Exciting Summer Ahead For Hello Neighbor!
Second Graders Changing the World
This year the 2nd grade class at Pittsburgh’s Environmental Charter School learned about philanthropy and community organizations based in Pittsburgh. They did a schoolwide “Penny Wars” fundraiser and raised $800!
Hello Neighbor’s Program Manager, Kara, spent a morning with the students answering questions and telling them about our program. A group of students then wrote a grant about why we should receive the money. In total there were 12 grants presented during a TED-style talk presented to the school, their parents and the community. Those in attendance voted for which organization should win, and Hello Neighbor won! The students wrote:
“We think Hello Neighbor should have the $800 because they make people feel welcome. They match families to make friends.”
How heartwarming is that? Our Founder, Sloane, accepted the check at their end of school year assembly, where she announced that we would donate part of the grant to all of the nonprofits that participated because we wanted to show the kids the importance of continuing to pay it forward. That way all of the kids and organizations are winners!
Congratulations to the other finalists: Homeless Children’s Education Fund, Operation Better Block, Grow Pittsburgh, Habitat for Humanity, Free Store Wilkinsburg, Nine Mile Run, GASP, Homewood Children’s Village, Literacy Pittsburgh, 412 Food Rescue and Jeremiah’s Place.
What an amazing experience for the students and for us. Thank you to the 2nd grade class of the Environmental Charter School for your incredible contribution to welcoming our newest neighbors to Pittsburgh!
A New Partner: Duolingo
Duolingo is the world’s most popular way to learn a language. It’s also one of the fastest growing startups based in Pittsburgh. Duolingo premiered their first documentary Something Like Home on June 19th, the eve of World Refugee Day. Over 400 attended the screening and they also announced their new partnership with us! We are so excited to partner with Duolingo as their first nonprofit partner. Together we created a company-wide employee engagement campaign supporting Duolingo employees who volunteer with Hello Neighbor. Our Founder and CEO, Sloane Davidson, spoke about the history of Hello Neighbor and the great potential of this new partnership. Welcome to the Hello Neighbor family Duolingo!
Sprout Fund Legacy Awards
After 17 successful years, The Sprout Fund announced they would sunset in 2018 and as part of closing their doors created the Sprout Legacy Awards. They received over 500 nominations and from that list 50 Pittsburgh changemakers were chosen to receive $1,000 to carry on The Sprout Fund’s vision of tackling the pressing challenges of today and tomorrow in their own communities, and inspiring others to do the same. We are so proud announce that Sloane was named as one of the Legacy Award winners. Congratulations to The Sprout Fund for 17 incredible years and congratulations to all of the other Legacy Award winners!
Welcome To Our Newest Team Members
Nat Miller, Operations Assistant: After my internship last summer at Hello Neighbor, I’ve returned as Operations Assistant to continue referencing Hamilton in every meeting. During my hiatus, I graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with a Spanish and Psychology double major and a Religious Studies minor. Read More…
Trishna Acharya, Summer 2018 Intern: I am a rising senior at the University of Pittsburgh. I am pursuing a Bachelors in Economics with a minor in Public Administration. I was born in a Nepali refugee camp and moved to the United States nine years ago with my family. Read More…
Join Us This Summer
We have two great community events this summer open to ALL. Bring yourself, your family, and your friends!
- 2nd Annual Summer Potluck In The Park on Saturday, July 28th from 3:00–6:00 PM at the Anderson Shelter in Schenley Park. Join us for an afternoon full of food, outdoor fun, and spending time with friends including our newest neighbors — refugee and immigrant families. RSVP| Share on Facebook
While this event is free, please select the “donate-what-you-can” option in the RSVP link to help support our mission. 100% of donations go towards Hello Neighbor’s mentorship program.
- Hello Neighbor Day at The Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday, August 19th at 1:35PM. Each ticket is just $23 and includes a $5 donation per ticket! Use the Coupon Code: NEIGHBOR Buy Tickets | Share on Facebook
If you are interested in sponsoring a ticket for a refugee family, email kara@helloneighbor.io!
Hello Neighbor’s First Birthday
Thank you to everyone that came out to celebrate our 1st Birthday at Threadbare Cider House on May 30th! It was a special evening with so many of our friends commemorating everything we’ve accomplished in the past year. A special thank you to all of the local Pittsburgh businesses that donated to our raffle to help make the night and our first fundraiser a big success. And we’re just getting started!
Hello Neighbor is a 501c3 nonprofit organization based in Pittsburgh, PA that works to improve the lives of recently resettled refugee families by matching them with dedicated neighbors to guide and support them in their new lives.
If you want to learn more about us, receive our email updates like this one or get involved, visit our website!
