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Carmella Mekonis, 79, of Bridgeville wanted to have railings installed outside of her home.

“I hadn’t fallen yet, but I was having trouble getting down to the driveway,” Ms. Mekonis said. “And once the estimates came back I didn’t have the money to cover them being installed.”

That is where the Heart of Gold Fund, operated by Wesley Family Services, stepped into help. Wesley hired a contractor, who donated his services, to install the rail, and the cost of materials was $50 from the fund. As a result, Ms. Mekonis received the railing for free.

The Heart of Gold Fund’s mission is to provide items to help seniors remain comfortable and safe in their own homes. Seniors may be eligible to receive a variety of items such as an outdoor or indoor railing, a a grabber device to reach high objects or those on the floor, grab bars for showers and other places, a microwave, an electric blanket and more.

The fund is primarily supported by the Schenley Shuffle 5K and one-mile fun walk, which took place this past September.

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Our Foster Care program at Wesley Family Services was the recipient of a grant from Allegheny County to recruit more foster parents for teens in need. In addition to the ads placed on TV and Port Authority buses, our own Colleen Slebodnik was answering questions about foster care on radio and TV programs.

“Children come into foster care for a lot of reasons. There is a myth that these are bad kids, but that’s not the case. These are children that could not be made safe in their homes,” said Colleen Slebodnik in a TV interview with Pittsburgh Living. “There are also a lot of myths about what it takes to be a foster parent. Many people are able to do this – they just need to give us a call to find out.”

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Wesley Family Services hosted a Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting Ceremony to celebrate its new facility in the city of Washington. The organization provides a diverse range of quality healthcare and therapeutic support services to more than 30,000 individuals throughout Western Pennsylvania annually.

Elected officials like Washington County Commissioners Diana Irey Vaughan and Harlan Shober, State Senator Camera Bartolotta, Congressman Tim Murphy, as well as Janice Taper, Administrator of Washington County Behavioral Health and Developmental Services took part in the ceremony and toured the new facility.

Wesley received funding from the Washington County Behavioral Health and Developmental Services Department to assist with the new facility and its efforts to enhance Outpatient Mental Health Services for individuals with Concurrent Mental Health Diagnoses and Autism Spectrum Disorders.

As a result of increased demand from the local community for therapeutic support services, Wesley moved its existing facility to a larger space within the city of Washington to provide expanded autism, behavioral health and substance abuse services. This move cannot come at a better time for Washington County families who are looking to find local resources and therapeutic support services.

According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), 1 out of every 5 Americans will struggle with some type of mental illness during the course of their life. Additionally, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 1 out of every 68 children is diagnosed on the Autism Spectrum, and from 2000 to 2015, the number of drug overdose deaths in the U.S. has quadrupled, with opioids like heroin and fentanyl accounting for the majority of those deaths. And, in Washington County, the numbers keep rising. In 2016 there were 109 drug overdose deaths, compared to 73 in 2015 and 36 in 2014.

“This new facility represents our organization’s long-term commitment to the families and residents of Washington County,” said Doug Muetzel, CEO of Wesley Family Services. “Regardless of whether a family is navigating the unique challenges of an autism, behavioral health, or substance abuse diagnosis, our therapists will be there every step of the way along their journey. We know that there are many families who are struggling right now and need help.”

The Washington location offers enhanced and expanded services such as:

• Autism Specialty Outpatient services, including services for those with a dual Mental Health and Autism Spectrum Disorder Diagnosis;
• Healthy Relationships Groups for transition-age youth on the Autism Spectrum;
• Outpatient Mental Health, Psychological, and Psychiatrics services;
• Outpatient Drug & Alcohol programs, including Intensive Outpatient programs for adolescents and adults; and a
• Forthcoming Outpatient Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) program where individuals with an opioid addiction can receive Suboxone or Vivitrol.

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Creative Arts student, Cassie Bruno, has found joy and healing through music. When she sang “The Climb” by Miley Cyrus at the annual recital, the video of her performance captured the attention of Miley Cyrus’s Happy Hippie foundation.

The foundation sent Cassie a t-shirt, autographed by Miley Cyrus herself. WTAE’s Mike Clark and Janelle Hall were on site while Cassie was presented with the gift and spoke with Creative Arts Program Supervisor, Katie Harrill.

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Some classes raise money by selling candy or washing cars, and most stop once they’ve graduated. But about 150 members of the Hempfield Area High School class of 1984 got together last month to raise more than $7,600 for a veterans charity with a party at a classmate’s lake house, the organizers said.

Class of 1984 member Marcy Stein had the idea after a joint 50th birthday party for members of the class drew more than 250 guests in 2016. Her classmates started asking about another get-together, and she thought about turning it into a charity event.

“It occurred to me that we can be a class that can do a little bit more. … We can be a group in the community that can take on a cause,” said Stein, now living in Manhattan. The large number of veterans in the class led her to Family Services of Western Pennsylvania and its Greensburg-based Helping Hand Fund for homeless and low-income vets.

• Read more about the Class of 1984’s generosity and our Helping Hands Program here.

I scream, you scream, we all scream for one of Greensburg’s most popular summer fundraisers: the ParentWISE Ice Cream Blast. Now in its 22nd year, the event is set for noon to 4 p.m. July 15 in Kirk S. Nevin Arena at Lynch Field.

The tried-and-true formula of family friendly activities, entertainment, food vendors, raffles and — of course — cake and ice cream, regularly draws upward of 800 guests, entertainers, volunteers and vendors, says ParentWISE program manager Julie Cawoski.

Proceeds benefit classes and services for families, caregivers, children and teens offered by ParentWISE, a program of Family Services of Western Pennsylvania.

• Read more about this annual fundraiser and our ParentWise program here.