With a growing service population, the Center for Hope in Ambridge needs more space. It will soon have just that when it moves from Merchant Street to a new location at the Ambridge Area School District Administration Building, 740 Park Road.
The school district administration offices will remain on the second floor; the center will occupy the first. The community service agency will spend this week moving. It will be closed Monday through next Thursday.
Winter hours are noon through 3 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays. Nonwinter hours are from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, and evenings and weekends for special programs.
Sue Otto, co-director of the center with her husband, Dave, is delighted about the move. "We've added more programming and services, and we hope to do even more with our additional space," she said.
The Center for Hope was founded in 1994 by Fellowship United Methodist of Ambridge, and Western Pennsylvania United Methodist Conference Center in Cranberry, according to Mrs. Otto. Since that time, it has become an interfaith nonprofit organization and receives support from many churches.
The Ottos, of Beaver Borough, became co-directors in 2007. Mr. Otto came to the role after serving as the CEO of The Pennsylvania State University Beaver Campus. Mrs. Otto had been the development director for the Girl Scouts of Beaver and Lawrence counties. "We told them we would split one paycheck, but both serve as directors," she said.
Their backgrounds, along with their strong faith, have served them well, according to Mrs. Otto.
"Dave's experience in management, public speaking and administration certainly help us here, and my grant-writing and fundraising experience have helped us find funding," she said. The center operates on money raised through grants, private and corporate donations and support of their partnerships and local churches.
The center provides a clothes closet, a food pantry, emergency food services, Daily Bread Ministry, youth champion cheerleading and an after-school program. The food pantry is run in conjunction with the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank. Bread for Daily Bread Ministry is donated by Mediterra Bakehouse in Robinson and the Giant Eagle in Leetsdale.
The new location will allow more space for the food pantry.
"Right now, we bring bags of food to people based on the size of their families." With the extra space, people use shopping carts to choose what they want, said Mrs. Otto. "That way people can choose what they use in their own recipes instead of our volunteers choosing for them." Food bank services grew from serving 1,931 households with 3,798 individuals in 2009 to 2,346 households and 4,392 individuals in 2010.
The center has numerous partnerships that allow them to help in some surprising ways. For example, the center works with Animal Friends of Pittsburgh for a pet food program so that those facing economic difficulties don't have to give up their pets.
Penn State -- Beaver has adult literacy programming at the center. The Women, Infant and Children's program, WIC, which provides nutritionally sound food supplements to pregnant women and their children under age 5, is also available there, as is the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation, OVR. A lunch and learn program for those over 50 is offered by Heritage Valley Hospital.
Nancy Woods of Monaca is president of the board of directors and director of the Academic Affairs at Penn State -- Beaver. "This new location gives us needed room to grow. It is also a natural move to be at the same location as the school district as we both have the common goal of serving our community," she said. "It is also wonderful for the children in the after-school program."
The Presbyterian Church, Sewickley is one of the local churches that helps the center. Members offer the community a hot dinner once a month, providing a warm meal and fellowship for those who use the services.
"We typically serve the Thursday after the food pantry [does] so that they can advertise the meal through their clients," said the Rev. Scott Hoffman, associate pastor at the church.
According to Rev. Hoffman, church members coordinate the meals, sign up and prepare various dishes. They then take the food to the center and serve to anyone who comes for the meals. "It is great for us because we have a chance to serve those in our community and a great way for intergenerational participation in volunteering," he said.
The center has a lease with an option to buy the building in three years, said Mrs. Woods.
Information: 724-251-4899.
First Published: January 27, 2011, 3:30 p.m.
