The Children's Home of Pittsburgh & Lemieux Family Center Spring Newsletter 2023

FAMILY EMPOWERMENT

Our Mission

The Children’s Home & Lemieux Family Center, established in 1893, is an independent, nonprofit organization with a mission to promote the health and well-being of infants and children through services that establish and strengthen the family.

Our programs include Adoption & Permanency Services, Child’s Way®, the Pediatric Specialty Hospital, the Pediatric VIEW Program, and Counseling. In addition to these programs, we offer free housing for patients and families in our on-site Lemieux Family Center.

Board of Directors

Theresa L. Heck, President

Marvin S. Yu, Vice President

Amy Bass, Secretary

Eric Boughner, Treasurer

Newlin Archinal

David Betts

Beverly Brown, M.D.

Stephanie Churchel

Ranny Ferguson

David M. Friedland, M.D.

Mark A. Ganung

Emily Landerman-Goldberg

Allison Howard

Julie I. Kline

Michael McCarren

Claire McGee

Sandra Hawkins Miller

Mark Place

Julia Taylor

Marjorie Weiner

Geil Wesley Williams

Barbara E. Zawadzki, M.D.

Leadership Team

Pamela R. Keen Chief

Executive Officer Chief Development Officer

pkeen@chomepgh.org

Stacy Schesler Chief Operating Officer sschesler@chomepgh.org

Kim Phillips Chief Financial Officer kphillips@chomepgh.org

Bethany Bartilson Program Relations Manager bbartilson@chomepgh.org

Erin Stanley Director of Child’s Way estanley@chomepgh.org

Erika G. Schmitt Director of Adoption and Permanency Services eschmitt@chomepgh.org

Christine Roman, Ph.D. Director of the Pediatric VIEW croman@chomepgh.org

Traci Ziemkiewicz Director of Therapy Services tziemkiewicz@chomepgh.org

Welcome back!

We use many phrases, proverbs, and quotes to describe what it takes to carry out our mission. But what do they actually mean for the thousands of children and families that we have served?

As you read through this edition of our newsletter, you’ll learn about corporate and athletic groups that have stepped up and helped to decorate our hallways, read to our kids, and prepare for our biggest gala of the year.

You’ll see how philanthropic and foundation partners have provided funding for a number of vital, creative initiatives. It’s exciting and energizing to think about how many people will be supported by an Angel Fund (where families will never have to worry about paying for their Pediatric Specialty Hospital bill), music therapy (where our kids in Child’s Way will sing, play, and explore together), and counseling services (where our existing and future Adoption and Permanency clients will receive any counseling they need).

And you’ll see a growing list of community friends and neighbors who have reached out to us to host toy drives, birthday parties, night markets, and more - all to benefit our most vulnerable kids.

We’ve been publicizing a new tagline, “Where holistic care meets family empowerment.” It’s a bold (and true) statement that cannot be fulfilled without these kinds of purposeful and intentional relationships. You are our village. You lighten the load. You raise us up to do the work we need (and want) to do for children and families in our area. Thank you for donating to our programs that establish and strengthen the family, attending our fundraising events, and spreading the word about our work and our purpose.

I look forward to continue sharing what’s next for The Children’s Home with you. May this year be filled with endless hope, tenacious drive, gentle compassion, and remarkable spirit!

Pamela R Keen, CEO The Children’s Home of Pittsburgh and Lemieux Family Center

“It takes a village to raise a child.” “Many hands lighten the load.” “Raise each other up.”

It feels like

{Brielle’s Story}

When baby Brielle was just two weeks old, her parents Katelynn and Doug suspected that something might be wrong with the functionality of one of her arms. It became limp almost overnight. They ultimately took her to UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, where they fully expected it to be something minor and easily treatable. It took days and multiple tests, however, before Brielle received a diagnosis of Group B Strep that had settled in her right elbow.

“We watched our daughter go through so many tests. It was traumatizing,” Doug reminisced. “At this point, the physicians told us that Brielle would need IV antibiotics,” Katelyn explained during their visit to The Children’s Home in October of 2022. “We were told that she would need to be transferred to The Children’s Home for the duration of her IV antibiotic treatment.”

Hesitant about the change in medical staff and environment, Katelynn and Doug reluctantly transferred here with their daughter. Almost instantly, though, their reserved outlook seemed to vanish. They were greeted by nurses and physicians

“

Everyone here saved my daughter’s life.

