March 19, 2025 • 30 mins
The 4th Annual Steel City Duck Derby is Back!
Saturday, April 26, 2025
Allegheny Commons Park | North Side
Family Duck Fest 11 a.m.; Duck Derby 1 p.m.Who doesn’t love rubber ducks? An event that grows bigger every year, the Steel City Duck Derby is a fundraiser for the Partners For Quality family of
agencies – which supports more than 4,000 local individuals with intellectual & developmental disabilities and behavioral health challenges. Learn more at PFQ.org.
People from all over are invited to “adopt ducks”, which will race in the Steel City Duck Derby. The top five finishers will win great prizes, with the Grand Prize of $2000.00
Allegheny Commons Park will be the site of a fun!
Family Duck Fest, with food trucks, face painting, tattoos, music and more! The festival begins at
11 a.m., with 10,000 rubber ducks racing through Lake Elizabeth at 1 p.m.!
Saturday, April 26, 2025
Allegheny Commons Park | North Side
Family Duck Fest 11 a.m.; Duck Derby 1 p.m.Who doesn’t love rubber ducks? An event that grows bigger every year, the Steel City Duck Derby is a fundraiser for the Partners For Quality family of
agencies – which supports more than 4,000 local individuals with intellectual & developmental disabilities and behavioral health challenges. Learn more at PFQ.org.
People from all over are invited to “adopt ducks”, which will race in the Steel City Duck Derby. The top five finishers will win great prizes, with the Grand Prize of $2000.00
Allegheny Commons Park will be the site of a fun!
Family Duck Fest, with food trucks, face painting, tattoos, music and more! The festival begins at
11 a.m., with 10,000 rubber ducks racing through Lake Elizabeth at 1 p.m.!
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:03):
All right, welcome in. This is a public affairs program
shedding the light on the interest, issues and concerns of
the greater Pittsburgh area. And today we're going to be
releasing the crack Quacking, not the crack Quacking. Partners for Quality,
through its family of agency, supports people with special needs
by providing services that promote choice, personal satisfaction, and realization
(00:24):
of their hopes and dreams. Uh. In studio, we have
President and CEO Partners for Quality, Maggie Rothenberger. Good morning, Maggie, Good,
good morning, Johnny.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
How are you now?
Speaker 1 (00:33):
Before we talk about the duck Derby? You know, the
last time we talked, we had the uh what was it?
Comedy for Partner Partners.
Speaker 2 (00:40):
For Partners for Comedy, and we actually had Billy Crawford
come in that day, right, and you had a little promo.
Speaker 1 (00:46):
Well you, I guess you did a little stand up,
didn't you. I did.
Speaker 2 (00:52):
I try and do a little bit every year, so
you know, just to get everybody comfortable and to recognize
what our our foundation does and what we all do.
So yeah, I.
Speaker 1 (01:04):
How did how did she do? Ahead? She was I
was the show America's Talent's going to be going.
Speaker 2 (01:13):
Yeah, I wish, I totally wish. Now. We had a
great time that night.
Speaker 1 (01:17):
Also special events, Tammy Rippy, good morning to you, good morning,
And Executive director of Beatles Trivia, Greg Jenna, Good morning, Greg.
How are you? How are you? Sir? It's great to
see the fourth annual Still Sitting Duck Derby of Saturday,
April twenty sixth at Alleghanty Commons Park. We're going to
be talking a lot about this event, but this is
the fourth end.
Speaker 2 (01:36):
It is the fourth all right, and we're up to
like ten thousand ducks.
Speaker 1 (01:39):
And so what you do is you buy a little duck,
we release them in the in the pond, and then
then then somebody's gonna win two thousand dollars. That's the
grand prize, isn't it? That is It is no duck now, Iran.
Now you gave me a duck last year. I've been
training this particular duck all year. We've been going through
a personal train Can I bring in my own duck?
(02:00):
Because I think I can bring him. You just can't
put him in the lake, Elizabeth. This is this is
undred and sixty five days of training.
Speaker 2 (02:08):
It is And you know what, while I can appreciate that.
Like these ducks are you know, they have chips on
them and they've got numbers on them, and they all
orchestrate to the computer, so everything is completely legit.
Speaker 1 (02:21):
This is big event.
Speaker 3 (02:23):
Right, yes, and these ducks travel from race to race
all over the country.
Speaker 1 (02:27):
Yeah yeah, yeah, Okay.
Speaker 2 (02:29):
So what we do is we get all ten thousand
at the office and then we where do you put that? Exactly?
We put them in a big conference room and then
we go through and count them all and chip them
and get them all ready into the computer. It takes
all day. Wow okay, and several several volunteers.
Speaker 1 (02:45):
So all right, it's the worthy cause. Now tell us
everything we need to know about your organization.
Speaker 2 (02:52):
So interestingly enough, Partners for Quality has been the parent
company of five different city aaries. One is Citizen Care,
and we are proud to announce that Citizen Care is
turning fifty years old. Yes, yes, May May fourth, and
we will be celebrating on May fifth. We haven't figured
out exactly what we're going to do, but they're going
(03:13):
to be fifty and Citizen Care, which was the original organization,
actually was responsible for helping people out of the polk institution.
So we're doing a bunch of looking into our history
and spending some time on all of that. So citizen
Care behavioral health programs, well, it's more. Citizen Care is
more for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. So we
(03:36):
serve approximately seven eight hundred people in the community. We
also have Milestone which is over fifty and they support
people with intellectual developmental disabilities along with that's correct, PIRL,
that's right, behavioral health needs. Correct, they do both. They
do in home and they do residential placement as well.
(03:56):
Allegheny Children's Initiative obviously children than there anybody under the
age of twenty one that's experiencing some mental health or
behavioral health issues. And of course we have the Foundation
and Exceptional Adventures which helps all of our people do
travel and have experiences within the community.
Speaker 1 (04:13):
And we'll take a little deeper into each program of course,
but those programs are the beneficiary of the Duck Derby absolutely.
Speaker 2 (04:22):
Our foundation actually does they collect on behalf of all
of our organizations, and every year the board sets aside
one hundred thousand dollars that directly supports the people that
we serve. It doesn't support me. It doesn't support anybody else.
And this Duck Derby is one of the major contributors
(04:42):
to the Difference Baker Grant, which is how we go
about giving out that money, all.
Speaker 1 (04:46):
Right, Tammy, other than finding a home, a temporary home
for all your little ducklings, ten thousand ducks. You have
a big enough facility to store all these little ducks.
Oh yeah, yes, we do so ducks.
Speaker 3 (05:00):
On April twenty six, we'll be racing at Lake Elizabeth
on the north side. We'll have a little ducky festival beforehand.
We have Johnny Hartwell with music, and we have duck games,
and we have food.
Speaker 1 (05:12):
I'm just gonna put Disco Duck on repeat. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (05:16):
So all these ten thousand ducks arrive in many, many,
many crates and they're taken very well care of and getting.
Speaker 2 (05:24):
Ready for race day.
Speaker 3 (05:26):
But race day we have again a festival prior. It
starts at eleven am, a little duck festival prior.
Speaker 1 (05:32):
Yeah, you have a bunch of little tents and games.
Speaker 2 (05:36):
It's wonderful kids, families. Usually it's beautiful out, which is amazing,
and you just come spend the afternoon. You can bring
a chair, you don't have to You can thar. There's
food trucks. I think we have a couple of beers.
Speaker 3 (05:49):
Yes, you have Alleghany City Brewing that does our own
brute for us, a nice little Steel City duck logger.
So thanks to them, Yeah, not sure. Tavern is our
presenting sponsor with.
