City Mission Intro

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See how your financial contribution can restore hope to the homeless!

Donations

Events

Support our fundraising events by attending, volunteering, or sponsoring.

Upcoming Events

Thrift

We have 8 Thrift Stores and a warehouse! All proceeds go to our life-changing programs.

Thrift Store Info

Volunteer

City Mission has numerous volunteer opportunities. Sign up today!

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Learn more about City Mission

Who we are

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City Mission is a Christ-centered rehabilitative homeless shelter.

We facilitate the transformation of those who have descended into homelessness, hunger and despair by providing food, shelter, case management, Christian based counseling, and life-changing programming.

Our goal is to help each person who walks through our doors to become a healthy, productive member of society.

a beautiful little girl stares at her empty plate

What we do

The City Mission offers two branches of service - Compassionate Care and our Life Recovery Program.

Compassionate Care reaches out to those most in need by offering basic services such as meals, shelter, and medical care.

The Life Recovery Program assists men, women, and children who are in crisis and looking for life transformation.

Our philosophy is to meet people where they are and to lead them towards their God-given purpose.

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What you can do

City Mission’s work is only possible by the community and businesses of Southwestern Pennsylvania’s generous donation of time and treasure.

If you, your business, or church would like to be part of bringing hope to those hurting in our region, or partner with us to deliver the same - please take action today.

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5 youthful volunteers in the cafeteria alongside CEO Dean Gartland

Our Mission

For over 80 years, City Mission has shared Christ, sheltered, healed, and restored the homeless to independent living—without discrimination. City Mission’s comprehensive program addresses both short-term needs like food and shelter, and long-term needs, including drug and alcohol counseling, mental health and medical treatment, legal aid, and employment training. Our goal is to help each man, woman, mother with children, or veteran who walks through our doors to become a healthy, productive member of society. With your help, we help our residents renew their lives.

Programs & Services Details

Our Impact

Our goal for each person who comes to City Mission is for them to move from a life of crisis, to a healthy, productive and thriving life. Because of your generosity, City Mission made a real impact in the community, giving hope to those who are hungry and homeless and come to our doors for help.

79204

Meals

28364

Nights of Shelter

1085

People Served

15601

Medical Services

See More Stats

What Our Residents Say

"City Mission is where I finally learned that life isn't totally about me. When I began to put others first, I attained a peace that I never had before."

Jackie,

Former Mission Resident

“The Mission gives you the opportunity to get right with the Lord and truly change your life. I’m learning to love myself the way God loves me.”

Matt,

City Mission Resident

“This time last year, I was depressed, but today I have hope. The Mission is a place of restoration. A place of giving life to the lifeless.”

Carmella,

City Mission Resident

“When I had nowhere else to go, their doors were open. They took me in graciously. They’ve given me hope. I’ve gotten my confidence and dignity back."

Matt,

Former Resident

“The Mission is a miracle for me. It has offered and given me so much. There’s everything here you could need to get on your feet and start over.”

Nikki,

Former Mission Resident

“I’m finally happy. Happy that I restored my relationship with the Lord. It’s definitely better when you have God on your side.”

Garrick,

Former Mission Resident

“The gratitude I have in my heart for this place is indescribable. It is always going to be apart of my life. City Mission is forever engraved on my heart.”

Renee,

Former Mission Resident

"City Mission has done wonders for me. It’s really been a God-send. As a vet, it takes me a while to trust people. But God is love, and the City Mission is love."

Jeff,

City Mission Resident

Latest News from the Mission

Our News Articles provide information on all manner of topics related to the City Mission. Our Subject areas include: Events; Resident Stories; Our Donors; Newsletter Repository; and Knowledge Share. Knowledge Share engages a host of topics regarding homelessness, addiction and poverty. Below you will find an opportunity to be “in-the-know” by being on our email list. You will also find our most recent news pulled together for you below. Checkout the "Podcast" section of our Knowledge Share articles page!