I learned how to be a mom.”

- Katelynn, Brielle’s mom

who were able to talk with them, step by step, about their daughter’s care and reassure them that Brielle was exactly where she needed to be. Before she knew it, Katelynn went from having doubts to giving thanks.

It feels like family.

“Everyone here saved my daughter's life," said Katelynn. "I learned how to be a mom." Brielle was admitted to The Children's Home during the pandemic, which meant that visitors were limited here. Katelynn and Doug spent many nights playing Hangman on the dry erase board in Brielle's room while continuing to bond with their infant daughter. They also slept in our Lemieux Family Center, where families receive personal care in a homelike setting.

Although they experienced overwhelming emotional stress, like most parents and caregivers going through medical emergencies, this time and space allowed them to rest and take care of themselves so they could be there for their daughter when she needed them.

You’re not alone.

Brielle recently celebrated her first birthday. She was surrounded by friends and family, celebrating her milestones between laughter and birthday cake. While recollecting on their time here, Katelynn mentioned, “You wish these places didn’t exist. But we’re so thankful they do. We knew everything would be okay.” And now they continue to give back to the organization that walked alongside them.

Thanks to the generosity of philanthropic community partners like the Mario Lemieux Foundation, parents like Katelynn and Doug never have to worry about the financial burden of their child’s hospital treatment, no matter the length of stay or diagnosis. The Foundation generously created an Angel Care Fund this year, which pays for all pediatric medical expenses that insurance and medical assistance do not currently cover. 

If you would like to help children and their families get the services they need, please scan the QR code or visit to make a donation.

childrenshomepgh.org

“

You wish these places didn’t exist. But we’re so thankful they do. We knew everything would be okay.

- Katelynn

You’re Invited: The 6th Annual

The event will feature:

Live music by The Goodfoots

Photography by David Kelly

Photobooth fun with DJ Cake

Face paint by Beanie Paints LLC

Street on Carson food truck

Kona Ice food truck

Games, raffles, and more!

For more information on what to donate to help kids in our Adoption, Child’s Way Daycare, Pediatric VIEW, and Pediatric Specialty Hospital, scan the QR codes below.

Started in the summer of 2016 by volunteer, Tiff Setzler and her daughter, Zoie, The Birthday Toy Drive has become an annual event to collect toys for children in need. Tiff’s birthday and Zoie’s half birthday both happen in the summer months, and they were inspired to celebrate in a very special way. Instead of receiving gifts for themselves, they asked friends to donate toys. The Children’s Home is thrilled to have been on the receiving end of Tiff and Zoie’s efforts since 2017! And six years later, the toy drive is bigger and better than ever!

This year, the 6th Annual Birthday Toy Drive takes place from May 1st to July 16th, with drop off locations at Splat! A Make & Take Art Studio in Bethel Park, Fun Fore All Family Fun Park in Cranberry, and Trace Brewing in Bloomfield—where the Birthday Toy Drive celebration will be held. All are welcome to join in on the fun at Trace Brewing on Sunday, July 16th from 12:00pm to 3:00pm to donate toys and other needed items for kids at The Children’s Home. 

Sing Along in Child’s Way The Benefits of

Thanks to a generous grant from a private, local, family foundation, our Child’s Way daycare for medically fragile children has been able to pilot a music therapy program for the eager kids who attend.

Arts education – specifically through music therapy – is crucial for the cognitive and physical development of young children, especially for children with developmental delays. Music is a form of expression, which also provides essential physical therapy for children with communication issues or neurological conditions.

When participating in engaging music therapy sessions, children also develop hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills by picking up an instrument or strumming the strings on a guitar. The same is true for cognitive development –creativity, visualization, and sensory integration are all critical to a child’s development and exercised with FUN through music.

Elizabeth “fig” Harris, a boardcertified music therapist (MT-BC), has enthusiastically led our kids in these sessions for the past couple of months. She says…

“Through music therapy, we can learn coping skills – from relaxation to emotional regulation. We can experiment through music for self-expression, moving through grief, anxiety, and depression, development, life changes, and difficult transitional periods.

Connection through music, be it playing, writing, or creating music, or listening, absorbing, and analyzing our responses to music, opens a gateway for catharsis and healing. Together we can move toward healing and holistic health in mind, body, and spirit.” 

Groovin’ Good Time!

