The Almanac- Difficulties caused by the COVID-19 pandemic have put a greater focus on what the South Hills Interfaith Movement means for the community at large.
“At SHIM, we saw more than 5,000 people turn to us for help for the very first time,” executive director Jim Guffey said. “People who had never had to ask for help reached out to receive food, clothing, financial and utility assistance, help in their rent and assistance in navigating the challenging world of virtual school for their children.”
He led off of the variety of speakers featured in Celebrate the South Hills with SHIM @home, an hourlong video that streamed June 17 in place of the annual in-person fundraiser for the 53-year-old human services nonprofit.
In the video, senior operations coordinator Molly Penderville said as of March 2020, the organization had been serving about 600 households, some 2,100 individuals, each month.
“We are now serving closer to 800 households and 2,700 individuals a month, and that’s about a 30% increase in people coming to SHIM for help,” she said.