City Mission's Former President/CEO Officially Retires

Dean Gartland at City Mission Chapel in 2023

September 27, 2024

City Mission President Emeritus, Dean Gartland, will officially retire on Monday, September 30. Gartland presided over City Mission as President/CEO for 13 years, before moving into the President Emeritus role in March of this year. “Dean has been a guiding light for the mission. His leadership, kind nature, and faith shine through every day,” said City Mission Event Manager, Chris Rogers. Under Gartland’s leadership, City Mission dramatically increased its footprint in Washington County and expanded its services for the homeless, increasing from 96 beds when he first took over to 174 beds today, with construction already underway for a new 50-bed women’s shelter to be completed in July of 2025. Gartland’s tenure at City Mission will be remembered for compassion, vision, and growth as well as his tireless efforts in the aftermath of the devastating fire that destroyed much of the City Mission campus in 2015. After the fire, Gartland supervised a $18 million capital campaign to restore and expand the Mission and with the construction of the new women’s shelter this year, his vision for what City Mission could be will soon become a reality. “Dean’s legacy will continue,” said Director of Residential Programs, Leah Dietrich, “in the work of the staff with the residents and community members we serve on a beautiful campus that was his vision for our region. Although, Dean is ending his time at the Mission, we are sure he’ll continue to be an advocate for those in need even in his retirement.” Gartland’s legacy at City Mission will no doubt be carried forward by the devoted staff he helped to assemble and who he inspired daily with his humor, his challenging yet encouraging chapel devotionals, and his peaceful, genuine presence. “Dean Gartland has been an unwavering source of inspiration to countless people throughout his lifelong commitment to mission work,” said Major Donor Officer, Shelby Lonce. “His vision, leadership, and heart for service have been instrumental in shaping City Mission into the transformative organization it is today, touching the lives of hundreds daily. Dean’s compassion, kindness, and belief in the potential of every individual reflect his strong moral compass and deep faith.” Over decades of mission work at multiple organizations and facilities, Gartland worked his way up through every possible layer in every department. He knew mission work in his bones and was always eager to pass on his knowledge to the staff at City Mission. “Having the opportunity to work and learn under Dean’s guidance has been such a privilege, not only because of his steady leadership but also as a strong example of a follower of Christ,” explained Director of Development, Trisha Schum. “I wish him the best in this next chapter that is certainly well deserved for his service to Christ and the Mission.” Gartland’s contributions to the work of City Mission are countless, from expanding the Mission’s Thrift Stores, to developing a model for evaluating the effectiveness of our programs, and to building relationships with foundations and grantfunding institutions. His legacy of faith and compassion and his vision to restore the homeless to independence one life at a time will carry on through the ongoing work of City Mission.

Dr. Sally Mounts to Retire on September 30, 2024

Dr. Sally Mounts with Dean Gartland at the Groundbreaking Ceremony for Sally's Sanctuary

September 27, 2024

“Sally Mounts is tenacious in her determination to move the mission forward through her tireless efforts to find funding,” declared Leah Dietrich, City Mission’s Director of Residential Programs. “Her efforts and the work of her team have led to rejuvenating buildings, building new spaces and creating a place where those most in need can call home. She is a tireless advocate for our work and for our team.” With 11 years of dedicated service, Dr. Mounts is officially retiring as City Mission’s Chief Development Officer on September 30. She first started at the Mission as a contracted grants writer. President/CEO, Dean Gartland, quickly noticed her abundant talents and energy, and brought Sally on staff as Director of Development. “Hiring Sally was the best decision I ever made for the Mission,” said Gartland. “Sally was the driving force behind City Mission from a fundraising standpoint.” During Dr. Mounts’ tenure at City Mission, the Mission’s yearly budget grew from $2.5 million to $9 million as the Mission expanded from a 96-bed facility to a 174-bed facility with four distinct shelters, a medical clinic, and a career training and education center. Through it all, Dr. Mounts has been a tireless warrior for City Mission. “I know the Mission has been blessed by Sally’s service in Christ’s name, and I too have been blessed to learn from her vast knowledge and have a great foundation to continue the work for City Mission going forward,” said City Mission’s Director of Development, Trisha Schum. “She has been a mentor that I have learned so much from, and also a great example of how Christ works through people to do His Great Work.” Dr. Mounts, a retired Lieutenant Colonel from the US Army and a former Veterans’ Affairs Program Director with a PhD in Psychology from Yeshiva University, has proven to be an incredible asset to City Mission. Her energy, compassion, and leadership has inspired those around her. “Sally is a unique and caring person with a strong dedication and love for the Mission,” said Chris Rogers, City Mission’s Event Manager. “Her kindness and generosity show through in everything she does. I have learned so much from her.” “Working with Dr. Sally Mounts,” added Major Donor Officer, Shelby Lonce, “has been an extraordinary privilege. Her deep compassion, Christ-centered leadership, and relentless dedication to helping those in need have made a lasting impact on both City Mission and me personally. She is not only an exceptional professional but also a mentor and friend who inspires me daily with her kindness, wisdom, and unwavering faith.” Dr. Mounts’ hard work, enthusiasm, and devotion to the Mission has not gone unnoticed, and her legacy of faith and hard work will carry on. “Sally’s House,” the Mission’s new home for their women’s next-step program will bear her name moving forward as well as “Sally’s Sanctuary,” which will be the name of the Mission’s new 50-bed women’s shelter, which is currently under construction and is scheduled to be completed in July of 2025. Trisha Schum has been selected as Director of Development to carry on Dr. Mounts’ legacy. Schum was previously Director of Marketing and Communications at City Mission, and she brings to this position experience, including a vast marketing background in a variety of industries. She has managed such brands as Rubbermaid, Foodsaver, Ball canning jars, Glidden paint, and American Greetings over her career. Schum certainly has large shoes to fill, but she brings experience, determination, and a passion for the work of City Mission. Along with the Mission’s Development team, she will lead the charge to carry on the torch that Dr. Mounts has kept lit for over a decade.

