Auberle

Reserve FREE tickets to Coming Home here!

Introduction to Auberle | Matt Bradley on the Meaning of Home | Auberle Housing Services

Learn more about Auberle: www.auberle.org

Introduction to Auberle

Leading up to our free concert, Coming Home, on March 9 and 10, we’ll be featuring people and organizations from around Pittsburgh with unique insights into the meaning of home. One of these organizations is Auberle, an innovative, holistic human service nonprofit whose mission is to help build strong individuals, families, and communities across Western PA. 

Auberle has been changing lives in our region for over 70 years. Auberle’s work began in the 1950s with the construction of a facility in McKeesport for orphaned boys ages 14-18. At the time, there were no shelters in the area serving boys in this age group who found themselves without a home. The facility was made possible by the philanthropy of Mrs. Pauline Auberle, who bequeathed 16 acres and a large gift in her will to bring it to life. Today, Auberle provides services in Workforce Development, Housing, Young Adult Services, Foster Care, and Behavioral Health to more than 4,000 people across 10 counties every year. 

Stay tuned in the next few weeks for testimonials from members of the Auberle community about what home means to them. In the meantime, you can visit Auberle’s website to learn more about how they are making Western PA a better home for all. 

Pictured: Volunteers from across Pittsburgh partner with Auberle to support communities all throughout the year!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

---

Matt Bradley on the Meaning of Home

For U.S. Army veteran, social service worker, and foster parent Matthew Bradley, home is the safety and security we feel when we’re surrounded by people who we know will stand by us, even — and especially — when we make mistakes. 

“When I was 11 years old, I lost my mother tragically, and my grandmother not long after. As a kid, I didn’t know how to deal with that trauma. So I really started acting out,” Matt shared. “But my dad was my hero. He was a single dad raising three kids, and no matter how bad I behaved, he didn’t give up on me. That’s the kind of dad I try to be. I take in teenagers, and they’re going to make mistakes, but I want them to know that I’m here to give them a real, permanent home. One of my sons made a mistake and immediately packed up, thinking I’d reject him. But I’m not going anywhere, and that’s what ‘home’ is, what ‘family’ is.”

Matt is a foster parent for five young men ages 15 to 20 — Michael, Tyriq, Fred, Tyjeir, Jason — as well as Jaquawn, who passed away in an auto accident in 2022, and whom Matt will always consider a son. Whether they’re working hard at a full-time job, committing to their high school or college studies, achieving a 4.0, or playing football on their school team, Matt celebrates their individual growth with pride. And on the hard days, he reminds them that “home” is where they’re safe, supported, and loved. 

Matt supervises independent living programs at Auberle, whose work in Workforce Development, Housing, Young Adult Services, Foster Care, and Behavioral Health touches 4,000 in Western PA every year.

---

Housing Services and a Holistic Approach to Preventing Homelessness

Our partners at Auberle discuss yet another definition of home: a safe, stable, permanent place to live. 

Fundamental as this definition may seem, homelessness is a pervasive challenge right here in our local community. “There are so many ways that people can find themselves suddenly and unexpectedly without a home,” said Devon Goetze, Director of Housing Services at Auberle. “Some of our participants have never had housing stability. Some were stable for most of their lives when an event like job loss or the diagnosis of a serious illness led to the depletion of their savings. The frightening reality is, the everyday person is one large, unexpected expense away from facing homelessness.”

Devon and her team work tirelessly to lift individuals and families in Western PA out of homelessness and provide them with holistic support to achieve long-term housing stability. They connect participants with affordable health insurance, ensure access to vital documents, set up personal budgets, and provide education on how to successfully manage those budgets. As a result, 98% of families who participate in this program move out of emergency shelter and into stable, permanent housing. This is one of countless ways Auberle is making our region a better place to call home.