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Steel Smiling Successfully Raises Over $500,000 to Support Their Goal of Exposing Every Black Reside
Thank you to this incredible list of supporters including: Good Family Support Services, Richard King Mellon Foundation, Staunton Farm Foundation, Opportunity Fund, The Laura and Jason Rock Family Foundation, The Pittsburgh Foundation, The Segal Family Foundation, UPMC Health Plan and UPMC Community Care Behavioral Health Organization for investing in the work and growth of Steel Smiling.
Generous grants from each of these funding partners are supporting an incredible cause–Steel Smiling’s ambitious goal of exposing every Black resident in Pittsburgh to a positive mental health experience that improves their quality of life by 2030. Funding will support their programs including Beams to Bridges and the Black Mental Health Fund.
This funding is also supporting the organizational growth, capacity building and sustainability of Steel Smiling. This will help them continue to serve community members to their highest potential as an Organization-in-Residence of Neighborhood Allies (OIR).
“Emotional, economic and equity-related challenges from multiple pandemics have exacerbated the mental health needs of Black residents,” says Julius Boatwright, Steel Smiling Managing Director. “As the need for our programs grows exponentially, these funding partnerships and our Neighborhood Allies team will help us make an even deeper impact in people’s lives.”
Since 2020, Steel Smiling has coordinated over 3,000 hours of mental health support and treatment, invested over $300,000, and supported over 300 community members through the Black Mental Health Fund Program. As an OIR of Neighborhood Allies, Steel Smiling’s now receiving the critical capacity support required to scale their organization and deepen the impact of their work, in a way that is thoughtful and strategic.
Not even six months into the official residency, this model has already allowed the Steel Smiling team to leverage several new organizational relationships via Neighborhood Allies’ social capital, hire three Full-time staff members, refine financial and operational processes, and focus on sustainable growth. For more information on Steel Smiling, or to get involved, email info@steelsmilingpgh.org.