On April 22, 2023 at Acrisure Stadium the night was young and the music was high, as over 450 friends and supporters of The Children’s Home of Pittsburgh & Lemieux Family Center gathered in their best 70’s inspired looks for Shake Your Groovy Booties, The Children’s Home annual fundraising gala. The goal—raise funds to support the programs at The Children’s Home: Adoption, Child’s Way Daycare, Pediatric VIEW, and the Pediatric Specialty Hospital, and continue to provide holistic healthcare for children and empower families.

$275,000 Raised for Children in Need at Our Groovy Gala!

At first glance, one might think Shake Your Groovy Booties was a step back in time to a 1970s disco, with shiny mirror balls, tie dye, and sparkling sequins across the room, but the gala proved to be much more than a dancing queen’s dream. This year’s gala, planned by Event Chair, Julia Taylor, Shake Your Booties Planning Committee volunteers, and The Children’s Home staff, featured a 50/50 raffle, wine toss, mystery bags, Kendra Scott jewelry, and live and silent auctions. Each year the event also features Fund the Mission, a live-auction style approach to encourage individuals to give at varying levels, each meeting a specific need for children in our programs.

Event Emcee, Aditi Kinkhabwala, who some may know as a CBS sports reporter and frequent guest on The Fan podcast, shared her heart and connection to The Children’s Home with attendees and encouraged all to dig deep to support our programs. Together with The Children’s Home CEO, Pamela Keen, Kinkhabwala helped honor The Children’s Home community partners, Zachary’s Mission and Jameson’s Army, for their dedication to providing special support for children and families in our Pediatric Specialty Hospital.

Guests at the gala learned about the incredible work happening at The Children’s Home during a video program, which featured the story of little Sophia, who started her journey at The Children’s Home in the Pediatric Specialty Hospital after being diagnosed with a rare genetic disease, a partial trisomy of chromosome 17 translocated to chromosome 15. Sophia’s parents learned how to confidently care for her unique medical needs from nursing staff at The Children’s Home and she is now thriving as a student in Child’s Way Daycare, where she is also seen by our Pediatric VIEW practitioners.

In surprise celebration of CEO, Pamela Keen’s 30th year at The Children’s Home, the Board of Directors President, Theresa Heck offered a heartfelt tribute to Pam’s work and dedication. Heck highlighted Pam’s leadership saying,

Thank You, Sponsors!

In addition to fun games and auctions, guests were wowed by a live performance by speed painter, Cody Sabol, whose muse, Kenny Pickett, was in attendance. Much to the delight of the crowd, Pickett autographed the painting that went to live auction, securing a $2,600 winning bid. Also in attendance was fellow Steeler, Connor Heyward, several members of the University of Pittsburgh Football team, sports radio host Andrew Fillipponi, Pittsburgh photographer Dave DiCello, President and General Manager of the Washington Wild Things Tony Buccilli, Tom and Demi Schweers, Brooke Hyland, Vinnie Candelore, and Pittsburgh’s own Rick Sebak. Guests enjoyed shaking their groove thangs with live entertainment provided by Dancing Queen.

Special thanks to all our event sponsors for supporting our fundraising efforts at Shake Your Groovy Booties, including our Corporate Sponsor, BNY Mellon. Thank you to all the volunteers who helped plan and execute the incredible event, Event Chair, Julia Taylor for volunteering her time to plan this event, and Event Emcee, Aditi Kinkhabwala for sharing her talents and guiding the evening.

Shake Your Groovy Booties was made possible by all the wonderful supporters who attended the event, made donations, funded the mission, and participated in event activities. Thanks to the generosity of our community of supporters, together we raised over $275,000 to help children and their families at The Children’s Home! Thank you for all you do to allow The Children’s Home to continue providing holistic care and family empowerment. 

Where others see problems, Pam sees solutions.”

Pediatric VIEW Continues to

In September 2021, The Children’s Home of Pittsburgh & Lemieux Family Center became home to the already established program, Pediatric VIEW which was developed and founded by our Chief of Pediatric VIEW, Christine Roman-Lantzy, Ph.D. In a very short period of time, Christine and her team, Jonathan Graves, practitioner, and Traci Ziemkiewicz, program director, have expanded the programs in ways that have broadened the scope in which they are able to care for and support children with CVI.

The original vision for Pediatric VIEW was to meet with families and their children for assessments and treatments for CVI. With Christine as the leader in the industry for CVI treatment, Pediatric VIEW was already going to be such an asset to The Children’s Home. Today, Pediatric VIEW looks a bit different and has expanded in ways we could not have anticipated.

