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ABOUT US
WESLEY A.M.E. CHARITIES
Dedicated to Rebuilding Our Community
Mission
Wesley Charities is a non-profit organization that supports community environmental education to enhance the
quality of life, encourage community esteem and foster economic growth and development in a greener environment.
History
Wesley Charities is located on Pittsburgh’s upper Hill District in a church built in 1894 by John Herron and family
as the First Presbyterian Church of Minersville, later known as Herron Hill. In 1947, the John Wesley Board of
Trustees purchased the property and it be came home to a congregation with roots in the pre-civil war era and the
Underground Railroad in the lower Hill District. The John Wesley A.M.E. Zion Church is home to one of the
oldest African American Congregations in America, serving the community for 170 years. On Oct. 12, 1993,
Pittsburgh City Council designated the church a Pittsburgh Historic Landmark.
Leadership
The Wesley Charities Board, under the guidance of Board President Rev. Calvin Cash, has completed technical
training courses provided by the CTAC (Community Technical Assistance Center), the (North Hills Community
Outreach) Compassion Allegheny Program and the P.A.C.E. Program in an effort to build capacity and increase
leadership skills. On June 28, 2005 Pittsburgh City Council recognized Wesley Charities for Community Service
and Leadership.
Community Development
Wesley Charities is currently working with the Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon
University, the Hill House Association and other members of the coalition around a Community Action Planning
Grant. This study will help determine the best uses of vacant land in the Herron Ave. Corridor taking community
needs and market into consideration.
Our goal is to become the first commercial/residential districts developed entirely by using Green Building Technology.


WESLEY A.M.E. CHARITIES© • 594 Herron Ave • Pittsburgh, PA 15219