Our Mission
Girls Hope of Pittsburgh is a nonprofit organization that helps academically capable and motivated children-in-need to meet their full potential and become “women for others.” By providing a value-centered, nurturing, family-like home, opportunities, and a quality education through college, we break the patterns of abuse, poverty, and neglect experienced by the young women we serve.
As an affiliate of Boys Hope Girls Hope International, Girls Hope gives our scholars a foundation for success by addressing their basic needs and providing them with opportunities that build confidence and self-esteem. Our program focuses on formal education, holistic learning, and service projects, preparing each girl to become an educated, responsible young woman poised to make a positive and lasting impact on the world around her.
Our Story
In 1977, Father Paul Sheridan founded Boys Hope with the mission of providing academic, financial, and spiritual support through college to disadvantaged boys in St. Louis. With the intention of breaking patterns of abuse, his new “arms-around” approach included placing scholars in top-rated schools and creating a family-style home to support them. Boys Hope quickly expanded into other cities throughout the 1980s, and ultimately became Boys Hope Girls Hope in 1991 after the Sisters of St. Joseph founded the country’s first Girls Hope home in Baden.
We first opened our doors with two Sisters as Residential Counselors serving four girls in our program. In 1992, four additional girls entered the program, enabling us to serve a total of eight young women with great potential. Ten years and an increased number of applications later, we opened our second home in Clinton (in 2009 we moved this second home to its permanent location in Coraopolis). Today, Girls Hope houses 16 scholars in our two residences, while also supporting seven young women in college. Through housing, educating, and nurturing our girls, we have seen 16 women graduate college and launch successful careers.
Our Impact
With the help of our highly trained Residential Counselors, our long-time community partners, our loyal donors, and our devoted staff, Girls Hope of Pittsburgh has housed, educated, and nurtured 15 alumnae (and college graduates) since first opening our doors in 1991.
Of our 15 graduates, five have continued on to receive master’s degrees at institutions including the New England College of Business, Duquesne University, and the University of Pittsburgh. One of our alumnae has earned her Ph.D. from the University of Chicago. Graduates of our program have launched successful careers at institutions such as Mount Sinai Hospital, Deloitte, PNC Bank, and Vanguard.
While Girls Hope provides our scholars with a high quality education to serve as the foundation for a successful future, the impact we have on our scholars stretches much further than just education. We provide a nurturing and stable home environment guided by loving and responsible adults. Upon entering our homes, our scholars are provided with nutritious food to feed their brains, school supplies to fill their backpacks, and the assistance they need to build a successful future.
