As the name sponsor for the Home & Garden Show, Duquesne Light spotlights a charitable project each year. This year, the energy company will raise money for learning centers for homeless children.

Each year, about 3,000 children are homeless in Allegheny County. To help them in school, the Homeless Children's Education Fund has so far set up and staffed 14 learning centers equipped with desks, educational materials, computers, games and opportunities to work with tutors. The group is planning a 15th center in East Liberty.

In the lobby on the second floor of the convention center, Duquesne Light will construct a 20- by 14-foot learning center with computers, printer, desk, bookcases, books and software, backpacks, DVDs and other study aids. Throughout the show, the utility will collect donations to fund more centers. For example, a $10 donation will help to purchase new writing materials for six children, said Richard Sieber, manager of corporate communications for Duquesne Light.

The company also plans to provide a display updating visitors on last year's project, a handicapped-accessible house for James Fair, a veteran from Coraopolis who lost his sight and both hands in a bomb blast in Iraq. An exhibit at last year's show with Homes for Our Troops helped raise $250,000 to build a new house for Mr. Fair and his family in Ross. He was expecting to move in this spring.