Speaker 2 (06:00):
You guys with us. They're such a huge partner of
ours for almost everything that they can't say no to Tammy.
I think they've tried, but I think that they recognize
that they can't say very thing.
Speaker 3 (06:13):
We have Grandpa Joe's Candies along with us this year. Again,
we have Mayor Dusol, We have the Right Promise. Those
are all our Grand Quacker sponsors and we're all very excited.
USI Insurance, so a lot of them will be on
site with us and we're just gonna have a great time.
Speaker 1 (06:28):
And so the basically you released ten thousand ducks into
a you know, a pond. You have a funnel and
then like you have a number of prizes for people
to win, including the grand prize. So tell us a
little bit about the prizes that people get to win.
Speaker 3 (06:44):
The grand prizes this year, the first prize is two
thousand dollars, second is one thousand dollars, third is five hundred,
fourth is a year membership at the Children's Museum, and
the fifth prize is a year membership at the Aviary.
So we have all of the prizes these little duckies.
The first five ducks to come into our trap swim
(07:04):
after we swim along Lake Elizabeth are the winners, and
they will be announced on race date. But you do
not have to be there to attend because when you
buy your lucky duck for as low as five dollars,
we have all that information into our database.
Speaker 1 (07:17):
All right, So how do you buy those ducks?
Speaker 3 (07:19):
Good question, Johnny. We can buy them a couple of
different ways. The most popular way is online. It's still
Cityduckderby dot org. Or you can go onto our website
PFQ dot org and that will take you into the
duck event website and you can learn all about the event.
That way, you could see pictures from last year, videos,
(07:41):
all kinds of things on that duck derby Still Cityduckderby
dot org.
Speaker 2 (07:45):
So I have to tell everybody I actually went on
and I bought my quack pack the other day because
I knew we were going to be sitting down with you,
and I'm like, ah, I got to get them before
Johnny gets them, so that way my numbers are higher.
Oh yeah, I know, I know numbers.
Speaker 1 (07:59):
I guessed duck and eligible.
Speaker 2 (08:05):
Now, well you can you can get some another duck. Well,
make sure that duck has been sitting there for how long?
Like the we have talked about this repeatedly during this
time of year. There are ducks everywhere in our office,
Like I have one. I have a fire extinguisher. Somebody
put like a duck on top of it, just a
little bitty duck. Everybody buys these little ducks and they're everywhere,
(08:27):
and every year, after duck season, as it were, I
put them away and they still show up. So I
don't know what's going on exactly.
Speaker 3 (08:36):
Well that's a good point, Maggie, because coming up in
a few weeks, all around the city, you might be
finding some little ducks with a little tag on it
saying what this duck is for, and you can even
take it home with you. That duck will not race
in the race.
Speaker 2 (08:51):
That duck is just yours, So it's a guest duck.
Speaker 3 (08:54):
Yeah, just look around the restaurants or coffee shops or
anywhere you never know where you might find a little
ducky Well.
Speaker 1 (09:01):
Looking around the studio, we don't have anything. We're not
allowed to have anything personal because we think because we
move studios, people think we have one studio, but we
have threeeen, right, and so we're not technically allowed to
have any kind of decorations in the studio except for
the only one in the building.
Speaker 2 (09:20):
It is your duck in training, you know, Partners for Quality.
Speaker 1 (09:25):
Yeah, absolutely ranks that.
Speaker 2 (09:27):
Wow. Wow, nobody messes with my duck because it's Tammy.
I get it, I get it. That's why. You know.
Anything Tammy does with our ducks has just been amazing
and we're very happy to have her at our foundation again.
Partners for Quality Foundation p f Q dot org. Steel
Duck Derby.
Speaker 1 (09:44):
Steel City Doctor.
Speaker 2 (09:48):
That's correctly. I know. Well, you know we've gone through
that before too, Steel City Duck Derby, and we're really
looking forward to we have a great time. Uh we
end up. We have face pain. I know that we've
had some of our media show up and they've interviewed
me on television and I've had my face painted. You know,
it's just been it's really wonderful. Everybody has such a wonderful.
Speaker 1 (10:10):
Time for the fourth annual Steel City Dock Derby Saturday,
April twenty sixth, Allegheny Commons Park in the north Shore.
And you know, we've been very lucky as far as
the weathers we have been.
Speaker 2 (10:23):
I think we had one one year that it rained,
but it was pretty full, but it was a pretty full.
Speaker 1 (10:30):
Ye.
Speaker 2 (10:30):
Well day, it's been beautiful.
Speaker 1 (10:32):
But let's talk about partners for quality. Now you mentioned
some of the programs, but let's dig a little deeper.
Citizens Care. So let's start go go.
Speaker 2 (10:39):
So Citizen Care supports people, like I said, with intellectual
and developmental disabilities. They're going to be fifty this year.
So we are working. Actually our meeting after this is
to talk about all of our agenda items for this
year to celebrate this amazing agency.
Speaker 1 (10:55):
And what does it do.
Speaker 2 (10:57):
It supports people in the community who have behavioral, excuse me,
intellectual and developmental disabilities. We also have community homes, We
have people that live with their parents that we support. Actually,
we have people who work at Grandpa Joe's, which is
also a big sponsor of ours. So we have people
working in the community and we support them. So that's
(11:19):
one of the biggest things that Citizen Care does.
Speaker 1 (11:21):
But Partners for Quality you technically do the behind the
scenes we do.
Speaker 2 (11:26):
We do all the behind the scenes stuff so that
they can really focus on the people supported. So you know,
are our executive directors they worry about programs and expansion
and serving people, where all of us in the back
area worry about the it boots on the ground.
Speaker 1 (11:41):
Yeah, exactly, people boots do.
Speaker 2 (11:44):
Whatever they are, We do it. We do all of
those kinds of things. All of our fiscal stuff comes
out of there and we take care of all of
that for our agencies.
Speaker 1 (11:52):
What is the difference between Citizen Care and Milestone?
Speaker 2 (11:55):
Different agency, They have a different mission to a certain degree,
and Milestone supports people with intellectual developmental disabilities. However, they're
primarily adult behavioral health, so they help people. They have
outpatient services, service coordination, peer support, social rehab. They have
a whole bunch of those types of services within their agency.
Speaker 1 (12:17):
And the Allegheny Children's Initiative is the is.
Speaker 2 (12:20):
Under twenty one for mental and behavioral health. And I
do want to make a little note for Alleghany Children's Initiative.
Not only is it an amazing agency as an amazing culture.
We are hiring clinicians, So if you're a clinician out
there and you're looking for a great agency with a
lot of diversity, great leadership, this would be the place
that you definitely want to work. So definitely go online
(12:42):
PFQ dot org and take a peek.
Speaker 1 (12:44):
All right, and if somebody wants to apply for a job,
can they go on your website?
Speaker 2 (12:49):
Yes, PFQ dot org. That's all you need to remember.
Everything's there. Greg's done a great job of integrating all
of our live set down.
Speaker 1 (12:56):
It's three letters. That's very tough.
Speaker 4 (12:58):
Ably FQ.
Speaker 2 (13:00):
Yeah, Partners for Quality absolutely or dot org. Okay, yeah, yeah, yeah,
but you can get through to all of our career
pages and see everything that we have there.
Speaker 1 (13:10):
One of the coolest agencies that you guys have is
Exceptional Adventures.
Speaker 2 (13:14):
Exactly Exceptional Adventures is our travel agency and we recently
redeveloped that entire agency and Julie Triviovich, who is our director.
