THIS MONTH, BIRGO REALTY JOINED WITH URBAN IMPACT TO HELP CULTIVATE POSITIVE GENERATIONAL CHANGES IN THE LIVES OF FAMILIES.
How?
By donating their event space to Urban Impact Performing Arts’ annual fundraising event: Cirque.
Seeking to influence one person, one family, one block at a time, the Christian-based Urban Impact organization takes a holistic approach to caring for children and young adults. They ensure their basic needs are met, teach them that they are loved, and share the Biblical good news with them.
“The directors and missionaries are understanding and never judgmental, regardless of a student’s faith. We joyfully present the Gospel through Bible studies and invite all students who respond to the Gospel to go deeper through opportunities in class to learn more and eventually become leaders themselves in their communities. We are an outreach program to the community and we do not exclude any children based on their faith, but we do pray that they come to know God.”
-Kate Beck, Urban Impact’s Executive Assistant to the Director
Drawing students from the North Side and other schools as far as Cranberry and Sewickley, Urban Impact Performing Arts offers services under seven branches: arts academy, vocal music, instrumental music, theatre, dance, visual arts, and technical production. Summertime brings additional events, including retreats and concerts.
Students attend Urban Impact’s programs to practice their art, but the volunteers also provide other care as needed- including food and homework help. The influence of the programming is generational as many of the students’ parents were once themselves a part of Urban Impact at one point, and the positive effects on the youth carry into adulthood.
This year Cirque took place on August 10th in Birgo’s office for the dinner and opening entertainment.
About 60 community donors and supporters of Urban Impact attended.
During the dinner attendees were provided with a menu of giving, outlining different ways to give, and then student singers and the student jazz ensemble provided entertainment. After dinner a shuttle transported everyone to the theater on the North Side for the students’ Shakespeare performance.
An estimated $50,000 was raised toward Urban Impact’s budget. This money supports the programs and their leaders as all of the missionaries fundraise for their own salaries. Community members are especially motivated to donate to the cause when they attend this event because they see the students and the fruit of their work opens up their hearts toward giving, Beck said.
“It’s lots of fun and always highly successful,” she added.
The partnership for this fundraising event was based on a strong relationship between the founders of Urban Impact, Rev. Dr. Ed and Tammy Glover, and founders of Birgo Realty, Andrew and Shannon Reichert, as well as Birgo’s support of Urban Impact’s mission.
“(We were) so grateful to be able to use the room; it’s so cool to develop business relationships in the community, especially with Andrew,” Beck said. “Everyone on the North Side is so generous. Churches open up for rehearsals … (and) the entire community helps to bring up all the kids who live here.”
Urban Impact is all about making changes that stay. “[Urban Impact] is about much more than the performing arts; it is a community effort that has lasting implications for current and future generations,” said Shannon Reichert, head of Operations and Management at Birgo. She continued, “We are so thankful to be able to support this cause.”
One example of the lasting implications is their “Options” program, which helps students determine their next steps after graduating from high school (i.e., technical/trade school, military, university, workforce, apprenticeship) so that they can contribute to their community in a positive way and raise up Pittsburgh.
The annual Cirque event is usually held at the beginning of August; planning for next year has begun, with more information to come soon.
For updates or giving opportunities, visit the Urban Impact website. To donate, click the big yellow button. Donors have the option to specify how their money is spent- whether it goes to a department or a specific person. For any inquiries, call Kate Beck at 412-321-3811 X260 or email kate.beck@uifpgh.org.
“We love supporting local nonprofits making impact in our community,” said Andrew Reichert, Founder and President of Birgo. “Improving lives through real estate is our core purpose. We will continue following through with that mission in all aspects of real estate–including working with local nonprofits.”
For anyone interested in partnering with Birgo Realty to use space for events, call the office at 724-567-1324 or contact us at the bottom of our home page.
