SHIM expands their headquarters to serve even more local families

Photos courtesy of SHIM. 

Financial struggles happen in every type of community, including the suburbs where people sometimes don’t expect it.

The South Hills Interfaith Movement, commonly known as SHIM, helped more than 4,000 people just last month with food and other support. And now, the organization has just completed an expansion and renovation of their facility in Bethel Park, expanding their capacity to serve local families and adding features like an elevator to increase accessibility.

At a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the renovated building on Oct. 15, SHIM board member Rev. Brian Snyder led the crowd in an interfaith prayer. The organization’s executive director Jim Guffey then spoke about the history and growth of the organization.

After remarks by board chair Pace Markowitz, Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato and others, a volunteer and donor named Lisa Connell spoke about her experience as a food pantry client years ago.

Connell used SHIM’s services when she was in a difficult time in her life, and she is glad to have returned as a donor and a volunteer to help others. She praised the positive experience she had as a recipient of SHIM services.

“They hold your hand through the process,” Connell says. “They were able to provide food. They reviewed my budget and my finances and set me on a course of success, and I’ve come out on the other side now.”

At first, Connell says, she resisted asking for help because she thought SHIM was for people who are homeless. She wants people to know SHIM is here to help anyone in a tough spot, whether it’s someone going through a challenge like divorce, job loss or illness or anyone who just doesn’t have enough money to make ends meet.

SHIM helps people not only with food, but with other resources to become financially stable.

Innamoroto also shared about her own family’s experience needing help when she was a child growing up in the North Hills.

“Behind that white picket fence and suburban house on a nice residential street,” Innamoroto said, referring to her family, “there was a parent struggling with addiction. There was housing insecurity. There were times when we didn’t have enough and didn’t know where we were going to stay at night.”

SHIM’s expansion was funded in part by a $370,000 grant from the Gaming Economic Development Tourism Fund. To learn more about their food pantry, clothing closet, financial services, family and youth support and other services, visit ShimCares.org.