Holy Family Mourns Loss of Longtime Friend and Supporter

We are very saddened to announce the passing of our longtime friend and former board member, Thomas J. Murrin, who died on Monday, February 6 at his home in McCandless with his wife, Dee, and their eight children at his side. He was 82 years old.

Mr. Murrin was guided by a strong Catholic faith and was active in several parish communities. He became involved with Holy Family Institute shortly after our organization experienced a devastating fire in 1984, and he was a key player in helping to raise funds needed for the rebuilding effort. In 2000, he joined the Holy Family Institute for Learning Abilities Board of Trustees, with a focus on working to help children overcome learning disabilities. In 2002, the board became Holy Family Learning and Mr. Murrin was appointed chairman, serving a total of nine years. Sister Linda Yankoski remembers Mr. Murrin with fondness, recalling that no matter where he was dining, he always made it a point to acknowledge and thank every restaurant server he encountered. We are incredibly grateful for his friendship and longtime dedication to our organization and the children and families we serve.

Born in New York City, Mr. Murrin worked as an elevator operator as a teenager before attending Fordham University on a football scholarship. Mr. Murrin had a long and noteworthy career as president of Westinghouse’s energy and advanced technology group, and after retirement, he was nominated by President George H.W. Bush to serve as deputy commerce secretary. Additionally, he was named dean of the business school at Duquesne University, where he had served as chairman of the board. He served on numerous other boards and organizations, including the Allegheny County Airport Authority and Mercy Hospital.

Mr. Murrin is survived by his wife, Dee, who he married in 1951, and eight children, twelve grandchildren, and one great-grandchild.

His full obituary may be found here: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12034/1207818-122-0.stm#ixzz1mHPvgKni

Calling All Female Artists for Celebration of Women’s History Month!

Join us for an evening honoring Women’s History Month with artwork created by the female residential students of the HFI Cathy Pelusi Art Studio and regional female artists. The event is free to the public.

Thursday, March 29, 2012
6:00 pm – 7:30 pm
August Wilson Center
980 Liberty Avenue (Downtown)

The evening will include musical dance, poetry, a raffle and food, and is free to the public.

We are seeking original art for donation (drawings, paintings, fabric art, sculpture) created by Holy Family staff, sisters or volunteers. Please have submissions labeled with artist’s name, the title of the piece, and thoughts on the creative process. Any female artist is invited to create an original piece of art with the students on Tuesdays at the trailer.

Donated work will be given to terminally ill women at the hospital. All other work will be returned if desired. Please make a note of this when submitting your work.

Please call 412-766-9020 x268 or contact Amy DiMichele for more information.

WOMEN IN ART 2011 HFI CALL FOR ARTISTS WILSON CENTER 2012_1

HIGHMARK WALK FOR A HEALTHY COMMUNITY

Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield will present the Highmark Walk for a Healthy Community on Saturday, May 19, 2012 at Stage AE, located in Pittsburgh’s North Shore.

This walk benefits 76 local health and human service organizations, including Holy Family Institute. Last year, we were able to raise over $9,000 for our various programs and services. Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield underwrites the cost of the walk, so 100% of the money raised by our walkers goes directly to our organization!

To support Holy Family on May 19, visit www.walkforahealthycommunity.org to register as a walker or to start a team! Unable to join us on the day of event? Become a virtual walker and support us from home.

For questions or more information, please contact Christa Cardone at 412-766-9020 x439 or at cardone.christa@hfi-pgh.org.

Charity ASSIST Raffle Raises More Than $8,000!

Holy Family Institute participated in the Penguins Foundation Charity ASSIST Raffle at CONSOL Energy Center on January 6. Nearly 40 staff and volunteers were on hand to sell raffle tickets during the Penguins hockey game, selling close to 2,500 raffle tickets!

The winning ticket was announced during the third period of the game, with the winner receiving a cash prize of $4,000. For the winning ticket number, please click here. Holy Family was able to raise $8,345 in just three hours to help serve children and families in our area. Thank you to the Penguins Foundation and to everyone who helped make this fundraising event a great success!

If you were not at the Pens game but would like to support our work, click here to donate or mail your check (made payable to Holy Family Foundation) to 8235 Ohio River Boulevard, Pittsburgh, PA 15202. Thank you!

Holy Family Institute to Receive Funding for Strategy Initiative

Holy Family Institute was recently named one of 14 recipients of the Alliance for Children and Families “Strategy Counts” grant. Chosen through a competitive selection process, the 14 organizations will receive grants totaling $2.5 million.

Holy Family Institute plans to hire a Chief Strategy Officer to elevate organization-wide strategy. The Strategy Officer will work with MAYA Design of Pittsburgh to learn and implement Human Centered Design as a method to improve strategic planning and implementation.

“With nonprofits under pressure today from changing client needs and tighter resources, the tendency is for nonprofits to focus on the day-to-day demands while strategic decisions take a back seat,” says Michael Mortell, director of the Strategy Counts initiative. “The pilot sites are exploring how a strategic focus increases positive results for communities and clients.”

Strategy Counts is a multi-year initiative to closely examine the impact of elevating the role of strategy in nonprofit human service providers. It is funded by a $5.375 million grant from The Kresge Foundation.