Pittsburg, PA
“It’s hard to ask for help.” Veterans Leadership Program provides Pittsburgh veterans with the resources they need | KD Sunday Spotlight
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – Off of Smallman Street in the Strip District, you’ll find the Veterans Leadership Program. It’s a place where you’ll hear conversation about military service and veterans will know they’re around people who get it.
Walter Chubeck Junior said he served in the Navy from 1983-1986.
“We acted as a hospital ship in Grenada, that’s probably the one thing that gave me nightmares for a little over a year when I got out,” said Chubeck when reflecting on his service.
However, when he got out the reality of civilian life hit him hard.
“When COVID hit, I had lost my job, so I couldn’t work. I was way behind on my rent,” said Chubeck. “I went homeless.”
At his lowest point, Chubeck said he turned to the Veterans Leadership Program. Chubeck told us when he was really desperate, they were right there.
V.L.P. connected him with housing help. Through the Supportive Services for Veteran Families program, V.L.P. provided Chubeck with rental, furniture, moving costs, and food assistance.
Ben Stahl is the non-profit’s C.E.O. He said he served in the Navy too, for ten years.
“Our mission statement at V.L.P is empowering veterans to navigate the transitions of life,” Stahl said.
Now his focus is helping his brothers and sisters in arms. It’s V.L.P’s mission too, since 1982 and it stretches 30 counties throughout western and central Pennsylvania.
“We are a housing first organization, and it’s very intentional because you need somewhere to call your own and we’re very happy we’re able to help veterans gain that for themselves,” said Stahl.
In addition to assisting with housing, the non-profit has programs helping former service members with employment, wellness, and more. It’s changed the lives of more than 7,400 vets in our area, just in 2023.
“Most veterans, myself included, most of the time they need someone reaching out to them because we’re military, independent, we’re used to doing for ourselves. It’s hard for them to ask for help,” said Chubeck.
It’s help from serving in uniform to finding stability in civilian life. This non-profit is empowering our military veterans, driven by those who understand.
“Well V.L.P. will put them in touch with more brothers and sisters, and most of these guys here are vets,” said Chubeck.
The Veterans Leadership Program is funded through donations and grants from the Veteran’s Administration. The non-profit is moving to Braddock in the first quarter of 2025, but the groundbreaking will be on June 14th at 10 a.m. at 1025 Braddock Avenue.
If you want to get involved with V.L.P. click here.
Pittsburg, PA
Pittsburgh Steelers Christmas Day History: Record, Statistics, & More
The Pittsburgh Steelers will face the Kansas City Chiefs on Christmas Day as part of a two-game showcase on Netflix.
A Brief History of the Steelers on Christmas Day
Wednesday’s matchup against the Chiefs will only be the third time the Steelers have played on Christmas Day in their history. Pittsburgh played on consecutive Christmas Days in 2016 and in ’17. They hold a 2–0 record on Christmas, beating the Baltimore Ravens in ’16 and the Houston Texans in ’17. A win over the Chiefs this year would allow the Steelers to keep their undefeated Christmas record.
The NFL first played Christmas games in 1971 when hosting two matchups: Dallas Cowboys vs. Minnesota Vikings and Kansas City Chiefs vs. Miami Dolphins. The league took a long break from hosting Christmas Day games until 1989. The NFL didn’t consistently showcase Christmas Day games until somewhat recently. Games on the holiday used to happened every few years or so, but now there’s been at least one if not more Christmas Day games every year since 2020.
The 2022 and ’23 seasons saw three Christmas Day games each, the most ever hosted on the holiday. It’s more rare for the NFL to have Christmas games compared to the long-standing tradition of Thanksgiving games.
Key Moments in Steelers’ Christmas Day History
The Steelers’ first Christmas Day game back in 2016 vs. the Ravens was one for the history books. Pittsburgh clinched the AFC North title after former receiver Antonio Brown scored a four-yard touchdown with nine seconds left in the game to give the Steelers a 31–27 victory. It’s always a huge win when the Steelers beat their AFC North rivals, but it helps that a playoff spot was on the line, too. Pittsburgh advanced to the AFC Championship that season, but lost to the eventual Super Bowl championship-winning New England Patriots.
