NCJW Pittsburgh Section History

1894
Columbian Council Settlement School which later became the Irene Kaufmann Settlement

First free kindergarten established in Pittsburgh

1904
The Immigrant Aid Society, later merging with the Jewish Family and Children's Service

Committee for Jewish and Non-Jewish Blind which later became the PA Blind Association, later Pittsburgh Vision Services

1911
First Penny Lunch presented by NCJW in the public schools, later taken over by the Board of Education

1925
Student Aid Project, providing financial aid to college students then and continuing to do so today

1929
League for Handicapped which eventually became the Vocational Rehabilitation Center, now Life's Work

1949
Council Lounge for Older People established as the first recreational program for senior citizens. This program later grew to occupy Anathan House and in 1973 merged with the Jewish Community Center

Senior Adult program to provide additional programming under the Older Americans Act

1957
Council House, one of the first psycho-social rehabilitation programs in the country, later becoming Renaissance Center

1963
NCJW was instrumental in creating a model that would eventually become Headstart

1964
Women's job core recruitment and screening in collaboration with National Council of Negro Women, National Council of Christian Women, and Church Women United with federal funding

1968
Oral History Project - interviews and recordings to preserve the immigrant Jewish experience and contributions to Pittsburgh. Two books and an index were published and a video and a website were created. The collection is currently housed at the University of Pittsburgh Hillman Library.

1975
Friends Indeed provided one-on-one support for girls released from juvenile detention and later added an apartment to provide a home-like setting for their transition to independent living

1980
The first Waiting Room named for volunteer Jane B. Lobl, was opened in Family Court to provide a safe, stress-free environment for children whose parent or caregiver was involved in court proceedings. A second Waiting Room opened in Juvenile Court in 1989 and merged with the Family Court Room in 2000. A Play Room was added in Criminal Court in 2000 and in Municipal Court in 2002.

1983
Council Care Senior Adult Day Center opened the first of its three centers to help senior adults forestall institutionalization and to provide support and respite to their families. Council Care became part of the Jewish Association on Aging in 1994.

1987
HIPPY - Home Instruction for Preschool Youngsters in cooperation with the Urban League and Pittsburgh Public Schools

1989
Soviet Resettlement Mentor Family Program renewed NCJW's commitment of 1904 to immigrants, and in 1990 provided volunteers and classroom space for English as a Second Language (ESL) classes

1993
Komen Pittsburgh Race For The Cure&#reg;, breast cancer awareness and mammogram voucher program, NCJW is local organizing sponsor

1994
Partners in Conversation - Recruits, trains and assigns partners to practice English conversational skills with New Americans from the Soviet Union

1995
Services to the Elderly: NCJW supports the Neighbors Program with funding and volunteers and begins annual S.O.S. (Serving Our Seniors) educational program to provide information and awareness to seniors and their families

Parents as School Partners, a volunteer research initiative on parents' involvement to promote children's school success

1996
First women's golf/tennis tournament, "Love Fore Kids," to benefit the Jane B. Lobl Children's Waiting Room in Family Court.

1997
Southwestern Pennsylvania Silent Witness Initiative, domestic violence awareness project, locally presented in collaboration with the Junior League of Pittsburgh, Inc. includes a traveling exhibit of life-sized wooden figures painted red representing women killed by acts of domestic violence in Western Pennsylvania. This project was taken over by NCJW in 2000.

1998
Resident Profile Project enriches the lives of residents of the JAA's Charles Morris Center and Weinberg Terrace by providing a biographical profile of each resident to hang outside of each resident's room

Suit Yourself project provides Council Thrift Shop merchandise vouchers to clients in programs of self-improvement and job readiness

1999
Pic-A-Bag project provides duffel bags filled with necessities for children moved abruptly from their homes to enter foster care, later expanded to include homeless children and children entering domestic violence shelters

2000
Children's Literacy Project volunteers tutor elementary students in Pittsburgh Public Schools

Jewish Volunteer Connection matches volunteers with volunteer opportunities

2001
The formation of the new Young Women's Group. Addition of AWARE (A Women's Abuse Resource Endeavor) project as part of Silent Witness Initiative

NCJW becomes a coalition partner with Working Hearts

2002
The Heritage Society is formed to insure the future of NCJW and its programs.

2003
Sheila's Shawls Project becomes part of Silent Witness Initiative

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