Actually we're getting a party bus, so the Foundation helped
us with getting a party bus. So typically we would
(13:34):
have staff drive people to events and that's fine. However,
people couldn't be together on the way and what's the
best thing about going to something? We get a limo,
we get a bus and all of that. So we're
having a bus built from scratch that's going to seat
sixteen people, but it also includes two people who have wheelchairs.
So now it's completely accessible and we're really looking forward
(13:57):
to I think it's coming what mid May. So, yeah,
I'm trying to figure out a way to get exceptional
adventures to let us kill leave us.
Speaker 1 (14:06):
It's almost a holistic absolutely. You know, you take care
of the home and different agencies and you know, adults, children,
but this one is allows them to kind of fulfill
some of their dreams going on a vacation course, going
to an event.
Speaker 2 (14:20):
Absolutely, we don't hang around with each other and talk about, Hey,
I paid my mortgage last week, or hey, you know,
I did the grass. What do we talk about, Oh,
I had dinner with a friend, I went out with
so and so. I mean, we just talked about your
upcoming nuptials.
Speaker 1 (14:34):
I mean, those are the.
Speaker 2 (14:35):
Things that we talk about in our lives, and the
people we support absolutely want the same thing, right, So
that's what we do.
Speaker 1 (14:42):
And then the Foundation basically is the umbrella agency that
funds a lot of these agents.
Speaker 2 (14:48):
That's correct. All of our donations typically come right in
and write out and it goes right to the people
we support through the difference Maker grants.
Speaker 3 (14:55):
And these different makers grants. You could have someone maybe
once art lessons, swimming lessons, or they want to go
on a trip, or they want to go on an
exceptional Adventures trip, any type of thing outside and above
that they need to have paid on their own is
kind of what these difference Maker grants are.
Speaker 2 (15:14):
Yeah, and I just want to mention something. So our
Milestone Subsidiary got together and they had talked to the
people that they support, and a lot of the people
that we support who are a little older really never
went to their own prom. So they had come up
with the idea that they were going to have a prom.
So they talked to Johanna at the Foundation, they talked
(15:34):
to Tammy and Greg and they actually held the first
annual Milestone Once Upon a prom It was in September.
It's amazing, yeah, and everybody. So we had donated dresses.
We've been working with the City of Pittsburgh on some
of the prom things. And it was held at where
was it again, it's a lot in Freeport, and I
(15:56):
think that's the place we're going to have it again.
But it had five hundred people there and we ended
up being able to, you know, have everything taken care
of and nobody had to pay to come in.
Speaker 1 (16:07):
Did you do a prom King and Queen or we.
Speaker 2 (16:09):
Did not, But we did a lot of dancing. They
kept me going a really long day. These guys were unbelievable,
but everybody came dressed to the nines and a big
party bus people rented, and tuxedos and all of that.
So this is that kind of stuff that you know,
I was fortunate enough to go with my prom. I
hope you'd were too, And some people who haven't had
(16:32):
that experience.
Speaker 1 (16:33):
Well, I grew up up north of the city, Okay,
and a little Amish town called New Wilmington, Okay. I
took my prom date in a Dutch buggy?
Speaker 2 (16:41):
Did you really? And it was did they have cars
back then?
Speaker 1 (16:44):
Or they did not?
Speaker 2 (16:49):
You just happened to get the button.
Speaker 1 (16:50):
It was a fancy fancy So anyway, the foundation funds
all these the events, and that's why it's so critical
that we need you.
Speaker 2 (16:59):
To buy a duck. And that's basically absolutely all right,
we're going to.
Speaker 1 (17:03):
Talk about some of the other events. But let's since
you brought up the duck, tell Tammy tell us everything
we need to know about the upcoming duck derby.
Speaker 3 (17:10):
The still City Duck Derby will take place on Saturday,
April twenty six at on the north side Lake Elizabeth
Elleganty Commons Park from eleven am with the duck launch
at one pm. So beforehand, before we launch our ducks,
we have a little duck festival with Johnny iHeart and
his music and we're having so much fun and singing, dancing,
(17:33):
and we have duck games which are free. We have
some of the people joining us this year from the
north side is the Andy Warhol Museum Children's Museum and
they will be there along with Hope Grows other organizations
nonprofit organizations that with games for everybody to take part,
(17:54):
and we'll have food trucks. We have some beer for
those of you who want to walk around with a
brewer Allegheny City Brewing Company and we're just gonna have fun.
But you can buy a duck at Still Cityduckderby dot org.
You can buy it online or you'll also see some
brochors around the city and you can fill it out
and send cash or a check or even come to
(18:17):
our office and drop things off.
Speaker 1 (18:19):
And if you're the lucky Duck, you could win two
thousand dollars.
Speaker 2 (18:22):
Agree, absolutely, yeah, lucky duck wins. Excuse me. First place
is two thousand, second places, one thousand, third places, five
hundred fourth is one year membership to the Children's Museum.
I haven't been there yet. Oh I've wared amazing things.
And then one year family membership to the National Aviary,
which is right next door to Alleghany Commons. And I
(18:42):
do want to mention we have some sponsors that have
been very very generous to us north Shore Tavern and
for those of you who happen to go to the
Duck Derby, that's where all of us end up hanging
out afterward.
Speaker 3 (18:55):
When there is a kickoff party on April second at
north Shore Tavern from five to seve.
Speaker 2 (19:00):
That's right, and iHeartMedia. Of course you guys help us.
Grandpa Joe's and mar Dusol and mar Dusol is one
of our many auditors and they've been very generous to
us through to.
Speaker 1 (19:10):
Get your duck, you could adopt it as many as
you want at Steel Citydocderby dot org. So in addition
to the Doc Derby, what other kind of do you
have other fundraisers throughout the year.
Speaker 2 (19:21):
Yes, we do.
Speaker 3 (19:22):
Coming up on June ninth, we have the thirty fourth
annual Bob Pompy Any Golf Classics. We have a very
fun golf outing. And then in the fall we have
Partners for Comedy which stars Bill Crawford and an other
couple of local comedians around the area. And then in
December we have a beautiful holiday season party which takes
place up at the Lamont on Mount Washington. So there
(19:43):
are some of our four big ones, along with a
celebrity bartending event thrown here and there.
Speaker 1 (19:47):
Yes, yes, all right, so all these events fund all
these programs, that's correct? And you have a number you
have five different agencies? Yes, so yes, I mean aside
from the fundraisers. How do you you get any support
from the state from we do? We do?
Speaker 2 (20:03):
Typically the majority of our programs are funded by the
State of Pennsylvania and federal Medicaid dollars, along with some
county funding as well, so we do rely on that.
That's not what pays for all the fun though, that
takes care of typically people's needs, but not their wants.
The Foundation takes care of the wants. So we obviously
(20:27):
provide food, and we provide bed, and we provide a
home and all of that kind of stuff. But if
you don't have a lot of money, you're on Social
Security disability, which a lot of the people we serve are,
and you want to go get your nails done, that's
not necessarily something that's an option for you, but the
Foundation will help you want to go and get your
hair done for a very special occasion, you can request
(20:49):
that from the Foundation. So the Foundation really funds people's
wants in life and we take care of all of
their needs.
Speaker 1 (20:57):
Well, you could also argue that, you know, getting your
hair done, your nail done, it may be a one,
but it's also kind of a need.
Speaker 2 (21:04):
It is it is, and and the need to feel special,
you know, all of those things.
Speaker 1 (21:10):
A vacation we kind of take for granted.
Speaker 2 (21:12):
Absolutely absolutely, And you know, for all of us, we
have a budget, right so I may I mean, my
nails aren't done because it doesn't meet my budget this week,
you know, so it's all a part of that and
the Foundation.