The Steelers’ 2017 Christmas Day matchup vs. the Texans the following year wasn’t as nail-biting as Pittsburgh dominated 34–6. The Steelers scored four touchdowns in the game compared to the Texans’ one touchdown, which resulted in no two-point conversion. The Steelers would go on to lose in the wild-card round to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
It’s been so long since the Steelers have played in a Christmas Day game, though, as former quarterback Ben Roethlisberger led the team to both of these key wins mentioned above. The Steelers are on their fourth starting quarterback since Roethlisberger retired after the 2021 season.
By the Numbers: Steelers’ Christmas Day Record
The Steelers hold a 2–0 record on Christmas Day.
Year |
Opponent |
Result |
---|---|---|
2016 |
Baltimore Ravens |
W, 31–27 |
2017 |
Houston Texans |
W, 34–6 |
Roethlisberger threw for 279 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions during the win over the Ravens. Running back Le’Veon Bell carried the ball 20 times for 122 yards and one touchdown. And, another blast from the past, Brown caught the ball 10 times for 96 yards and one touchdown.
Both Roethlisberger and Bell showed out for the Steelers in 2017, too. The quarterback threw for 226 yards and two touchdowns, while the running back carried the ball 14 times for 69 yards and one touchdown. Receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster led the Steelers with six catches for 75 yards and one touchdown in the contest. Brown missed the game due to injury.
Steelers’ Christmas Day Heroes
As mentioned above, both Roethlisberger and Bell appeared as heroes for the Steelers in both previous Christmas Day games. Brown, too, is considered the hero of the 2016 game as he scored the final touchdown to seal the win.
Memorable Rivalries and Matchups
Rivalry games are often showcased during the Christmas Day matchups. The Steelers were a part of that narrative in 2016 when playing against the Ravens, but this year the Steelers and Ravens will be playing in different Christmas games. The Ravens will be playing the Texans after the Steelers–Chiefs game.
The Chiefs have appeared in multiple rivalry Christmas Day games against the Las Vegas Raiders in 2004 and ’23, and also against the Denver Broncos in 2016. Kansas City holds a 2–2 record on Christmas Day.
The Christmas Day games often hold playoff implications for teams as the games are played near the end of the regular season. Before the 18-week season, the Christmas Day games were sometimes the last games of the season for some teams. However, both the Steelers and Chiefs clinched playoff spots already. The Steelers will need to win in order to keep the top AFC North seed, especially if the Ravens beat the Texans.
Pittsburg, PA
Christmas Eve fire displaces family, kills 4 dogs in Pennsylvania
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Pittsburg, PA
Pirates Pitcher Paul Skenes’ Best Performance Revealed
Paul Skenes was nothing short of dominant for the Pittsburgh Pirates en route to winning the 2024 National League Rookie of the Year.
But even in a season full of special performances from the first overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft, one performance stood out above the rest for the Pirates. MLB.com picked the best performance for every team in the 2024 season and tabbed his performance against the Milwaukee Brewers on July 11 as Pittsburgh’s best. Skenes pitched 7 no-hit innings and struck out 11 batters while walking just one on 99 pitches in a 1-0 win over the eventual NL Central champions.
“Skenes had otherworldly expectations coming into 2024, but few could have expected him to dominate the way he did out of the gate, earning an All-Star nod after just 10 Major League starts,” Stumpf writes. “His 11th start made it clear that he was already one of the game’s best, striking out 11 over seven innings of no-hit ball. Skenes walked and hit a batter in the second, his lone blemishes as he would go on to retire the last 16 Brewers he faced. The Pirates would go on to win, 1-0, and Skenes was named the National League’s starting pitcher the next day.“
The only trouble Skenes had came in the second inning with two outs when he hit Brewers Jake Bauers and walked Garrett Mitchell. The Pirates ace escaped the jam by striking out Andruw Monasterio and Skenes sat down the next 15 batters he faced, including seven via strikeout, to end his outing.
Skenes’ outing against the Brewers marked the second time he exited a game without allowing a single hit. He also accomplished the feat on May 17 in the second start of his big league career when he pitched 6 shutout innings, struck out 11 and walked 1 batter against the Chicago Cubs to earn the first win of his career.
Make sure to visit Pirates OnSI for the latest news, updates, interviews and insight on the Pittsburgh Pirates
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