**FOR PLANNING PURPOSES**

CONTACT: 

Emilia Rowland, Emilia.Rowland@mail.house.gov; (330) 212-2065

Vaibhav Vijay, Vaibhav.Vijay@mail.house.gov; (425) 941-7268

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 ADVISORY FOR MONDAY @ 3 PM:

Congresswoman Summer Lee to Present $1,000,000 Check to Allegheny YMCA for Building Rehabilitation and Community Improvements 

Pittsburgh, Pa. — On Monday, March 18 at 3PM, Rep. Summer Lee will visit the Allegheny YMCA in the Northside to present a $1 million check in grant funding for Allegheny Y building rehabilitation and programs for community improvement, support and empowerment. This $1 million is one of 14 projects for which Rep. Lee has secured Community Project Funding in the FY24 Federal Budget. This funding will help rehabilitate the Allegheny YMCA building to make it ADA accessible, address unworkable infrastructure, and allow the facility to directly address the needs of the community through upgraded space to provide childcare, before/after school enrichment, support for seniors, provide air conditioning, and promote community health and wellness.

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WHEN: Monday, March 18th 2024 from 3-4PM

WHERE: Allegheny Y, 600 W North Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15212

WHO:

• Rep. Summer Lee
• YMCA of Greater Pittsburgh President and CEO Amy Kienle
• YMCA Membership
• More Local Leaders to be announced

WHAT: Remarks, press conference, and check presentation for $1,000,000 to build upgrades to Allegheny YMCA to address unworkable infrastructure, add air conditioning, ADA accessibility, and build additional space for childcare, pre/after-school enrichment, senior programs, and more. 

Background: 

In December, Rep. Lee hosted a roundtable with Community Project Funding recipients to highlight the need to pass a federal budget, and what these vital investments would do for their organizations and for the community. 

• At the time, Carolyn Grady, the Executive Director of Pittsburgh YMCA said “Right now with all of the stairs and no elevator, we can’t host a lot of senior programming. If you have any kind of mobility issues. It’s almost impossible to get into the building. The residents who live on the top three floors, we have a chair on each landing so they can sit down and catch their breath as they are carrying their groceries up to their room. There is no air conditioning in that building right now. And if you can imagine everybody remembers what last summer was like with those air quality days. And so we are deeply grateful for the support from your office, Congresswoman Lee for delivering the funding for this renovation to bring accessibility, updated plumbing, air conditioning, and an affordable childcare center to our resident’s and Pittsburgh’s north side.”

After Congressional Republicans threatened another government shutdown, President Biden was finally able to sign the bipartisan negotiated partial FY24 budget last week. Included in the budget was $12 million for Rep. Lee’s district that will go toward organizations and projects to fight hunger, homelessness and blight, as well as wraparound services, infrastructure improvements and education against antisemitism and discrimination. 

• “The YMCA is thrilled to welcome Congresswoman Lee as we celebrate the generous grant she has secured for the renovation of the Allegheny YMCA,” said YMCA of Greater Pittsburgh President and CEO, Amy Kienle. “For 96 years, this Y has been a pillar of the community. Now the building needs assistance as we plan for the community’s evolving needs and prepare for the next 100 years of service. Thanks to the Congresswoman’s advocacy, this grant brings us closer to our ultimate goal of providing a more supportive, accessible and inclusive facility for the members, residents, staff and the Northside community at large. “This grant brings us closer to our funding goal of $23 million and a start date for the project. We all look forward to the day when the Allegheny Y will provide more accessible health and wellness services and other essential programs to the Northside community and beyond,” 

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Since taking office in January, Lee, who serves on the House Oversight Committee and Space, Science and Technology Committee, has delivered historic levels of federal investment totaling over $1 Billion brought back to Western PA, including over $200 million for infrastructure, over $50 million for affordable transit, and over $500 million to keep clean energy manufacturing at home in Pennsylvania. These investments will help improve Western Pennsylvania’s infrastructure and transit, ensure cleaner air and drinking water, lower housing costs, fund research institutions, fuel clean manufacturing, fund STEM innovation and entrepreneurship, boost workforce development, and create thousands of good paying union jobs.  Lee and her team have also delivered casework and constituent services to over 1,800 constituents with issues ranging from helping our seniors and disabled community access Medicare and social security to helping folks secure housing and helping families with immigration support and passports.