Thursday, January 31, 2013
The bank makes a substantial investment in Mon Valley Initiative's Workforce and Business Development Program.
Fifth Third Bank, Western Pennsylvania has made a $20,000 donation to Mon Valley Initiative and its Workforce and Business Development program to assist Mon Valley residents in gaining employment as a primary step toward individual self-sufficiency. The donation will help MVI assist individuals overcome barriers and gain the skills and contacts necessary to find employment. MVI provides direct services to clients through basic career counseling and case management, both pre- and post-employment. The ultimate goal is not simply placement but also job retention. Fifth Third Bank has identified assistance to the unemployed as an important investment, particularly for those living in the economically-distressed communities of the Mon Valley, …
Thursday, January 3, 2013
Mike Mauer gets special recognition at PA Housing Finance Agency awards in Harrisburg.
Mike Mauer, a housing counselor for a Mon Valley Initiative, earned special recognition during a Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency awards ceremony in Harrisburg. Mauer received certification as a PHFA housing counseling specialist from PHFA Executive Director Brian A. Hudson Sr. Mauer is one of about nine dozen housing counselors in Pennsylvania to have earned the certification from approximately 100 housing counseling agencies throughout the Commonwealth. To be recognized as a PHFA housing counseling specialist, Mauer had to pass a timed, three-part competency examination as well as complete a battery of courses covering such topics as anti-predatory lending, foreclosure prevention, and mortgage default and delinquency. Additionally, he…
Friday, December 28, 2012
Mon Valley Initiative and a contractor develop a commercial real estate marketing plan and tools based upon the desire of property owners and the community in Braddock.
Mon Valley Initiative, a coalition of community development corporations in the Monongahela Valley, received a $25,000 grant in May from the Enterprise Zone Corp. of Braddock, to contract with Mark Harvey Smith, a real estate broker and community consultant, to develop a commercial real estate marketing plan and tools based upon the desire of property owners and the community in Braddock. This marketing phase builds on a community plan developed earlier this year by MVI and the Braddock Economic Development Corp. (BEDCO), a member of MVI, and adopted by Braddock Council in October. The plan included a comprehensive market restoration initiative as well as property survey to gain an understanding of the current physical and market …
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
All who attend the workshop in Homestead will have the chance to win a $50 gift card.
- THE NEIGHBORHOOD FILES
- Zandy Dudiak
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Wednesday, November 7, 2012
The Mon Valley Initiative will host a free Housing Workshop from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 17, at 305 East Eighth Ave. in Homestead. Participants who successfully complete this Housing and Urban Development curriculum will receive a certificate which is required to obtain homes through various community development programs. All who attend will have the chance to win a $50 gift card. Participants will also have the opportunity at the event to have their credit reports reviewed by a certified housing counselor and tour MVI rehabilitated homes. Licensed real estate agents and a mortgage lender will be available to answer questions and provide information about the home buying process, and opportunities in the current low-interest rate…
Monday, September 10, 2012
Mon Valley Initiative's Urban Farm Expo in North Braddock drew a small crowd but grew interest in possibilities of farming in city-type neighborhoods.
A small crowd braved the rain on Saturday to find out about one of the latest trends in city living—urban farming. North Braddock Cares and Mon Valley Initiative hosted "Plow Ahead: Urban Farm Expo" at 705 Parkview Ave. in North Braddock, celebrating the renovation of the house, the first project in the Mon Valley Micro Farms initiative. The initiative combines the traditional rehab for resale model with a demolition strategy to create “micro farms,” which include a one-quarter to two acres of cleared property specifically for small scale urban agriculture. The demonstrations Saturday included presentations on beekeeping, raising chickens in an urban setting and produce that can be grown on city lots. For information on the Urban Farm Expo…
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Garden columnist Doug Oster, Burgh Bees, Pittsburgh Poultry, Garfield Farms and sustainable agriculture group will be on hand, and there will be tours of an urban farm house for sale.