Speaker 1 (21:25):
Getting my I know, the duck Derby's going. I definitely
get it.
Speaker 2 (21:28):
Well, I have them ready for the I'll have to
get I got a extra special for the ducks. You
certainly do. But anyway, that's what we rely on the
foundation for and they have done an amazing, amazing job
of providing costing a baseball gear. People want to play baseball,
so they've been able to help register people for from
(21:51):
Alleghany Children's Institute and get them all the stuff that
they need. I know that in the past we had
a mom who was in desperate need because her I
think son had some medical issues along with some behavioral issues,
and she was going to the laundromat after him having
you know, a lot of episodes, and we were able
(22:11):
to buy her a washer. So it's that kind of
those kinds of real needs that we can help families with.
Speaker 1 (22:17):
Tell me a little bit more about the individuals you help.
Speaker 2 (22:21):
Oh gosh, what do you want to know?
Speaker 1 (22:23):
We serve.
Speaker 2 (22:24):
So we serve collectively about four thousand people across Allegheny
County and now into Washington County, and we have about
eight hundredth staff that help with all of that. So
it's a variety of needs. So I grew up on
the intellectual and developmental disability side. And so for me,
the people that we support, they're amazing and they do
(22:47):
amazing things that I think we take it, you know,
and we take for granted at times. So we have
this young lady, well, yeah, this thing I was just
going to talk about her. So we have a lady
who had done a lot of stained glass when she
was younger, and throughout her life, you know, her moves,
(23:08):
she kept moving, and she different agencies and so on
and so forth. Ended up with us about four or
five years ago. And her physical disabilities have gotten to
be a little bit more as she's gotten older, and
she requested a grant from the foundation to be able
to do stained glass again. So now she's actually making
all of this stained glass and she donated like four
(23:29):
beautiful ornaments for our holiday celebration. So and you can
she has business cards now and she's running her own
little business and doing her stained glass. And yeah, so
she's essentially self employed.
Speaker 5 (23:42):
Now.
Speaker 1 (23:42):
Now you said you mentioned earlier that some of your
individuals have jobs. Do you have absolutely do you help them? Yes,
Citizen Karen Milestone. Both have job coaches and they work
with the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation, along with the Office
of Development, programs to help people find jobs in the community,
(24:03):
and Grandpa Joe's is one of those places that helps
do that. So we have people who may work there
part time. They go in and their boss will say, Okay,
we're going to work on this with the candy or
this with the candy, and that's their job and they
get paid for it. One of my first listeners and
first person that called me when I when I started
this job.
Speaker 2 (24:22):
I remember you saying this, please yeah pack.
Speaker 1 (24:25):
Kevin passed away a couple of years ago, but he
you know, he had he had, you know, special needs
and everything else, and he was older, but he took
such pride in him.
Speaker 5 (24:36):
Oh.
Speaker 1 (24:36):
Absolutely, that it was you know that, you know, hey,
hey Kevin, you want to go to lunch. I'm sorry, buddy,
I have to work. And you know, he took such
pride in that employment.
Speaker 2 (24:46):
Absolutely. If you talk to our employers, what they will
tell you is that the people that we support that
work for them are some of the most responsible employees
they will ever have because they value the job and
they understand how important it is to work and it's
it's all about their self worth. So yeah, you're right.
A lot of times are people, you know, the people
(25:07):
we support don't call off sick. They really don't do
a lot. They live to work at these places, and
it's a way for them to gain a lot of
independence and confidence and really feel assured that they're contributing
member of society and a social network. Absolutely. Oh yeah,
I mean most of us have friends where we work, right.
Speaker 3 (25:27):
So speaking of the event, you'll get to meet a
lot of our individuals because they come and they help,
they volunteer with another staff member or another volunteer. They
will be at all the duck games. And this is
why we love this event because it's for our community.
It's for the entire community of Pittsburgh, and everybody just
has a wonderful day.
Speaker 1 (25:47):
And there's something about ducks that, oh there are are
we are duck crazy.
Speaker 2 (25:52):
Realize there were so many people that have come dressed
as ducks and everything else that I thought were part
of our agency, to to find out they were only
members of the community who really had a you know,
an obsession with Pittsburgh. Yet they really.
Speaker 3 (26:08):
Are bringing that fifteen or twenty footer back, don't you worry?
Speaker 2 (26:12):
Yeah, oh yeah, Well, you know we've mentioned this before.
I think in Tammy's mind, she would love nothing more
than to do the duck Derby on the three rivers,
you know what I mean, and get bigger ducks and
more ducks.
Speaker 5 (26:24):
Million.
Speaker 1 (26:24):
Yeah, exactly, importantly push those barges aside, exactly, the release
the quack.
Speaker 3 (26:31):
You'd have a lot more than one doctor train.
Speaker 1 (26:33):
Absolutely, absolutely, all right, very quickly, I know this. We
only have like three or four minutes left, So tell
us everything. Partners for Quality everything that people need to
know about the organization.
Speaker 2 (26:46):
Oh, Partners for Quality is a family of organizations that
support people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and behavioral health needs.
We serve about four thousand people within the entire community,
and we have about eight hundred staffs, and we work very,
very hard to make sure that we're person centered.
Speaker 1 (27:02):
And every staff member I've met have been absolutely fabulous. O.
Speaker 2 (27:06):
Our staff is amazing. Now we have we have a
real Part of the reason why I moved to Pittsburgh
was because I wanted to work for an organization that
meant something and we do, and that that means the
world to me. I know that every day that I
go in I make a difference in somebody's life, and
that's what we do.
Speaker 1 (27:22):
And thank you for everything. Now, thank you, and you
can help out by buying a duc Tammy, you get
the last word. Tell us everything we need to know
about the fourth annual Still City Duck Derby.
Speaker 3 (27:32):
Saturday, April twenty sixth Ellegantycommons Park north Side at eleven
am Family duck Fest Festival at one o'clock the launch.
Buy a duck at Still cityduck Derby dot org or
several ducks and you can win five different prizes, with
the top prize being two thousand dollars.
Speaker 1 (27:48):
And where can I buy these these ducks? Gill City
duck Derby dot org. I'm sorry I missed that again,
say that.
Speaker 3 (27:54):
Again, Still cityduck Derby dot org.
Speaker 1 (27:57):
Or if you want more information on the organization, what
are those three letters again?
Speaker 2 (28:01):
P f Q dot org.
Speaker 1 (28:03):
But if you want to buy a duck, it's Steel
City Duckderby dot org Allegheny Commons starting at eleven o'clock.
Get there early because it's kind of a family atmosphere.
You got food trucks and you gots and people, a
lot of people dressed in yellow. My fiance wants to
bring her a golden doodle who's white. Oh my god.
Speaker 2 (28:23):
Yes, the dogs have been amazing.
Speaker 1 (28:25):
Ye have to color him yellows for it, so that
would be wonderful, big chubby, fat duck. He is not trained.
I train my little doctor, not not my dog. Anyway,
It's a great event, so it makesure you adopt, makes
you stop by, cheer, make a difference for the community.
UH Partners for Quality. Thank you for everything you guys do,
(28:46):
and I will see you on the twenty six Bright
and early.
Speaker 2 (28:48):
Yes, thank you very much, Johnny, appreciate you once again.
Speaker 1 (28:51):
Adopt the duck at Steel City Duckderby dot org. That's
Steel City Duckderby dot org. All right, once again, thanks
to Tammy and Maggie and is as always. If you
have any comments, concerns, or an idea for our future program,
please email us from this radio station's website. I'm Johnny Hartwell,
thank you so much for listening.
