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WHEREAS, Pittsburgh's identity as a welcoming destination for refugees and immigrants is notable, and a small but steadily growing population of families from Latin America is making our region their home, particularly in the South Pittsburgh neighborhoods of Beechview and Brookline; and
WHEREAS, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Baden, in their commitment to providing help to the communities in which they live and worship, have announced the opening of Casa San Jose, a community center for Latino residents of the City, which will operate in the neighborhood of Brookline, located within St. Mark's Lutheran Church at 933 Brookline Boulevard, and will be managed by Sister Janice Vanderneck; and
WHEREAS, Sister Janice has devoted decades of her life to helping the Latino community: as a young student she studied Spanish and picked up fluency in Portuguese while working as a missionary in Brazil, and more recently studied intensive Spanish at a language school in Cuernavaca, Mexico; and
WHEREAS, Sister Janice served at the Latino center at St. Regis Parish in South Oakland, home to the only Spanish-language Mass in Pittsburgh, for five years, and has devoted her service to the community through translating documents, interpreting for those who speak little English, and providing guidance for many who are in need of important social services; and
WHEREAS, with the collaboration of local organizations like the Jewish Family & Children's Services, the Greater Pittsburgh Literacy Council, and the Latino Family Center, Casa San Jose plans to be able to help Spanish-speaking Pittsburghers connect with valuable resources like English classes and various forms of tangible assistance, fostering a crucial sense of safety and community; and
WHEREAS, Beechview and Brookline are neighborhoods with strong immigrant histories, home to families who can trace their lines to places like Italy or Lebanon, and Casa San Jose marks the next chapter in this story, assisting ...
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