Roots of Recovery

September 13, 2024

Please check out our new Podcast episode, “Addiction or Disease? Pt. 2,” which released this past week. In this episode, our President Emeritus, Dean Gartland, along with co-host Leah Dietrich, our Director of Residential Programs, discuss the roots of recovery. There are many different paths that can lead to homelessness. Every single person we serve has a unique story; however, nearly 85% of our residents struggle with some form of addiction. One crucial step that we at City Mission take alongside those we serve is helping them to identify all of the factors that led them down the road to addiction so that they can move forward in their recovery with confidence. “You have to discover the origins of the problem first,” said Dietrich. “Then you can create a strategy for doing things differently and making different choices.” Gartland explained that the cycle of addiction almost always starts with some kind of pain or trauma, whether it be physical, mental, emotional, or any other type of pain. “To make the pain go away,” said Gartland, “they will reach out for an addictive agent. It might be work or food or sex or drugs or alcohol or dependent relationships. These addictive agents can make you feel a little bit better for a moment, but they usually end up producing negative consequences, which leads to shame and guilt, which results in more pain and low self-esteem, which leads right back to reaching out for that addictive agent again. And the cycle just goes on and on and on.” Most of the residents we serve at City Mission are in the process of understanding how to get off of that cycle. Many of them have lost absolutely everything in their lives that they love through their addiction. They’ve lost all hope and motivation, they’ve lost their homes, jobs, clothes, relationships, and even identification forms like birth certificates and drivers licenses. “These are things they wouldn’t normally leave behind,” explained Dietrich. “But holding onto things is no longer their focus. They are in survival mode.” Their addictions have left them in such a state that they struggle from desperate moment to desperate moment, forced over and over again to make impossible decisions, which can lead them to more shame and guilt and right back into their addiction to help them mask their pain. At City Mission, we help those who are trapped in addiction to find glimmers of hope and to build structures in their lives to make recovery sustainable. “We help them to build relationships that can help guide them out of that cycle of addiction,” Dietrich explained. “Those might be physical relationships with friends and mentors who encourage and uplift them or it could be a spiritual relationship with Christ, whose love can truly transform lives. Introducing them to Christ can often be the turning point in their lives.” But life transformation doesn’t happen overnight. “It can take years and years for someone’s life to fall into addiction and homelessness,” Dietrich said. “So it takes time to pull things back together. That can be overwhelming. You don’t know where to start. You don’t know what to say. You might need someone to hold your hand and walk through those situations with you at first.” And that’s exactly where City Mission comes in. We provide love and support and acceptance during the most difficult and vulnerable times in someone’s life – reflecting the love and mercy that Christ has shown to each and every one of us in our darkest moments when we cry out to Him. You can help change lives by partnering with us to reach out to those who are hurting and have lost all hope. Visit www.citymission.org for more information about how you can help.