Initiative Overview and Donation Instructions:
On December 27, 2024, our East Hills neighbors at the Maple Ridge Apartments experienced a tragic fire that took the life of 2-year-old Praise Lemons and displaced 13 families. In the treacherous blaze, these families lost all their worldly possessions, and the smoke and water damage ensued.
Petra International Ministries has wrapped its arms around these families to give them the kind of love and support that such a tragedy demands. All of these families are currently housed in a hotel until adequate housing can be secured for them. In the interim, Petra has launched the ADOPT A FAMILY initiative that will provide critical resources to each family in the areas of food, clothing, childcare, and transportation.
Working closely with the families, we have determined the needs of each family for a 3-month period in these 4 critical areas and prepared estimated budgets for each family. We pray that each family will have their housing needs met within 3 months. However, there remains the possibility that it may take longer for some or all of the families to find suitable housing, prompting an extension of the timeframe for support. The impacted families are listed below, numbered 1 through 12. In respect of their privacy, we have not included the individual names.
We are asking individuals, groups, organizations, and businesses to ADOPT A FAMILY for 1 or more months by donating the funds needed to supply the essential needs of a family during this critical time. A unified approach from a caring community will do much to lessen the trauma our neighbors are experiencing.
To show your support, just select one of the families below, click on the month that you would like to adopt this family, and you will be directed to a page where you can make your tax-deductible contribution. Once the needs of a family have been met for a particular month, you will need to select another month or another family.
All donations are being handled by Tamion Enterprises, Petra’s non-profit affiliate, where transparent reporting and updates on the families will be provided to all donors. For more information on this initiative, please check our Frequently Asked Questions or call Petra International Ministries at (412) 243-7225.
— Petra Administration
Initiative Update 2/10/25:
Initial February donations to the 12 East Hills families who were displaced by the December 27 fire at the Maple Ridge Apartments were distributed on Saturday, February 8. Members of Petra’s leadership met with the families, prayed with them, and heard from them about their concerns, needs, and general well-being, in addition to distributing the gift cards.
The families were very grateful! The monthly family budget totaled $11,500. $5,750 was distributed on February 8 through Walmart Gift Cards and Uber Gift Cards. The distributions were made based on 50% of each family’s monthly budget. The remaining $5,750 will be distributed on February 22, 2025.
March ADOPT A FAMILY commitments are due by Sunday, February 23. If you desire to give or commit, click on the payment options below or mail your donation to TAMION ENTERPRISES, 235 Eastgate Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15235. All donations are being handled by Tamion Enterprises, Petra’s non-profit affiliate, where transparent reporting and updates on the families will be provided to all donors. For more information on this initiative, please check our Frequently Asked Questions or call Petra International Ministries at (412) 243-7225.
We thank everyone who has expressed God’s heart through your compassionate benevolence.
Initiative Update 3/5/25:
On the evening of Friday, February 21, 2025, representatives of Petra International Ministries, Destiny International Ministries, Community Justice Project (a non-profit legal assistance organization), and several community support organizations gathered at the Monroeville Extended Stay Hotel to meet with the 12 families that were victims of the December fire at the Maple Ridge Apartments. The purpose of the meeting was to advise the families on the status of the efforts to get them settled into permanent housing, advise them of the options available to them, and distribute the second round of financial assistance provided by Petra’s ADOPT AnFAMILY initiative.
There was a tremendous display of love and fellowship as the families were encouraged to express what they have been going through so that we could direct them to community resources to assist with their needs. Their appreciation for the support they have been receiving through the collaborative efforts of the various groups and particularly the donations from the ADOPT A FAMILY initiative was overwhelming!
In February, a total of $12,150.00 was distributed to the 12 families from the ADOPT A FAMILY Fund. The distributions were made through Wal-Mart Gift Cards and Uber/Lyft Gift Cards. Our next distribution will be made on Friday, March 14, and we anticipate that distribution will amount to approximately $6,650.00.
As of Sunday, March 2, the ADOPT A FAMILY initiative has raised a total of $31,028.39. Thanks to your generosity, we are equipped to make our March distributions on March 14 and March 28. THANK YOU!!
Our prayer is that some or all of these families will be able to get settled in permanent housing space in March, however, there are many factors at work such as the time necessary for Maple Ridge Ownership and Management to restore the damaged apartments and have them certified ready for occupancy and the availability of HUD vacancies at other locations within the area. We are assisting the families in exploring their options. Meanwhile, we will continue to support the families until they are permanently placed, so the likelihood that disbursements will need to be made in April to some of these families remains high.
Please keep these families in your prayers and continue to support our efforts to provide for their immediate needs through your generous donations. Again, we say, thank you and God bless you!
“TO ADOPT A FAMILY,
determine which of the 12 families listed below you would like to support. Click on your desired method of payment below (either Cash App or PayPal) and you will be linked to that payment page. The payment page will be for Tamion Enterprises, which is Petra’s non-profit affiliate. Enter your payment information and the amount you would like to donate. Please make sure to add the family number in the notes for Cash App or select the family number from the drop-down menu on the PayPal donation page.
If you have questions, call us at (412) 243-7225. THANK YOU FOR YOUR GENEROSITY!””
| Family Number | Adults | Seniors | Children | Total Family | February 2025 | March 2025 | April 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Family 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | Complete | *800.00 | *800.00 | |
| Family 2 | 2 | 1 | 3 | Complete | *$1,100 | *$1,100 | |
| Family 3 | 2 | 1 | 3 | Complete | *800 | *800 | |
| Family 4 | 1 | 4 | 5 | Complete | *$1,500 | *$1,500 | |
| Family 5 | 1 | 3 | 4 | Complete | *$1,100 | *$1,100 | |
| Family 6 | 1 | 1 | 2 | Complete | *800 | *800 | |
| Family 7 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 5 | Complete | *$1,100 | *$1,100 |
| Family 8 | 2 | 3 | 5 | Complete | *$1,100 | *$1,100 | |
| Family 9 | 1 | 2 | 3 | Complete | *800 | *800 | |
| Family 10 | 1 | 2 | 3 | Complete | *800 | *800 | |
| Family 11 | 1 | 7 | 8 | Complete | *$1,100 | *$1,100 | |
| Family 12 | 1 | 3 | 4 | Complete | *$1,100 | *$1,100 |
“Select Your Method of Payment.”
Cash App: $tamion2
“Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.”
–Malachi 3:10
“Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.”
–Luke 6:38