Forging Forward: Brashear Association
The 104-year-old Brashear Association stepped up to the challenge of serving our neighbors in need during the unprecedented COVID crisis with youth and employment programs. In addition, their vital food pantry has supported the largest numbers of people in memory.
Here, Stephan Liwan (left) and Jack Van Heydoorn hustle food to families in need at the Brashear Foundation Food Bank. Photo and caption by Jeff Swensen.
Forging Forward 2021 is a series of six articles about organizations helping our region make progress on the significant issues challenging our friends and neighbors. The series is presented with the generous support of The Pittsburgh Foundation.
The #ONEDAY Critical Needs Alert, a day of online giving to organizations doing vital work, is on August 3: mark your calendars and plan to be part of something great!
This past year proved that anyone can end up in a crisis. One organization, the Brashear Association, which has been around for 104 years, was up to the challenge to serve our neighbors in need during this unprecedented time in Pittsburgh’s history as the pandemic dragged on.
“We saw an immediate 40% increase in the number of people coming to our food pantry,” said Andrea M. Matthews, executive director of the Brashear Association. “The pandemic forced us to pivot and we went from seeing 100 clients a month to 100 clients a week needing food assistance,” she said.
Beyond the food pantry, the Brashear Association provides quality programs for families facing crisis for the first time, as well as for those living in chronic poverty. Programs include utility assistance, youth activities and a neighborhood employment center in South Pittsburgh. “Not only did we pivot when it came to our food support, but also with our employment assistance,” Matthews noted.
The organization taught people how to access free and low cost internet options as well as how to use the platforms like Zoom and FaceTime. One of Matthews’ favorite programs to emerge out of the pandemic was “Project Reach.”
“One of our volunteers, who was a former social worker, reached out to the elderly who were isolated and lonely. She would call to help them navigate the systems of support, and would sometimes stay on the phone to chat with them for an hour. She always had some amazing story to tell,” said Matthews.
One story that stayed in her memory involved an older gentleman who wasn’t sure how to stretch a can of stew and some rice until he could make it to the food pantry. The volunteer stayed on the phone with him, giving him some great recipes to try and his spirits were lifted knowing that he could make it until he could restock the next day. It’s moments like this that warm Matthews’ heart.
“We are and always have been a people-first organization,” she said. And that energy is what compels so many others to support the work, like board president Maureen Hogan.
“I view our work, in part, through the lens of community revitalization and community development,” said Hogan. “Through its programming, Brashear has been a long-term vital partner in lifting up and addressing the human needs of our service area,” she added.
Candice Benson, director of programs and services, agrees. She noted that The Brashear Association Board and staff members strive hard to provide an array of opportunities that support its community and surrounding Allegheny county residents.
“Each year select organizations like the Birmingham Foundation, residents, community council groups and businesses donate gifts and monetary funds to help provide community residents who qualify with food and gifts during the holiday seasons. As time goes on, efforts to increase funding and additional programming opportunities for community members will continue to be a priority of the organization,” she said.
Putting the community first, the organization has solidified itself as one of the longest running non-profits in the region, and is about to embark on a new adventure. The organization will be moving its location from the Southside Slopes to the Hilltop, where 80% of the people it serves resides.
“The Hilltop service area of Brashear has been under-served in the past,” said Hogan. She noted that the Hilltop area has experienced a more gradual but definitely sustained decline.
“The need is there but it has taken a while for funders and others to recognize the extent of the Hilltop decline as well as the opportunities for capacity building, services and investments. With increased capacity of several Hilltop organizations, recent investment successes and the opening of our new office in the Hilltop, this seems like a critical time for the growth of our organization and the future of the Hilltop,” she added.
The organization hopes to open its new location by early fall and the new pantry is already in place. “We will have youth and senior programs as well as a family table for after school meals. We are super excited to open this space up,” said Matthews. She hopes that people recognize that this is an opportunity to get involved and engage with their communities.
“We do this for the families we serve. We were able to be there during an unprecedented time and we continue to be there. It takes all of us. Come be a part of this, volunteer and get involved -- not just with your contribution -- but come join us in this work. We will make it a great experience together,” she said.
Want to learn more about the Brashear Association? Click HERE and let’s activate to help our communities thrive! Or get involved as part of The Pittsburgh Foundation’s Critical Needs #ONEDAY online giving event on August 3. All donations of $25 and more are eligible for a portion of $525,000 in giving incentive funds provided by the Foundation and its donors. More information here.
Check out other stories in our Forging Forward 2021 series:
Andrea M. Matthews, Executive Director of the Brashear Foundation, looking out the windows of her soon-to-be office along Brownsville Road in Mount Oliver. Photo and caption by Jeff Swensen.
Erna Spila and Ned Brockmeyer of Hilltop Urban Farm(a Pittsburgh Foundation funded affiliate) working in the vegetable garden that provides the Brashear Association Food Bank with its fresh produce. Photo and caption by Jeff Swensen.
Check out other stories in our Forging Forward 2021 series: