Genesis Pittsburgh Celebrates Fifty Years of Services for Pregnant Women: “We Are Here for Everyone”

By Nancy Kennedy

For the past fifty years, Genesis Pittsburgh has been a sanctuary for pregnant women and their families. The social service organization provides women with a place to live, a place to learn and a place to find care and support along their journey to motherhood. Like many caring enterprises that have been created over the years by women for women, Genesis Pittsburgh got its start in a kitchen. A home kitchen: a place where women gather, talk, solve problems and offer each other solace and support. A kitchen is the heart of a home, where women can usually find warmth, safety and sustenance for both body and soul.

Since 1973, women have been finding those things at Genesis Pittsburgh, through the organization’s broad range of services for pregnant women and their families. Initially created out of concern for young women experiencing unplanned pregnancies, Genesis Pittsburgh began as a hotline to provide guidance and practical help. Often, these young women, of high school age and even younger, had nowhere to go and no resources to prepare them for motherhood. Providing shelter was a priority then, and remains so today. In the 80’s, Genesis Pittsburgh opened Genesis House, a residence in Bellevue where pregnant women can live, attend classes, prepare for childbirth, receive baby supplies, and in some cases, prepare to place the baby for adoption.

“We are here to help,” says Crystal Turner, executive director of Genesis Pittsburgh. “We go where the need is, and the needs are constantly changing. We adapt and modify our programs as new needs are identified in the communities. Our mission has never changed, but the services we provide change as we identify new groups of women who need our help.”

Genesis Pittsburgh has grown in both size and programming. There are now four locations, with others planned. Genesis Center, also in Bellevue, is a distribution site for baby supplies and also houses the Genesis Learning Center. Anyone can come to Genesis Center in Bellevue and to a second center in Washington to receive baby supplies.

“Genesis Pittsburgh is a non-profit social service organization, and it is unique. It is not an income-based program and this was a deliberate decision,” Turner says. “We recognized that many women are working two jobs to earn income, and that this may put them over the income limits that exist for many services. They may be low-income, but not low enough to qualify for services that they need. At Genesis Pittsburgh, everybody qualifies. We are here for everyone.”

With creativity and exceptional responsiveness to emerging needs, Genesis Pittsburgh has established effective new programs. “We do much less adoption today than we did in the past,” explains Turner. “More girls keep their babies now, and the high schools are doing a great job. The women who are asking for help these days are not teenagers; they are older women, in the 20 to 40 age range. Their situations are very different. We see women who are in recovery programs and more immigrant women, and for them we have added translation services.

“We have created a program for grandparents who are raising the children of their addicted adult children. This program, the Grand Family program, caught on immediately. These grandparents are doing a tremendous job.”

Mothers can receive counseling at Genesis House from social workers. They are required to attend classes, and can choose among many subjects: Adoption; breastfeeding; CPR; first aid; parenting skills; newborn care; nutrition; potty training; preparation for childbirth; and smoking cessation. Fathers are welcome to attend any class.

Crystal Turner has high praise for Genesis Pittsburgh’s staff of 17, who are deeply committed to the Genesis mission. “Just like the clients, we all have come here in different ways. Some of our staff have lived this experience. All are sensitive to the needs of the women; they understand that the most difficult client is the one who needs us the most.” Turner, who is married and has two children, is from Kansas City and has lived in Pittsburgh since 1994. She was initially a volunteer and consultant to Genesis Pittsburgh and accepted the executive director position in 2019.

“We have so much support for our work. Our clients are grateful and want to give back in order to sustain us. This is heartwarming for our staff and volunteers. We are grateful to Bellevue and Avalon, communities which have supported us, and to our many non-profit partners.”

For more information, visit genesispgh.org or call Crystal Turner at (412) 766- 5212.