ServePGH includes seven initiatives aimed at improving neighborhoods in the city, including the “Love Your Block” revitalization project, the Mayor’s Mentoring Initiative, and the Snow Angels program through which volunteers shovel and de-ice sidewalks for disabled and elderly residents.  Mayor Luke Ravenstahl’s office celebrated the one year anniversary of the program Wednesday, and highlighted some of its successes.

“Many of our initiatives through ServePGH get citizens to do things like spruce up a vacant lot and make it a community garden.  Over a thousand volunteers have been ushered in through this initiative and put in hundreds of hours of community service in and around Pittsburgh,” said Joanna Doven, Ravenstahl’s spokesperson.

To continue that work, the one-year celebration kicked off with volunteers transforming the site of a recently demolished structure into a community blueberry garden in Perrysville.  Officials then outlined some of the goals for the upcoming year. 

“He [the mayor] wants to double the amount of vacant lots that we’re improving, he wants to double the amount of mentors in our sixth grade mentoring program, and make an even bigger impact in Pittsburgh neighborhoods in 2012,” said Doven.

Ravenstahl’s office also announced a new initiative, aimed at decreasing the city’s high school dropout rate.  ServePGH is funded through a competitive grant from the Cities of Service Coalition, which emphasizes the importance of volunteerism in tackling local challenges.