Crushed Grapes Wine Tasting event raises funds for Pittsburgh’s Sisters Place
Sisters Place helped a teen and his family with a place to live after a house fire so he could concentrate on his education.
Sisters Place welcomed a homeless mom and her kids to provide them food, shelter and love.
Sisters Place became a place of refuge for a mother and her children who were fleeing domestic violence .
“I grew up with a single dad, and we needed a helping hand at times,” said Melissa Ferraro, CEO of Sisters Place. “When you are in crisis, you just think about the present. We help people weather the storms.
“The face of homelessness is not what you would think.”
Embracing those who need a home is the mission of Sisters Place. The organization provides for families and individuals so they can overcome poverty and homelessness.
It recently moved to a new home in Mt. Oliver on Brownsville Road.
To support its mission, the organization uses money raises from events such as Sisters Place’s 20th annual Crushed Grapes Wine Tasting.
The event is from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Thursday, March 3 at Nova Place on Pittsburgh’s North Side.
Several wineries will be serving samples and a local wine expert will be on hand to help guests navigate the array of featured wines. There will be light bites and hors d’oeuvres.
Partners include cheese from Pennsylvania Macaroni Co., Eat’n Park Smiley cookies, Commonplace Coffee community blend, brews from Vecenie Distributors, drinks from Arsenal Cider House, and wines from the PA Market.
Ronni Weiss Music and Cadillac Club Jazz will provide live entertainment.
General admission tickets are $75 and VIP are $125. They can be purchased here.
There will be a silent auction.
People can bid on auction items here starting Friday, Feb. 25.
Co-chairs of the event Kylie McCracken, of West Mifflin, and Lindsay Haslett, of the South Side, said they are happy the event is back in person after being held virtually last year because of the pandemic. As members of the Friends Board, a group of young professionals passionate about the mission of Sisters Place, they work with the organization’s chief development officer to produce the Crushed Grapes event.
Honorary co-chair is Fred Cappelli of Pleasant Hills, a long-time supporter of Sisters Place.
“We get to see people in person again, which will be wonderful,” said McCracken. “We appreciate all of the support from everyone from the committee to the vendors to the volunteers to the attendees who will be coming to Crushed Grapes Wine Tasting so that Sisters Place can continue to help those families in need. What Sisters Place does is so meaningful.”
McCracken said people are “Zoom-ed” out and just want to see people in person.
“We are blessed to be back in person,” Haslett said. “We really missed the human interaction.”
They are requiring proof of covid-19 vaccination.
“People love this event,” Ferraro said. “As people begin to venture out and resume some of their favorite social activities, we felt it was a perfect time to bring Crushed Grapes back.”
Sisters Place is currently assisting 27 families in its supportive housing program.
The organization also has Neighbors in Need, a drop-in social services resource Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. where people can connect about resources.
Sisters Place was started by nuns from 14 local religious communities in 1993.
“All clients of Sisters Place gain access to supportive counseling and receive assistance navigating local social service resources,” Ferraro said. “As the pandemic continues, these services are needed more than ever.”
Details: 412 233-3903, ext. 225 or www.sistersplace.org
JoAnne Klimovich Harrop is a TribLive reporter covering the region's diverse culinary scene and unique homes. She writes features about interesting people. The Edward R. Murrow award-winning journalist began her career as a sports reporter. She has been with the Trib for 26 years and is the author of "A Daughter's Promise." She can be reached at jharrop@triblive.com.
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