One of the ongoing resources that Pediatric VIEW has developed is it’s Pediatric VIEW Perspectives. Pediatric VIEW Perspectives is a VLOG series that is a free resource for families and professionals. This series is a culmination of multiple 6-7 minute videos covering different topics of CVI. These videos cover what CVI is, characteristics of CVI, phases of CVI, and tips on how to navigate

Pediatric VIEW Perspectives

To learn more scan here 

the world of CVI for your child. New episodes come out monthly and can be found on The Children's Home website and YouTube channel. Please join Christine, Jonathan, and Traci as they lead you through your journey to raise CVI awareness and provide a resource that leads to the expansion of functional vision for children with CVI.

Pediatric VIEW now offers:

• A wide array of school support services to help children with CVI reach their highest potential in numeracy and literacy

• Provides Advocacy Services:

- IEP meetings

- IEP reviews and advice

- Expert witness for litigation purposes

• Offers ongoing education:

- Professional development for clinicians and educators through in-services

- Mentorship, which offers consultation for clinicians and educators working with children who have CVI

- Continued resources for families and professionals through our website

• Recently became an Early Intervention provider allows children with CVI the opportunity to have a full continuum of care for their E.I. therapies. 

Dr. Christine Roman Honored by AAC

Last month Dr. Christine Roman, director and founder of our Pediatric VIEW program, flew to sunny California to participate in Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) By the Bay 2023. The AAC By the Bay Conference is a biennial international conference held in San José, California provided by the Bridge School.

The Bridge School named Dr. Roman the 2023 honoree, for her work with their students and school. The prestigious award is given to a person who has made an impact at The Bridge School and internationally.

The honoree presentation included videos of over 20 individuals with CVI and their families discussing the impact Dr. Roman, and her work has had on their lives. This was a moving moment for Christine to hear from many of the families whose lives she had touched with her work. She said, “It was one of the biggest honors of my life.”

FEATURED SPOTLIGHT

Shake Your Booties Gala Volunteer Honoree

Zachary’s Mission

Zachary’s Mission supports families of medically fragile children by providing necessities, financial assistance, and programs that nurture emotional well-being for the whole family. They offer Zack Packs (toiletries, snacks, journal, and other comforts) to families who unexpectedly find themselves with a child in the hospital.

In addition, Zachary’s Mission provides financial assistance with transportation and utility expenses that accumulate during a hospital stay, and they supply Baby’s First Gifts to enable families to celebrate holiday milestones with their little ones. Any family staying at The Children’s Home of Pittsburgh & Lemieux Family Center is eligible for their services and they are more than willing to help in any way possible.

FEATURED SPOTLIGHT

Shake Your Booties Gala Volunteer Honoree Jameson’s Army

Jameson’s Army’s focus is to raise awareness about CHD (congenital heart disease) and support children and families affected by CHD and those who support them. They provide care packages to medical facilities around Pittsburgh, including The Children’s Home, for patients and families in need of extra care, organize toy drives and gift donation drop offs, and provide patients with therapeutic heart pillows after surgery to allow for a more comfortable road to recovery.

We are so grateful for such amazing relationships with Zachary’s Mission and Jameson’s Army and their incredible outreach that aligns with our mission and care. 

Want to help? Make a donation to The Children’s Home today!

Corporate Volunteer Groups: We Want You!

The Children’s Home of Pittsburgh & Lemieux Family Center is always open to corporate volunteer groups and would love to have you help us in many ways, including putting up and taking down holiday decorations throughout the building, deep cleaning our Family Centers, and bringing special donations for our families. We are so appreciative of everything volunteer groups do!

A special thank you to BNY Mellon and their wonderful staff for helping with the holiday decorations in December, PNC: Grow UP Great for their willingness to organize the decorations in January with smiles on their faces, and Pitt Athletics, their quarterbacks and coaches, for visiting with our children in Child’s Way in April and bringing such joy to our kids and organization.

Volunteer Appreciation Week: April 16-22

We are so very appreciative of our volunteers and everything they do for us here at The Children’s Home! Our volunteers are kindhearted, helpful, and compassionate. They are a wonderful group of people who we are lucky to have as a part of our team. A huge thank you to our volunteers who have accumulated over 600 volunteer hours since the beginning of the year.

Dawn and her daughter,

We are thrilled to have our volunteers back in the building. As we continue to monitor the needs of our children and families, we are reintroducing volunteers slowly, but surely, and hope to onboard new volunteers soon.

