Renovation Updates
We’re excited to have a more accessible and welcoming facility to better serve you!
SHIM South Hills Family Center
Since 2018, the Wallace Building has been the heart of SHIM’s Family Center. In the past six years, our programs have flourished, benefiting many of our neighbors and creating countless cherished memories. However, as we look ahead to our future, we recognize several challenges with the current location. These include the growing need for parking, ongoing building maintenance, security concerns, and limited space for expansion. Despite our recent efforts to address these issues, the safety of the building has become a pressing concern.
We’ve been searching for a new, stable location where we can continue to provide the support and services our neighbors need. Our goal is to make sure the new location meets the needs of South Hills residents and provides a safe and welcoming environment for everyone.
We look forward to welcoming you to our new space in the spring of 2025!
We’re thrilled to announce that we’ve signed a lease for a new SHIM South Hills Family Center! The new location, at 1400 Lebanon Church Road, offers plenty of bright, spacious office space. While we’ll need to undertake significant renovations, including building walls and creating classrooms, we’ll keep you updated on our progress every step of the way. If all goes according to plan, we hope to move into the new space by Spring 2025.
SHIM Center Bethel Park
Since 2020, SHIM’s service numbers have more than doubled. SHIM Center in Bethel Park has acted as the central hub for our basic needs operations since 2009. Over the past 13 years, we have identified several critical improvements required to enhance the facility’s accessibility and overall functionality. Despite some prior capital investments, such as roof replacement, parking lot upgrades, HVAC enhancements, and security system installation, the need for comprehensive improvements remained evident. In 2022, SHIM received a Gaming Economic Development Tourism Fund (GEDTF) grant of $370,000, which allowed us to address the long-standing concerns. These upgrades were essential in creating a more inclusive and welcoming space, aligning with ADA compliance standards, and ultimately enabling us to better serve our community.
In alignment with our strategic plan, SHIM remains committed to adapting our programs to better serve the South Hills community. This commitment extends to our ongoing efforts at SHIM Center in Bethel Park. We recognized that the renovation project was not only about enhancing our physical space but also about ensuring that it aligns seamlessly with the evolving needs of our community.
This project reconfigured 7,200 square feet of existing space to enhance client support services and office layouts. Additionally, a 350-square-foot addition at the lower level provides an accessible entrance near the parking area, and a 360-square-foot elevator tower provides accessibility to both floors, which was lacking.
Another goal was enhancing the food pantry for a better client experience. The project also included replacing existing MEP systems for improved efficiency, enhancing thermal performance with a new wall system, adding borrowed lights to improve lighting in open office spaces, and creating a new conference room on the lower level for use by local community groups. The lower-level addition features a lobby and reception area conveniently located near accessible parking, as well as a new vestibule for energy-efficient entry.
We are very thankful for support from local congregations and generous individual donors for this project.