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Whereas, on November 1, 1975, at St. Lawrence O'Toole Roman Catholic Church in Garfield, the Rev. Leo Henry gathered parishioners, business people, and residents of the Bloomfield and Garfield neighborhoods; and
Whereas, as he observed a community spiraling downward from a decade of physical and economic decline, he felt compelled to do something to address its future; and
Whereas, using the sale of $5 membership “shares,” he made each person a stockholder in this new engine for change; and
Whereas, over 500 of those shares would be sold in the weeks and months to come, and the Bloomfield-Garfield Corporation (BGC) was officially born in January of 1976; and
Whereas, Father Henry also launched the Bloomfield-Garfield Bulletin, a community newspaper currently distributed to 20,000 households across the East End to "promote a spirit of community"; and
Whereas, on the 35th anniversary of the organization, with the community still steadfastly behind it, the BGC is successfully reversing the neighborhood's decline and continues to fight for the health of the community; and
Whereas, BGC succeeds by: creating opportunities for individuals to better their economic or educational standing; attacking problems that undermine the aspirations of residents and business owners, or threatens their well-being; and involving stakeholders in planning and implementing strategies to eliminate blight, attract new investment, and capitalize on the assets and attributes of the community; and
Whereas, BGC provides the credibility, dedication and perseverance necessary to make our neighborhoods safe, distinctive and livable places.
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Now, therefore be it resolved that the Council of the City of Pittsburgh does hereby honor the ceaseless efforts of the Bloomfield-Garfield Corporation; and
Be it further resolved, that the Council of the City of Pittsburgh does hereby declare Friday, December 2, 2011, as Bloomfield-Garfield Corporation Day in the City of Pittsburgh.
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