Bountiful Blessings serves need-based families in Pittsburgh’s North Side area

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Bountiful Blessings, a 501c3 non-profit organization helps need-based working-poor families in the North Side / Brighton Heights area at its newest location inside Greater Allen AME Church.  The church is located at 3600 California Ave. in Pittsburgh.  Bountiful Blessings offers a variety of non-food items, such as shampoo, bath soap, bath tissue, paper towels, toothpaste and cleaning items – all of which are not covered on Federal Food Stamp (SNAP) programs.
Beginning June 14th, 2014, the Bountiful Blessings Pittsburgh site will be open the 2nd and 4th Saturday of every month from 10:00am to Noon.
“We serve working poor families and senior citizens, people who have fallen on hard times and find themselves with having too much month left at the end of their money,” says Bountiful Blessings Founder and President, Terry Orendi
Bountiful Blessings, although not classified as a religious charity, was founded on the Biblical principle, “I am my brother’s keeper.”  Orendi adds, “We feel that people should come to the church in times of trouble and need, not relying on the government.” Mrs. Orendi also says that the program offers a hand up, and not a hand out, following the Biblical verse from II Thessalonians 3:10 “If a man will not work, he shall not eat.”  Families that receive from the Bountiful Blessings program are required to give back volunteer time to the host site church or to the Bountiful Blessings program.
Mrs. Orendi emphasizes, “Bountiful Blessings is about a lot more than bath tissue, soap, toothpaste and cleaning items.  It’s about giving people hope, boosting their self confidence, and letting people know that they matter.”  In fact, the Bountiful Blessings motto is “Growing Churches – Giving Hope – Changing Communities.”
Families must show a photo i.d. with their complete current address each time they come to Bountiful Blessings.  Families with babies (less than 24 months old) may be eligible to receive baby products if the recipient provides a photo copy of the child’s birth certificate, adoption certificate or proof of legal guardianship”.
Bountiful Blessings was founded in January 2001.  Their first site opened inside Trinity Lutheran Church in Lemoyne, PA.  To date, there are 25 Bountiful Blessings sites located in Pennsylvania and Maryland.  Orendi notes, “In addition to the Pittsburgh location, we also have sites in:

Lemoyne, PA             Middletown, PA          Chambersburg, PA
Millersburg, PA         Fayetteville, PA                Wiconisco, PA
Munhall, PA             Mechanicsburg, PA       Bethel Park, PA
New Columbia, PA        Gettysburg, PA          Lock Haven, PA
Rouzerville, PA         Shade Gap, PA           Mount Union, PA
Calvin, PA                      York, PA                        Etters, PA
Fort Loudon, PA         Ashland, PA                     Boonsboro, MD
Stevensville, MD                Riverdale, MD           Essex, MD

According to Terry Orendi, Bountiful Blessings is helping approximately 1,500 families every month at its locations.

Of the 1.5 million charities in the Unites States, Bountiful Blessings is unique in 3 ways:
•       The program has no paid staff – operating on volunteers who have a heart for serving God and His people.
•       The program receives no government funding.  Bountiful Blessings relies on the generous support of churches, businesses, and individuals.
•        The program requires recipient families to volunteer time back in exchange for the items they receive through Bountiful Blessings.  The volunteer jobs  vary from extremely sedentary chores or more skilled tasks.

Bountiful Blessings relies on individual monetary donations as well as drives for non food items – conducted by churches, businesses, scout troops and organizations.
For more information on Bountiful Blessings, how to hold a collection / drive or information on what to donate, visit their web site at https://www.bountifulblessingsinc.org  or call Bountiful Blessings at 717-802-1222.

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