Community Development Corporation (WCDC) aims to change that this spring.

The WCDC Board of Directors voted to pursue a liquor license referendum to legalize the sale of liquor licenses to restaurants in the Borough of Wilkinsburg. The WCDC believes restaurant liquor licenses will attract new businesses to Wilkinsburg and increase investment in the area. This effort is supported by the WCDC Five-Year Strategic Plan and the Wilkinsburg Business District Revitalization Plan, which was approved by Wilkinsburg Borough Council in 2010. Continue reading →

PITTSBURGH (Aug. 14, 2014) – In support of programming and activities that re-assert “family” as a core institution in the re-development of Pittsburgh’s Black community, Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield provided $250,000 in grants that will benefit POISE Foundation’s Strengthening Black Families (SBF) and Sustainable Black Community (SBC) initiatives.

Black families living in the Greater Pittsburgh Region experience significant disparities in the areas of health, education, employment, family structure and income compared to white families, as evidenced in a 2007 report on racial disparities by the University of Pittsburgh’s Center for Race and Social Problems (CRSP). According to a 2012 PittsburghTODAY Quality of Life Survey, the rate of African Americans in our community living without health insurance is 60 percent higher than other racial groups, and unemployment rates are twice the rate of other demographics.

Continue reading →

Did you miss Soul Pitt’s LIVE Community CALL to Discuss Mental Illness in the Black Community with guests Bob Regis and Michelle McMurray, MSW, hosted by Leslie Askerneese? KEEP CALM & LISTEN ON to the recording here: http://recordings.talkshoe.com/TC-128684/TS-887793.mp3