North Braddock Cares and Mon Valley Initiative are hosting "Plow Ahead: Urban Farm Expo" from 2 to 5 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 8, at 705 Parkview Ave. in North Braddock. The event will celebrate the renovation of the Parkview Avenue house, the first project in the Mon Valley Micro Farms initiative. The expo will feature information and presentations from local urban gardening experts, including local gardener enthusiast and Pittsburgh Post-Gazette columnist Doug Oster from 3-3:20 p.m.; Burgh Bees from 2-2:40 p.m.; Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture from 4:20-4:40; Pittsburgh Poultry from 3:40 to 4 p.m. Additional groups, such as Garfield Farms, will have informational tables set up. Refreshments will be available. The event is…
40.404273
-79.863522
705 Parkview Ave, Braddock, PA
/articles/urban-farm-expo-set-for-saturday-in-north-braddock
/locations/7766899
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
Check this event out on June 24.
The Mon Valley Initiative, a recognized non-profit leader in the development of homeownership in the Mon Valley, will host an open house Sunday, June 24, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at five of its newly renovated properties in Turtle Creek. Co-sponsored by the Turtle Creek Development Corp., this event will feature homes for sale that have such desirable amenities as unique architectural features, handsome woodwork, updated appliances and spacious yards. Houses to be shown are 309 Albert Street, 413 Albert Street, 533 James Street, 1615 Maple Avenue and 517 George Street. Real estate agents and housing development specialists will be on hand to provide tours and answer questions about these residences. All of the homes are located in a quiet…
Friday, June 1, 2012
This event is free.
- THE NEIGHBORHOOD FILES
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Friday, June 1, 2012
Looking for reliable information about home ownership? Curious about what programs are available that feature low interest rates and closing costs? The Mon Valley Initiative, an area leader in non-profit real estate development, will host with Citizens Bank and the Homestead Area Economic Revitalization Corporation a Homebuyer Education Workshop 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, June 16, at 305 East 8th Avenue, Homestead. Topics to be covered include budgeting to purchase a home, shopping for a home loan, closing procedures and home maintenance. Together with community development corporations such as HERC and lending partners like Citizens Bank, Mon Valley Initiative has built or refurbished hundreds of homes throughout the Mon Valley, and has …
Thursday, May 31, 2012
A new neighbor is in Swissvale!
- THE NEIGHBORHOOD FILES
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Thursday, May 31, 2012
Submitted by the Mon Valley Initiative This past September, a young couple began researching the best ways to improve their credit and purchase a home. For them, a few hours of mouse clicking and web surfing paid off. Eight months after first exploring the website of the Mon Valley Initiative, they’re moved into a four bedroom, fully renovated house on Manor Avenue in Swissvale. “We were in a housing arrangement we really didn’t like and knew our credit needed work,” said Marieke Johnson, a social worker. “It was rough, but now we own a house we can be proud of that’s costing us less each month than what we used to pay in rent. We couldn’t be happier.” Funded partly through grant monies received through the United States Department of …
Monday, April 23, 2012
This local housing counselor talked to us about what it's like to help others buy a new place to call home.
Mike Mauer, a housing counselor at the Mon Valley Initiative, has had a long career that has involved serving as the non-commissioned officer in charge of command information during Operations Desert Storm and Shield. He grew up in Bethel Park and joined the army after graduating from Point Park College in 1984, before it was later named a university. After returning to the U.S. after the military, Mauer worked at Kaufmann’s in the financial department. Today, he helps people take concrete steps to becoming more financially stable, with the ultimate goal of buying a home. He lives in West Mifflin with his family and recently took the time to talk to Patch. How did you become involved with MVI and what is your job like on a daily basis? I …
Lisa McCune
7:13 am on Monday, September 10, 2012
Oh, I wish I could have gone to this! I'm such a fan of backyard gardening, and I want to get into backyard chickens! Lisa www.facebook.com/LivingEarthReptiles www.livingearthreptileencounters.weebly.com more ›