Gala supports nonprofit that serves students in Baldwin-Whitehall, Bethel Park, South Park

For nearly two decades, Melting Pot Ministries has had an overriding goal for the youngsters served by the nonprofit:

“To try to help them become the best that they can be,” executive director Diane Ford, a lifelong Bethel Park resident, said. “And I’m very serious when we talk about being a loving atmosphere. Melting Pot is where love touches hearts and transforms lives. We see it happening every day.”

A similar atmosphere was evident during the organization’s first Winter Wonderland Gala Fundraiser, which brought staff members, supporters, students and their parents together for a night of fine dining, fun and games, and dressing to the nines.

In a video shown during the event, held at Salvatore’s Events and Catering in Baldwin Borough, Ford explained that Melting Pot Ministries assists children in Baldwin-Whitehall, Bethel Park and South Park school districts who “would not ordinarily have options that we provide.”

An afterschool program, for example, provides remedial support and gives students experiences that can help prepare them for life after high school. Summer programs offer constructive activities between academic years, and youngsters frequently have opportunities to attend sporting, cultural and other meaningful events.

For the sake of participating children, a primary focus is on overall well-being.

“We are an academic-based program, and that’s something that we really value. But something else that really matters to us is the social and emotional aspect of the children we have in Melting Pot,” mental health specialist Mary Beth Dutko said at the gala.

“Pretty much everybody in life has some sort of trauma or trouble or loss, or something that they’ve experienced, and it starts at a very young age. And it’s something that we’re not taught. It’s something that we don’t always talk about. But we’re trying to change that.”

The gala included a silent auction featuring artwork by students and staff members, along with raffles of baskets filled with donated items. Master of ceremonies Paul Paige enlivened the festivities with the help of daughter Chanel, including a highly entertaining round of Family Feud.

Dance performances provided talent highlights for the evening, culminating in a good many of the women in attendance putting their moves on prominent display.

Melting Pot Ministries, based at Our Lady of Hope Parish’s Nativity Church in South Park, started in 2004 as a response to five Black students dropping out of high school on the same day. The organization’s boasts that “now 93% of our students graduate from high school and go on to seek some form of higher education.”

For more information, visit www.ourmpm.org.