PITTSBURGH, PA (November 29, 2016) – The Office of Mayor William Peduto and the City of Pittsburgh Department of Parks & Recreation (Citiparks) today announced Pittsburgh Snow Angels, a city-wide program that pairs elderly or disabled city residents with volunteers to assist with snow removal during winter months.
“The Pittsburgh Snow Angels program represents so much of what being a Pittsburgher is all about – extending kindness, compassion and assistance to neighbors in need,” said Mayor William Peduto. “I am very pleased that we are again able to offer such a valuable resource and connect our residents to snow removal volunteers.”
Previously operated by Family Services of Western Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh Snow Angels will operate out of the Citiparks Healthy Active Living (HAL) program. Residents of the City of Pittsburgh 60 years of age and older and those with disabilities are eligible to register for Pittsburgh Snow Angels if they are not able to provide snow removal on their own. The city will do its best to match angels and participants in need, adding another layer of information and support services ensuring that all residents 60 years old and older live active and healthy lives.
“This program wouldn’t be possible without the volunteers that come forward to provide a helping hand throughout the winter,” said Director of Parks & Recreation Jim Griffin. “Our goal is to match 100% of the need this winter but we need generous volunteers to come forward in order to meet our goal.”
Citiparks and the Department of Innovation & Performance are in the process of developing several enhancements to the volunteer snow removal program, including an interactive map that provides volunteers with information on unfulfilled requests and a text message alert system that notifies Snow Angel volunteers of upcoming weather events. Citiparks HAL personnel will also connect inquiring elderly residents with additional information and resources available through the Healthy Active Living programs and facilities.
“This program isn’t just about shoveling sidewalks and driveways,” said Councilwoman Theresa Kail-Smith. “I would like to thank the Peduto administration for restarting the Pittsburgh Snow Angels Program, allowing our most vulnerable residents to stay in their homes and be safer and healthier during the winter.”
Residents in need of snow removal assistance should call Citiparks HAL staff to register: (412) 475-2459.
Interested volunteers can sign up to be a Snow Angel via the Pittsburgh Snow Angels website: http://pittsburghpa.gov/mayor/snowangels/index.html.
Snow Angels was originally launched in 2011 by the City of Pittsburgh’s servePGH initiative, which successfully matched hundreds of volunteers to shovel over 50,000 square feet of city sidewalks. In 2013, the program was adopted by the United Way’s Open Your Heart to a Senior program, giving volunteers the opportunity to make an even larger, county-wide impact. For the past two years, Snow Angels was operated in partnership with Family Services of Western Pennsylvania and North Hills Community Outreach.
Contacts
Katie O’Malley
Assistant Communications Manager
Office: (412) 925-1990
