Stories

Our story of Enise’s journey to Pittsburgh continues with her introduction to SHIM programs. (If you missed part one, you can find it HERE.) “I was a little nervous but when I saw people, everybody like me, I got excited.” Despite not speaking English, Enise embraced the opportunity to meet…...

Many of the teens in our Youth Mentoring program are inspired to set big goals for their futures. Ritika, who graduated from Baldwin High School in 2019, is on track to achieve her dream of becoming a doctor. Ritika was always interested in medicine and wanted to be a doctor…...

Pittsburgh has seen a large increase of immigrants moving to the city over the last decade. The Latino population grew by 80% in Allegheny County and the Asian population grew 47.3% according to 2020 census data. Here in the South Hills, the Asian population grew by 477% from 2010-2020, highlighting…...

SHIM’s youth programs provide comprehensive and nurturing support to children and teens from preschool through graduation. Many students enroll at a young age and continue to participate through their teenage years. We’d like to introduce you to one of these students—Aluk. Aluk lives in Whitehall Borough and is a senior…...

TribLive, Wednesday, July, 2022 Bethel Park Journal, Joanne Klimovich Harrop “Who you become is way more important than the work you do.” Those words were spoken by Kritika Timsina, valedictorian at Baldwin High School, at graduation in June. “The person you become is more impactful on the world,” Timsina said.…...

The pandemic threw many neighbors into unexpected economic hardship. People started to realize that their employment status was not as stable as they expected. As SHIM continuously adapted to the varying needs of the community, SHIM leadership realized that a self-sufficiency program would be a welcome addition to SHIM’s comprehensive…...

A Youth Mentoring student from past years, Hser Mular Doh, graduated last weekend with a Bachelor’s degree from Carlow University. Hser Mular Doh is the first person from her family to attend and graduate from college. Hser Mular Doh, otherwise known as Sam, is the second oldest child of six.…...

One of SHIM’s CheckMates volunteers, Charlotte began calling Emma*—age 100—during the pandemic. They talk for about 90 minutes each week. Emma loves to share stories with Charlotte. Her life stories are filled with inspiration, and Charlotte enjoys hearing about her experiences. Emma grew up in extreme poverty, remembering that her…...

Jack was a hardworking student studying for his X-ray board exam and looking for a good job in healthcare when the COVID-19 pandemic began. When everything shut down, he was unable to attend classes and complete his certifications. As he struggled to meet his basic needs and keep up with…...

Rajaa Mohammad Ali started coming to the South Hills Family Center at the beginning of August when a friend invited her to join Family Group. Family Group is a time when kids can come to the Family Center to listen to stories, sing songs and play while parents enjoy time…...