Speaker 5 (29:23):
Phittsburgh Divas are gathering to make sweet music in the
beautiful hills near Swickly to fight cancer. I'm Bonnie Diver
inviting you to join me for the Songs for Live
concert to benefit hair Piece charities. Five of the most soulful,
jazzy rock and sol divas will entertain in a beautiful
outdoor setting your squeekly on Saturday, May thirty. First, bring
(29:45):
your lawn chairs and picnic basket or order one of
our catered box dinners.
Speaker 2 (29:49):
Get tickets at hairpeace dot org.
Speaker 5 (29:51):
That's hair Peace.
Speaker 4 (29:54):
Hey, life doesn't stop when cancer starts. Some don't make
it to treatment simply because they don't have a rhyme.
You can change that. Volunteer to drive with the American
Cancer Society Road to Recovery Program. Visit cancer dot org
slash drive to learn more.
All right, welcome in. This is a public affairs program
shedding the light on the interest, issues and concerns of
the greater Pittsburgh area. And today we're going to be
releasing the crack Quacking, not the crack Quacking. Partners for Quality,
through its family of agency, supports people with special needs
by providing services that promote choice, personal satisfaction, and realization
(00:24):
of their hopes and dreams. Uh. In studio, we have
President and CEO Partners for Quality, Maggie Rothenberger. Good morning, Maggie, Good,
good morning, Johnny.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
How are you now?
Speaker 1 (00:33):
Before we talk about the duck Derby? You know, the
last time we talked, we had the uh what was it?
Comedy for Partner Partners.
Speaker 2 (00:40):
For Partners for Comedy, and we actually had Billy Crawford
come in that day, right, and you had a little promo.
Speaker 1 (00:46):
Well you, I guess you did a little stand up,
didn't you. I did.
Speaker 2 (00:52):
I try and do a little bit every year, so
you know, just to get everybody comfortable and to recognize
what our our foundation does and what we all do.
So yeah, I.
Speaker 1 (01:04):
How did how did she do? Ahead? She was I
was the show America's Talent's going to be going.
Speaker 2 (01:13):
Yeah, I wish, I totally wish. Now. We had a
great time that night.
Speaker 1 (01:17):
Also special events, Tammy Rippy, good morning to you, good morning,
And Executive director of Beatles Trivia, Greg Jenna, Good morning, Greg.
How are you? How are you? Sir? It's great to
see the fourth annual Still Sitting Duck Derby of Saturday,
April twenty sixth at Alleghanty Commons Park. We're going to
be talking a lot about this event, but this is
the fourth end.
Speaker 2 (01:36):
It is the fourth all right, and we're up to
like ten thousand ducks.
Speaker 1 (01:39):
And so what you do is you buy a little duck,
we release them in the in the pond, and then
then then somebody's gonna win two thousand dollars. That's the
grand prize, isn't it? That is It is no duck now, Iran.
Now you gave me a duck last year. I've been
training this particular duck all year. We've been going through
a personal train Can I bring in my own duck?
(02:00):
Because I think I can bring him. You just can't
put him in the lake, Elizabeth. This is this is
undred and sixty five days of training.
Speaker 2 (02:08):
It is And you know what, while I can appreciate that.
Like these ducks are you know, they have chips on
them and they've got numbers on them, and they all
orchestrate to the computer, so everything is completely legit.
Speaker 1 (02:21):
This is big event.
Speaker 3 (02:23):
Right, yes, and these ducks travel from race to race
all over the country.
Speaker 1 (02:27):
Yeah yeah, yeah, Okay.
Speaker 2 (02:29):
So what we do is we get all ten thousand
at the office and then we where do you put that? Exactly?
We put them in a big conference room and then
we go through and count them all and chip them
and get them all ready into the computer. It takes
all day. Wow okay, and several several volunteers.
Speaker 1 (02:45):
So all right, it's the worthy cause. Now tell us
everything we need to know about your organization.
Speaker 2 (02:52):
So interestingly enough, Partners for Quality has been the parent
company of five different city aaries. One is Citizen Care,
and we are proud to announce that Citizen Care is
turning fifty years old. Yes, yes, May May fourth, and
we will be celebrating on May fifth. We haven't figured
out exactly what we're going to do, but they're going
(03:13):
to be fifty and Citizen Care, which was the original organization,
actually was responsible for helping people out of the polk institution.
So we're doing a bunch of looking into our history
and spending some time on all of that. So citizen
Care behavioral health programs, well, it's more. Citizen Care is
more for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. So we
(03:36):
serve approximately seven eight hundred people in the community. We
also have Milestone which is over fifty and they support
people with intellectual developmental disabilities along with that's correct, PIRL,
that's right, behavioral health needs. Correct, they do both. They
do in home and they do residential placement as well.
(03:56):
Allegheny Children's Initiative obviously children than there anybody under the
age of twenty one that's experiencing some mental health or
behavioral health issues. And of course we have the Foundation
and Exceptional Adventures which helps all of our people do
travel and have experiences within the community.
Speaker 1 (04:13):
And we'll take a little deeper into each program of course,
but those programs are the beneficiary of the Duck Derby absolutely.
Speaker 2 (04:22):
Our foundation actually does they collect on behalf of all
of our organizations, and every year the board sets aside
one hundred thousand dollars that directly supports the people that
we serve. It doesn't support me. It doesn't support anybody else.
And this Duck Derby is one of the major contributors
(04:42):
to the Difference Baker Grant, which is how we go
about giving out that money, all.
Speaker 1 (04:46):
Right, Tammy, other than finding a home, a temporary home
for all your little ducklings, ten thousand ducks. You have
a big enough facility to store all these little ducks.
Oh yeah, yes, we do so ducks.
Speaker 3 (05:00):
On April twenty six, we'll be racing at Lake Elizabeth
on the north side. We'll have a little ducky festival beforehand.
We have Johnny Hartwell with music, and we have duck games,
and we have food.
Speaker 1 (05:12):
I'm just gonna put Disco Duck on repeat. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (05:16):
So all these ten thousand ducks arrive in many, many,
many crates and they're taken very well care of and getting.
Speaker 2 (05:24):
Ready for race day.
Speaker 3 (05:26):
But race day we have again a festival prior. It
starts at eleven am, a little duck festival prior.
Speaker 1 (05:32):
Yeah, you have a bunch of little tents and games.
Speaker 2 (05:36):
It's wonderful kids, families. Usually it's beautiful out, which is amazing,
and you just come spend the afternoon. You can bring
a chair, you don't have to You can thar. There's
food trucks. I think we have a couple of beers.
Speaker 3 (05:49):
Yes, you have Alleghany City Brewing that does our own
brute for us, a nice little Steel City duck logger.
So thanks to them, Yeah, not sure. Tavern is our
presenting sponsor with.
Speaker 2 (06:00):
You guys with us. They're such a huge partner of
ours for almost everything that they can't say no to Tammy.
I think they've tried, but I think that they recognize
that they can't say very thing.
Speaker 3 (06:13):
We have Grandpa Joe's Candies along with us this year. Again,
we have Mayor Dusol, We have the Right Promise. Those
are all our Grand Quacker sponsors and we're all very excited.
USI Insurance, so a lot of them will be on
site with us and we're just gonna have a great time.
Speaker 1 (06:28):
And so the basically you released ten thousand ducks into
a you know, a pond. You have a funnel and
then like you have a number of prizes for people
to win, including the grand prize. So tell us a
little bit about the prizes that people get to win.
Speaker 3 (06:44):
The grand prizes this year, the first prize is two
thousand dollars, second is one thousand dollars, third is five hundred,
fourth is a year membership at the Children's Museum, and
the fifth prize is a year membership at the Aviary.
