New "Man In A Box" In Downtown Pittsburgh - Drawing Attention To The Issue of Homelessness and The Salvation Army

CARNEGIE, Pa., Feb. 16, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- For the past two years, during some of the coldest weeks in winter, Pittsburgh based radio station 100.7 Star partnered with The Salvation Army, Highwoods Properties, Highmark and other sponsors to raise awareness of family homelessness through the "Man in a Box" campaign.  The management at CBS Radio was so overwhelmed by the community's response that this year, not only will the event be featured on 100.7 Star, but on the other local CBS Radio stations as well, including KDKA AM 1020, 93.7 FM The Fan, and the country music station Y108. 

Experiencing some of the hardships of being homeless, living in a 4 ft. by 8 ft. Plexiglas box for 12 hours a day, and staying at shelter at night this year will be James Garrity, reporter for KDKA AM.   James will be in "the box", situated at Highwoods Properties' PPG Place, near the MassMutual Pittsburgh Ice Rink in downtown Pittsburgh, from 6 am February 24 through 6 pm February 25.   He will have minimal shelter and heat, and only the same food provided to the homeless by The Salvation Army.  James will spend the night in between at The Salvation Army's Adult Rehabilitation Center (ARC) in the Southside of Pittsburgh, learning more about the program there so that he can better educate listeners and encourage them to donate used goods to The Salvation Army's Family Store, which funds the ARC.  

The Salvation Army EDS Team will be on site throughout the event to provide breakfast and lunch for James, and coffee and hot chocolate for volunteers and passers-by.  They will be using their newest Emergency Disaster Response Unit, a slightly smaller hybrid unit designed locally to better meet their needs and funded by The United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania.  "The Salvation Army Disaster Response Unit aims to improve emergency and disaster response coordination among many agencies who are working to help victims of a crisis," said Angela Reynolds, Director of PA 2-1-1 Southwest and Helping Families Thrive, United Way of Southwestern PA. "The innovative technology available on the unit enables greater collaboration among disaster response agencies and uses real-time updates to help people recover faster in times of disaster."   Michael Riemer, The Salvation Army of Western PA's Divisional EDS Director added,   "We can't thank the United Way enough for their continuing support of The Salvation Army EDS. They are a valued partner, and this most recent contribution is definitely an asset to our fleet."

"After shadowing The Salvation Army's Emergency Disaster Services (EDS) crews and visiting their Family Caring Shelter, the plight of homelessness really hit me," said Garrity.  "Everybody knows about the issue, but once I saw homeless camps up close and fed some folks on the streets, I realized I've been given a great opportunity with this project.  With the public platform I have working at KDKA, I'm ecstatic to do what I can to raise awareness and funds for the selfless work done by The Salvation Army."

It can be easy to forget that homelessness is a daily reality for many people.  Too often, when we see a homeless person on the streets, we want to look the other way.  The unfortunate truth is that there are many more families with no housing, who remain unseen.  "Man in a Box" will provide awareness and support The Salvation Army's Red Shield Campaign, benefitting their Emergency Disaster Services program, Family Caring Center and Comprehensive Social Services, all of which play a role in assisting the homeless. 

"The issue of homelessness is serious and deserves everyone's attention and compassion," said Major Deborah Sedlar, Divisional Commander of The Salvation Army's Western PA Division.  "I thank and commend CBS radio, and especially James Garrity, for helping us in such a unique way to educate the public and encourage support of The Salvation Army in addressing the needs of the community."  Funds will be raised through corporate donations, on-site kettle collections and online donations made at wpa.salvationarmy.org.

Highmark is a "Brought To You By" sponsor of "Man in a Box".   Other area businesses also supporting "Man in a Box" include, Highwoods Properties, The Salvation Army Family Store & Adult Rehabilitation Center; Strategic Financial Designs, LLC;  Get Go;  First Commonwealth Bank; Mister Water Heater;  Peoples Gas; United Healthcare;  Lighthouse Electric;  and SDC Remodeling.  Please contact Lauren Brant at The Salvation Army at 412.446.1644 for more information or to get involved.

The Salvation Army is dedicated to caring for the poor, feeding the hungry and educating youth.  Every day, The Salvation Army attends to the needs of homeless families and their children, helping break the cycle of poverty.  They respond to disasters, shelter the homeless, reunite families, and renew health to addicts.  Holistic service is the goal, meeting physical, social, psychological, emotional and spiritual needs of families and individuals.  Celebrating 150 years of global service as both a church and a social service organization, The Salvation Army began in London, England in 1865.  Today, it provides critical services in 127 countries worldwide.  The 28-county Western Pennsylvania Division serves thousands of needy families through a wide variety of support services.  To learn more about The Salvation Army in Western Pennsylvania, log on to www.wpa.salvationarmy.org  The Salvation Army … doing the most good for the most people in the most need.

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SOURCE The Salvation Army Western Pennsylvania Division

Related Links

http://www.wpa.salvationarmy.org