Also, we have expanded our volunteer opportunities to include pet therapy, ambassadors, boutique, handyperson, administrative tasks, special events, and social media, in addition to helping in the Pediatric Specialty Hospital and Child’s Way.

If you are interested in becoming a regular volunteer at The Children’s Home, please fill out our inquiry form to be added to the waitlist:

scan here

VOTE for Us!

Target Featured Nonprofit

What is it?

Target Circle is a loyalty program for Target shoppers. It is a way for Target guests to have an even more rewarding Target run. One benefit of Target Circle is the ability to earn votes to help direct where Target gives locally.

What is a featured nonprofit?

Target has identified nonprofit partners working in areas near their store locations. Each nonprofit partner is selected based on a variety of criteria, including mission, programming, the community where it serves, and area of impact.

How does it work?

Target shoppers can enroll in the Giving Program for free. There are 3 easy ways to sign up for Target Circle:

1. Sign up at target.com/circle

2. Download the Target app

3. Provide phone number at checkout

How does The Children’s Home earn votes?

Guests earn one vote every time they make an eligible purchase at Target, online and in-store. Then each Target Circle member logs in to their Target account at target.com or on the mobile app and follows the prompts and instructions to vote. Nonprofits will display in a list with each organization’s name, logo, description, and website link.

When is the voting period?

Our local campaign began on April 1, 2023 and runs through June 30, 2023.

What do featured nonprofits receive?

Every nonprofit featured in the voting campaign receives a grant based on the percentage of votes they earned from guests. Each nonprofit will receive a donation of at least $500 at the end of the campaign. 

Dawn and her daughter

I say often that we’re like the St. Jude’s in your own backyard. No family ever sees a medical bill for their stay with us in the hospital and family living center. We help them to pay electricity bills and find safe housing. We help them to choose clothes from our free boutique. We help them to complete family profiles and find their birth families. We help them to navigate school board meetings and g-tube cleanings and follow-up appointments with specialists. But we can’t do it alone. Nor should we.”

- Pam Keen, CEO

2022 Annual Report

Earlier this year, we released our 2022 Annual Report. It includes stats, highlights, and stories from a year filled with highs and lows and everything in between. We encourage you to take a look at where we’ve been and where we’re going…with your help and support. 

Join our Monthly Friends Club

Whether you sign up for a recurring gift of $10, $50 or $100, you’ll know that your gift helps us ensure that The Children’s Home has resources for families in need every single day because of your generosity.

By being our Friend, you’ll enjoy:

• A club members only custom gift

• A subscription to our newsletters

• Bi-annual thank you impact reports

• The knowledge that your donation is put to work immediately

• Hassle free automatic monthly donations from your credit or debit card

• The ability to change or suspend your donations at any time

• The joy of knowing that you’re making a difference in the lives of medically fragile children and vulnerable families in our communities

Here are just a few examples of the many ways your monthly gift will help:

$10 PROVIDES SUPPLIES for welcome bags for Pediatric VIEW patients

$20 PROVIDES GIFT CARDS for birthparents in need of food, clothing and other needs

$35 COVERS ONE DAY OF CARE in Child’s Way©, our daycare for medically fragile children

$50 PROVIDES EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE for children in our TEMP program

$100 HELPS COVER THE COST OF MEDICAL BILLS in our Pediatric Specialty Hospital

OTHER: CHOOSE AN AMOUNT THAT WORKS BEST FOR YOU! Any amount, big or small, can make a lasting impact for a family in need

COUNSELING SERVICES

The Children’s Home & Lemieux Family Center is offering both convenient and affordable therapy. Telehealth and in-person appointments are available.

Why Choose Us

The Children’s Home has immediate openings for individuals and families. Start your journey to wellness today! We welcome birth and adoptive families, adopted or donor conceived individuals, blended families, and those experiencing infertility or pregancy loss. Fee for service with sliding scale available.

Our Services Include

- Infertility and Family Building Counseling

- Post Adoption Counseling

- Pregnancy Loss Counseling

- Surrogacy and Third-Party Reproduction Evaluations

- Individual, Couples, and Family Counseling

- Children and Adult and more

Licensed mental health professionals provide our counseling services, making sure that every person who walks through our doors - or joins us virtually - feels valued and empowered.

Telehealth available for anyone within the state of Pennsylvania. 