So we have all of the prizes these little duckies.
The first five ducks to come into our trap swim
(07:04):
after we swim along Lake Elizabeth are the winners, and
they will be announced on race date. But you do
not have to be there to attend because when you
buy your lucky duck for as low as five dollars,
we have all that information into our database.
Speaker 1 (07:17):
All right, So how do you buy those ducks?
Speaker 3 (07:19):
Good question, Johnny. We can buy them a couple of
different ways. The most popular way is online. It's still
Cityduckderby dot org. Or you can go onto our website
PFQ dot org and that will take you into the
duck event website and you can learn all about the event.
That way, you could see pictures from last year, videos,
(07:41):
all kinds of things on that duck derby Still Cityduckderby
dot org.
Speaker 2 (07:45):
So I have to tell everybody I actually went on
and I bought my quack pack the other day because
I knew we were going to be sitting down with you,
and I'm like, ah, I got to get them before
Johnny gets them, so that way my numbers are higher.
Oh yeah, I know, I know numbers.
Speaker 1 (07:59):
I guessed duck and eligible.
Speaker 2 (08:05):
Now, well you can you can get some another duck. Well,
make sure that duck has been sitting there for how long?
Like the we have talked about this repeatedly during this
time of year. There are ducks everywhere in our office,
Like I have one. I have a fire extinguisher. Somebody
put like a duck on top of it, just a
little bitty duck. Everybody buys these little ducks and they're everywhere,
(08:27):
and every year, after duck season, as it were, I
put them away and they still show up. So I
don't know what's going on exactly.
Speaker 3 (08:36):
Well that's a good point, Maggie, because coming up in
a few weeks, all around the city, you might be
finding some little ducks with a little tag on it
saying what this duck is for, and you can even
take it home with you. That duck will not race
in the race.
Speaker 2 (08:51):
That duck is just yours, So it's a guest duck.
Speaker 3 (08:54):
Yeah, just look around the restaurants or coffee shops or
anywhere you never know where you might find a little
ducky Well.
Speaker 1 (09:01):
Looking around the studio, we don't have anything. We're not
allowed to have anything personal because we think because we
move studios, people think we have one studio, but we
have threeeen, right, and so we're not technically allowed to
have any kind of decorations in the studio except for
the only one in the building.
Speaker 2 (09:20):
It is your duck in training, you know, Partners for Quality.
Speaker 1 (09:25):
Yeah, absolutely ranks that.
Speaker 2 (09:27):
Wow. Wow, nobody messes with my duck because it's Tammy.
I get it, I get it. That's why. You know.
Anything Tammy does with our ducks has just been amazing
and we're very happy to have her at our foundation again.
Partners for Quality Foundation p f Q dot org. Steel
Duck Derby.
Speaker 1 (09:44):
Steel City Doctor.
Speaker 2 (09:48):
That's correctly. I know. Well, you know we've gone through
that before too, Steel City Duck Derby, and we're really
looking forward to we have a great time. Uh we
end up. We have face pain. I know that we've
had some of our media show up and they've interviewed
me on television and I've had my face painted. You know,
it's just been it's really wonderful. Everybody has such a wonderful.
Speaker 1 (10:10):
Time for the fourth annual Steel City Dock Derby Saturday,
April twenty sixth, Allegheny Commons Park in the north Shore.
And you know, we've been very lucky as far as
the weathers we have been.
Speaker 2 (10:23):
I think we had one one year that it rained,
but it was pretty full, but it was a pretty full.
Speaker 1 (10:30):
Ye.
Speaker 2 (10:30):
Well day, it's been beautiful.
Speaker 1 (10:32):
But let's talk about partners for quality. Now you mentioned
some of the programs, but let's dig a little deeper.
Citizens Care. So let's start go go.
Speaker 2 (10:39):
So Citizen Care supports people, like I said, with intellectual
and developmental disabilities. They're going to be fifty this year.
So we are working. Actually our meeting after this is
to talk about all of our agenda items for this
year to celebrate this amazing agency.
Speaker 1 (10:55):
And what does it do.
Speaker 2 (10:57):
It supports people in the community who have behavioral, excuse me,
intellectual and developmental disabilities. We also have community homes, We
have people that live with their parents that we support. Actually,
we have people who work at Grandpa Joe's, which is
also a big sponsor of ours. So we have people
working in the community and we support them. So that's
(11:19):
one of the biggest things that Citizen Care does.
Speaker 1 (11:21):
But Partners for Quality you technically do the behind the
scenes we do.
Speaker 2 (11:26):
We do all the behind the scenes stuff so that
they can really focus on the people supported. So you know,
are our executive directors they worry about programs and expansion
and serving people, where all of us in the back
area worry about the it boots on the ground.
Speaker 1 (11:41):
Yeah, exactly, people boots do.
Speaker 2 (11:44):
Whatever they are, We do it. We do all of
those kinds of things. All of our fiscal stuff comes
out of there and we take care of all of
that for our agencies.
Speaker 1 (11:52):
What is the difference between Citizen Care and Milestone?
Speaker 2 (11:55):
Different agency, They have a different mission to a certain degree,
and Milestone supports people with intellectual developmental disabilities. However, they're
primarily adult behavioral health, so they help people. They have
outpatient services, service coordination, peer support, social rehab. They have
a whole bunch of those types of services within their agency.
Speaker 1 (12:17):
And the Allegheny Children's Initiative is the is.
Speaker 2 (12:20):
Under twenty one for mental and behavioral health. And I
do want to make a little note for Alleghany Children's Initiative.
Not only is it an amazing agency as an amazing culture.
We are hiring clinicians, So if you're a clinician out
there and you're looking for a great agency with a
lot of diversity, great leadership, this would be the place
that you definitely want to work. So definitely go online
(12:42):
PFQ dot org and take a peek.
Speaker 1 (12:44):
All right, and if somebody wants to apply for a job,
can they go on your website?
Speaker 2 (12:49):
Yes, PFQ dot org. That's all you need to remember.
Everything's there. Greg's done a great job of integrating all
of our live set down.
Speaker 1 (12:56):
It's three letters. That's very tough.
Speaker 4 (12:58):
Ably FQ.
Speaker 2 (13:00):
Yeah, Partners for Quality absolutely or dot org. Okay, yeah, yeah, yeah,
but you can get through to all of our career
pages and see everything that we have there.
Speaker 1 (13:10):
One of the coolest agencies that you guys have is
Exceptional Adventures.
Speaker 2 (13:14):
Exactly Exceptional Adventures is our travel agency and we recently
redeveloped that entire agency and Julie Triviovich, who is our director.
Actually we're getting a party bus, so the Foundation helped
us with getting a party bus. So typically we would
(13:34):
have staff drive people to events and that's fine. However,
people couldn't be together on the way and what's the
best thing about going to something? We get a limo,
we get a bus and all of that. So we're
having a bus built from scratch that's going to seat
sixteen people, but it also includes two people who have wheelchairs.
So now it's completely accessible and we're really looking forward
(13:57):
to I think it's coming what mid May. So, yeah,
I'm trying to figure out a way to get exceptional
adventures to let us kill leave us.
Speaker 1 (14:06):
It's almost a holistic absolutely. You know, you take care
of the home and different agencies and you know, adults, children,
but this one is allows them to kind of fulfill
some of their dreams going on a vacation course, going
to an event.
Speaker 2 (14:20):
Absolutely, we don't hang around with each other and talk about, Hey,
I paid my mortgage last week, or hey, you know,
I did the grass. What do we talk about, Oh,
I had dinner with a friend, I went out with
so and so. I mean, we just talked about your
upcoming nuptials.
