Community organizations in Southwestern Pennsylvania
North Hills Community Outreach - community garden and social services. Providing organic produce to improve the health and lives of families in crisis, hardship and poverty!
Homewood Children's Village - education and nutrition programs to simultaneously improve the lives of the children in Homewood and to reweave the fabric of the community in which they live
Ujamaa Collective - is a non-profit organization of women of African descent who are entrepreneurs, artisans, artists and individuals who are committed to serving their community through leadership. Through Ujamaa, artisans will have an economic outlet for their work, micro-enterprises will have the support to grow, customers will gain access to locally-produced items, and Pittsburgh will have a regional destination to draw customers and visitors to the Historic Hill District.
Homegrown is a Phipps program dedicated to improving community's access to fresh produce, promoting better food choices, and improving the overall health of families and children. Homegrown is currently serving the Homewood community and plans to expand to other underserved communities.
Juice Up 412 is a social enterprise that uses their products – delicious and unique fruit and vegetable juices – to educate underserved communities about health, wellness and nutrition as well as food justice.
GTECH (Growth Through Energy and Community Health) is a community development nonprofit that promote projects such as greening of vacant land, community gardens, collecting used cooking oil to convert to biodiesel, and improving energy efficiency of homes.
Homewood Children's Village - education and nutrition programs to simultaneously improve the lives of the children in Homewood and to reweave the fabric of the community in which they live
Ujamaa Collective - is a non-profit organization of women of African descent who are entrepreneurs, artisans, artists and individuals who are committed to serving their community through leadership. Through Ujamaa, artisans will have an economic outlet for their work, micro-enterprises will have the support to grow, customers will gain access to locally-produced items, and Pittsburgh will have a regional destination to draw customers and visitors to the Historic Hill District.
Homegrown is a Phipps program dedicated to improving community's access to fresh produce, promoting better food choices, and improving the overall health of families and children. Homegrown is currently serving the Homewood community and plans to expand to other underserved communities.
Juice Up 412 is a social enterprise that uses their products – delicious and unique fruit and vegetable juices – to educate underserved communities about health, wellness and nutrition as well as food justice.
GTECH (Growth Through Energy and Community Health) is a community development nonprofit that promote projects such as greening of vacant land, community gardens, collecting used cooking oil to convert to biodiesel, and improving energy efficiency of homes.
Do you know someone special we should feature on this page? someone who is passionate about SDHs and strives to make a difference for his or her community?
Please us with details! I go to Malawi every summer and am inspired by some of the people I met who have accomplished so much with so little...
Raphael Lawrence Piringu, District Health Officer at Mwanza District Hospital, Malawi
Lawrence is one of the most remarkable human beings you will ever meet. He is dedicated to improving the health of his fellow Malawians. His wonderful attributes include: boundless energy, hardworking, contagious enthusiasm, innovative thinking, generosity and resilience.
Some of his accomplishments thus far are:
- Improving health care system in the district and reducing mortality and morbidity. If you ever work in Malawi, you know how challenging it is for a DHO to achieve such objectives, encountered countless adversities and remain determined and optimistic!
- Former DHO in Dowa; started the 5s, Kaizen, TQM JICA program, trained in Malawi, Egypt at Fayoum University and Mbeya hospital in Tanzania and himself a trainer
- Implementing district health system strengthening through UNICEF's DIVA (diagnose, intervene, verify, adjust) to deliver high impact interventions for mothers, newborns and children
- Mwanza Road Traffic accidents and Southwest Zone report November 2013
- Father Mother Support Program (gender equality initiative) in Phalombe District (Mwanza District also has a history of male partner involvement in the uptake of PMTCT)
- 5 year strategic plan for Mwanza District Hospital 2011-2016
- Renovation of Mwanza District Hospital including building a brick fence
- Implement Baobab Health ART-TB information system
- Started "employee of the month" recognition appreciation
- Under Lawrence's leadership, Mwanza District although the least funded district in Malawi, has been the best in the last financial period of 2012/13 in improving health care, paying outstanding debts on drugs compared to all the districts in Malawi!
- Leads implementation of 5S quality improvement initiative at Mwanza District Hospital 2013
- Maternal and newborn health newsletter 2014
- “Social Support and Quality Health Delivery Can Reduce Maternal Deaths in Malawi, Sub Saharan Africa: "Practical Example of Mwanza District Hospital, Malawi
His aspirations for the near future:
- Getting his PhD (he is passionate about quality improvement and father mother support) and SDHs
- TED fellow and being featured on CNN heroes--this one's mine, not Lawrence's
- Support and funding for his multiple ideas and projects! If you are interested in supporting Lawrence, please get in touch with us!
Here is a poem bidding farewell to friends by Lawrence for a window into his heart and soul...
Some of his accomplishments thus far are:
- Improving health care system in the district and reducing mortality and morbidity. If you ever work in Malawi, you know how challenging it is for a DHO to achieve such objectives, encountered countless adversities and remain determined and optimistic!
- Former DHO in Dowa; started the 5s, Kaizen, TQM JICA program, trained in Malawi, Egypt at Fayoum University and Mbeya hospital in Tanzania and himself a trainer
- Implementing district health system strengthening through UNICEF's DIVA (diagnose, intervene, verify, adjust) to deliver high impact interventions for mothers, newborns and children
- Mwanza Road Traffic accidents and Southwest Zone report November 2013
- Father Mother Support Program (gender equality initiative) in Phalombe District (Mwanza District also has a history of male partner involvement in the uptake of PMTCT)
- 5 year strategic plan for Mwanza District Hospital 2011-2016
- Renovation of Mwanza District Hospital including building a brick fence
- Implement Baobab Health ART-TB information system
- Started "employee of the month" recognition appreciation
- Under Lawrence's leadership, Mwanza District although the least funded district in Malawi, has been the best in the last financial period of 2012/13 in improving health care, paying outstanding debts on drugs compared to all the districts in Malawi!
- Leads implementation of 5S quality improvement initiative at Mwanza District Hospital 2013
- Maternal and newborn health newsletter 2014
- “Social Support and Quality Health Delivery Can Reduce Maternal Deaths in Malawi, Sub Saharan Africa: "Practical Example of Mwanza District Hospital, Malawi
His aspirations for the near future:
- Getting his PhD (he is passionate about quality improvement and father mother support) and SDHs
- TED fellow and being featured on CNN heroes--this one's mine, not Lawrence's
- Support and funding for his multiple ideas and projects! If you are interested in supporting Lawrence, please get in touch with us!
Here is a poem bidding farewell to friends by Lawrence for a window into his heart and soul...