Speaker 1 (14:34):
I mean, those are the.
Speaker 2 (14:35):
Things that we talk about in our lives, and the
people we support absolutely want the same thing, right, So
that's what we do.
Speaker 1 (14:42):
And then the Foundation basically is the umbrella agency that
funds a lot of these agents.
Speaker 2 (14:48):
That's correct. All of our donations typically come right in
and write out and it goes right to the people
we support through the difference Maker grants.
Speaker 3 (14:55):
And these different makers grants. You could have someone maybe
once art lessons, swimming lessons, or they want to go
on a trip, or they want to go on an
exceptional Adventures trip, any type of thing outside and above
that they need to have paid on their own is
kind of what these difference Maker grants are.
Speaker 2 (15:14):
Yeah, and I just want to mention something. So our
Milestone Subsidiary got together and they had talked to the
people that they support, and a lot of the people
that we support who are a little older really never
went to their own prom. So they had come up
with the idea that they were going to have a prom.
So they talked to Johanna at the Foundation, they talked
(15:34):
to Tammy and Greg and they actually held the first
annual Milestone Once Upon a prom It was in September.
It's amazing, yeah, and everybody. So we had donated dresses.
We've been working with the City of Pittsburgh on some
of the prom things. And it was held at where
was it again, it's a lot in Freeport, and I
(15:56):
think that's the place we're going to have it again.
But it had five hundred people there and we ended
up being able to, you know, have everything taken care
of and nobody had to pay to come in.
Speaker 1 (16:07):
Did you do a prom King and Queen or we.
Speaker 2 (16:09):
Did not, But we did a lot of dancing. They
kept me going a really long day. These guys were unbelievable,
but everybody came dressed to the nines and a big
party bus people rented, and tuxedos and all of that.
So this is that kind of stuff that you know,
I was fortunate enough to go with my prom. I
hope you'd were too, And some people who haven't had
(16:32):
that experience.
Speaker 1 (16:33):
Well, I grew up up north of the city, Okay,
and a little Amish town called New Wilmington, Okay. I
took my prom date in a Dutch buggy?
Speaker 2 (16:41):
Did you really? And it was did they have cars
back then?
Speaker 1 (16:44):
Or they did not?
Speaker 2 (16:49):
You just happened to get the button.
Speaker 1 (16:50):
It was a fancy fancy So anyway, the foundation funds
all these the events, and that's why it's so critical
that we need you.
Speaker 2 (16:59):
To buy a duck. And that's basically absolutely all right,
we're going to.
Speaker 1 (17:03):
Talk about some of the other events. But let's since
you brought up the duck, tell Tammy tell us everything
we need to know about the upcoming duck derby.
Speaker 3 (17:10):
The still City Duck Derby will take place on Saturday,
April twenty six at on the north side Lake Elizabeth
Elleganty Commons Park from eleven am with the duck launch
at one pm. So beforehand, before we launch our ducks,
we have a little duck festival with Johnny iHeart and
his music and we're having so much fun and singing, dancing,
(17:33):
and we have duck games which are free. We have
some of the people joining us this year from the
north side is the Andy Warhol Museum Children's Museum and
they will be there along with Hope Grows other organizations
nonprofit organizations that with games for everybody to take part,
(17:54):
and we'll have food trucks. We have some beer for
those of you who want to walk around with a
brewer Allegheny City Brewing Company and we're just gonna have fun.
But you can buy a duck at Still Cityduckderby dot org.
You can buy it online or you'll also see some
brochors around the city and you can fill it out
and send cash or a check or even come to
(18:17):
our office and drop things off.
Speaker 1 (18:19):
And if you're the lucky Duck, you could win two
thousand dollars.
Speaker 2 (18:22):
Agree, absolutely, yeah, lucky duck wins. Excuse me. First place
is two thousand, second places, one thousand, third places, five
hundred fourth is one year membership to the Children's Museum.
I haven't been there yet. Oh I've wared amazing things.
And then one year family membership to the National Aviary,
which is right next door to Alleghany Commons. And I
(18:42):
do want to mention we have some sponsors that have
been very very generous to us north Shore Tavern and
for those of you who happen to go to the
Duck Derby, that's where all of us end up hanging
out afterward.
Speaker 3 (18:55):
When there is a kickoff party on April second at
north Shore Tavern from five to seve.
Speaker 2 (19:00):
That's right, and iHeartMedia. Of course you guys help us.
Grandpa Joe's and mar Dusol and mar Dusol is one
of our many auditors and they've been very generous to
us through to.
Speaker 1 (19:10):
Get your duck, you could adopt it as many as
you want at Steel Citydocderby dot org. So in addition
to the Doc Derby, what other kind of do you
have other fundraisers throughout the year.
Speaker 2 (19:21):
Yes, we do.
Speaker 3 (19:22):
Coming up on June ninth, we have the thirty fourth
annual Bob Pompy Any Golf Classics. We have a very
fun golf outing. And then in the fall we have
Partners for Comedy which stars Bill Crawford and an other
couple of local comedians around the area. And then in
December we have a beautiful holiday season party which takes
place up at the Lamont on Mount Washington. So there
(19:43):
are some of our four big ones, along with a
celebrity bartending event thrown here and there.
Speaker 1 (19:47):
Yes, yes, all right, so all these events fund all
these programs, that's correct? And you have a number you
have five different agencies? Yes, so yes, I mean aside
from the fundraisers. How do you you get any support
from the state from we do? We do?
Speaker 2 (20:03):
Typically the majority of our programs are funded by the
State of Pennsylvania and federal Medicaid dollars, along with some
county funding as well, so we do rely on that.
That's not what pays for all the fun though, that
takes care of typically people's needs, but not their wants.
The Foundation takes care of the wants. So we obviously
(20:27):
provide food, and we provide bed, and we provide a
home and all of that kind of stuff. But if
you don't have a lot of money, you're on Social
Security disability, which a lot of the people we serve are,
and you want to go get your nails done, that's
not necessarily something that's an option for you, but the
Foundation will help you want to go and get your
hair done for a very special occasion, you can request
(20:49):
that from the Foundation. So the Foundation really funds people's
wants in life and we take care of all of
their needs.
Speaker 1 (20:57):
Well, you could also argue that, you know, getting your
hair done, your nail done, it may be a one,
but it's also kind of a need.
Speaker 2 (21:04):
It is it is, and and the need to feel special,
you know, all of those things.
Speaker 1 (21:10):
A vacation we kind of take for granted.
Speaker 2 (21:12):
Absolutely absolutely, And you know, for all of us, we
have a budget, right so I may I mean, my
nails aren't done because it doesn't meet my budget this week,
you know, so it's all a part of that and
the Foundation.
Speaker 1 (21:25):
Getting my I know, the duck Derby's going. I definitely
get it.
Speaker 2 (21:28):
Well, I have them ready for the I'll have to
get I got a extra special for the ducks. You
certainly do. But anyway, that's what we rely on the
foundation for and they have done an amazing, amazing job
of providing costing a baseball gear. People want to play baseball,
so they've been able to help register people for from
(21:51):
Alleghany Children's Institute and get them all the stuff that
they need. I know that in the past we had
a mom who was in desperate need because her I
think son had some medical issues along with some behavioral issues,
and she was going to the laundromat after him having
you know, a lot of episodes, and we were able
(22:11):
to buy her a washer. So it's that kind of
those kinds of real needs that we can help families with.
Speaker 1 (22:17):
Tell me a little bit more about the individuals you help.
Speaker 2 (22:21):
Oh gosh, what do you want to know?
Speaker 1 (22:23):
We serve.
Speaker 2 (22:24):
So we serve collectively about four thousand people across Allegheny
County and now into Washington County, and we have about
eight hundredth staff that help with all of that. So
it's a variety of needs. So I grew up on
the intellectual and developmental disability side. And so for me,
the people that we support, they're amazing and they do
(22:47):
amazing things that I think we take it, you know,
and we take for granted at times. So we have
this young lady, well, yeah, this thing I was just
going to talk about her. So we have a lady
who had done a lot of stained glass when she
was younger, and throughout her life, you know, her moves,
(23:08):
she kept moving, and she different agencies and so on
and so forth. Ended up with us about four or
five years ago. And her physical disabilities have gotten to
be a little bit more as she's gotten older, and
she requested a grant from the foundation to be able
to do stained glass again. So now she's actually making
all of this stained glass and she donated like four
(23:29):
beautiful ornaments for our holiday celebration. So and you can
she has business cards now and she's running her own
little business and doing her stained glass. And yeah, so
she's essentially self employed.
Speaker 5 (23:42):
Now.
Speaker 1 (23:42):
Now you said you mentioned earlier that some of your
individuals have jobs. Do you have absolutely do you help them? Yes,
Citizen Karen Milestone. Both have job coaches and they work
with the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation, along with the Office
of Development, programs to help people find jobs in the community,
(24:03):
and Grandpa Joe's is one of those places that helps
do that. So we have people who may work there
part time. They go in and their boss will say, Okay,
we're going to work on this with the candy or
this with the candy, and that's their job and they
get paid for it. One of my first listeners and
first person that called me when I when I started
this job.
Speaker 2 (24:22):
I remember you saying this, please yeah pack.
Speaker 1 (24:25):
Kevin passed away a couple of years ago, but he
you know, he had he had, you know, special needs
and everything else, and he was older, but he took
such pride in him.
Speaker 5 (24:36):
Oh.
Speaker 1 (24:36):
Absolutely, that it was you know that, you know, hey,
hey Kevin, you want to go to lunch. I'm sorry, buddy,
I have to work. And you know, he took such
pride in that employment.
Speaker 2 (24:46):
Absolutely. If you talk to our employers, what they will
tell you is that the people that we support that
work for them are some of the most responsible employees
they will ever have because they value the job and
they understand how important it is to work and it's
it's all about their self worth. So yeah, you're right.
A lot of times are people, you know, the people
(25:07):
we support don't call off sick. They really don't do
a lot. They live to work at these places, and
it's a way for them to gain a lot of
independence and confidence and really feel assured that they're contributing
member of society and a social network. Absolutely. Oh yeah,
I mean most of us have friends where we work, right.
Speaker 3 (25:27):
So speaking of the event, you'll get to meet a
lot of our individuals because they come and they help,
they volunteer with another staff member or another volunteer. They
will be at all the duck games. And this is
why we love this event because it's for our community.
It's for the entire community of Pittsburgh, and everybody just
has a wonderful day.
Speaker 1 (25:47):
And there's something about ducks that, oh there are are
we are duck crazy.
Speaker 2 (25:52):
Realize there were so many people that have come dressed
as ducks and everything else that I thought were part
of our agency, to to find out they were only
members of the community who really had a you know,
an obsession with Pittsburgh. Yet they really.
Speaker 3 (26:08):
Are bringing that fifteen or twenty footer back, don't you worry?
Speaker 2 (26:12):
Yeah, oh yeah, Well, you know we've mentioned this before.
I think in Tammy's mind, she would love nothing more
than to do the duck Derby on the three rivers,
you know what I mean, and get bigger ducks and
more ducks.
Speaker 5 (26:24):
Million.
Speaker 1 (26:24):
Yeah, exactly, importantly push those barges aside, exactly, the release
the quack.
Speaker 3 (26:31):
You'd have a lot more than one doctor train.
Speaker 1 (26:33):
Absolutely, absolutely, all right, very quickly, I know this. We
only have like three or four minutes left, So tell
us everything. Partners for Quality everything that people need to
know about the organization.
Speaker 2 (26:46):
Oh, Partners for Quality is a family of organizations that
support people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and behavioral health needs.
We serve about four thousand people within the entire community,
and we have about eight hundred staffs, and we work very,
very hard to make sure that we're person centered.
Speaker 1 (27:02):
And every staff member I've met have been absolutely fabulous. O.
Speaker 2 (27:06):
Our staff is amazing. Now we have we have a
real Part of the reason why I moved to Pittsburgh
was because I wanted to work for an organization that
meant something and we do, and that that means the
world to me. I know that every day that I
go in I make a difference in somebody's life, and
that's what we do.
Speaker 1 (27:22):
And thank you for everything. Now, thank you, and you
can help out by buying a duc Tammy, you get
the last word. Tell us everything we need to know
about the fourth annual Still City Duck Derby.
Speaker 3 (27:32):
Saturday, April twenty sixth Ellegantycommons Park north Side at eleven
am Family duck Fest Festival at one o'clock the launch.
Buy a duck at Still cityduck Derby dot org or
several ducks and you can win five different prizes, with
the top prize being two thousand dollars.
Speaker 1 (27:48):
And where can I buy these these ducks? Gill City
duck Derby dot org. I'm sorry I missed that again,
say that.
Speaker 3 (27:54):
Again, Still cityduck Derby dot org.
Speaker 1 (27:57):
Or if you want more information on the organization, what
are those three letters again?
Speaker 2 (28:01):
P f Q dot org.
Speaker 1 (28:03):
But if you want to buy a duck, it's Steel
City Duckderby dot org Allegheny Commons starting at eleven o'clock.
Get there early because it's kind of a family atmosphere.
You got food trucks and you gots and people, a
lot of people dressed in yellow. My fiance wants to
bring her a golden doodle who's white. Oh my god.
Speaker 2 (28:23):
Yes, the dogs have been amazing.
Speaker 1 (28:25):
Ye have to color him yellows for it, so that
would be wonderful, big chubby, fat duck. He is not trained.
I train my little doctor, not not my dog. Anyway,
It's a great event, so it makesure you adopt, makes
you stop by, cheer, make a difference for the community.
UH Partners for Quality. Thank you for everything you guys do,
(28:46):
and I will see you on the twenty six Bright
and early.
Speaker 2 (28:48):
Yes, thank you very much, Johnny, appreciate you once again.
Speaker 1 (28:51):
Adopt the duck at Steel City Duckderby dot org. That's
Steel City Duckderby dot org. All right, once again, thanks
to Tammy and Maggie and is as always. If you
have any comments, concerns, or an idea for our future program,
please email us from this radio station's website. I'm Johnny Hartwell,
thank you so much for listening.
Speaker 5 (29:23):
Phittsburgh Divas are gathering to make sweet music in the
beautiful hills near Swickly to fight cancer. I'm Bonnie Diver
inviting you to join me for the Songs for Live
concert to benefit hair Piece charities. Five of the most soulful,
jazzy rock and sol divas will entertain in a beautiful
outdoor setting your squeekly on Saturday, May thirty. First, bring
(29:45):
your lawn chairs and picnic basket or order one of
our catered box dinners.
Speaker 2 (29:49):
Get tickets at hairpeace dot org.
Speaker 5 (29:51):
That's hair Peace.
Speaker 4 (29:54):
Hey, life doesn't stop when cancer starts. Some don't make
it to treatment simply because they don't have a rhyme.
You can change that. Volunteer to drive with the American
Cancer Society Road to Recovery Program. Visit cancer dot org
slash drive to learn more.
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