Auberle unveils latest state-of-the-art center

By: Jennifer R. Vertullo,
Daily News Staff Writer
04/26/2008

The Most Rev. David A. Zubik, state Sen. Jane Orie, Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato and McKeesport Mayor James Brewster were among those who unlocked the key to Auberle's new GOAL building.

Auberle is continuing its mission to put troubled youths on a successful path by providing a place for young men to learn the skills they will use in everyday life.

The faith-based nonprofit agency, which has been dedicated to providing positive outcomes to at-risk youths and their families for 55 years, invited the public on a Friday afternoon tour of the latest addition to its McKeesport campus - the GOAL building.

GOAL, or Group-Oriented Adolescent Living, is an Auberle program that provides community-based living arrangements for young men ages 15 to 18.

The newly completed GOAL facility is more than a dormitory. It's a state-of-the-art center with 24 single bedrooms, a computer lab, career office, rec room, kitchen and laundry facilities; each of those rooms offers residents an opportunity to build life skills.

"Some of these young men don't know how to do laundry. Some of them don't know how to cook," said Kyle Harder, supervisor of central intake at Auberle. "They're finishing high school or starting college, and we're teaching them the skills they'll need to live independently."

McKeesport Area High School senior and Auberle resident Nate said he's comfortable in the new building.

"It's given me more privacy," he said. "I can trust it more than the other building. I have my own room, my own space."

Jamie, another Auberle resident and McKeesport Area student, said GOAL and other Auberle programs have had a great impact on his life. Auberle staff said Jamie is focused on his daily goals and his aspirations for the future.

Jamie also encourages fellow Auberle residents to strive for whatever goals they have.

"Don't do what you see in the streets," he said. "Look for the positive in everything. Don't let anybody bring you down. If you have a goal, try to achieve it."

Auberle CEO John Patrick Lydon said the GOAL program and facility are tailored to the needs of the teens they serve. Investors, community members and similar organizations were polled to determine what components should be included in a world-class program for young men. And most importantly, Lydon said, Auberle staff and volunteers asked the teens what they need.

"The kids were involved in this building before it even became a drawing on a piece of paper," he recalled.

Lydon said Auberle residents and program participants will be active in future campus development, including the installation of a fish pond, which the youths will research, design and build.

Lydon, along with Auberle staff and board members, thanked state Sen. Jane Orie, R-McCandless, for continued dedication to the agency's mission. She secured a $400,000 grant for the near $2 million GOAL facility.

Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato acknowledged the great expense put into the GOAL building, but said the cost of not funding such a facility would be far greater.

"They are saving a lot of lives and a lot of money by doing this," he said.

Lydon said Orie is committed to Auberle because she understands and shares Onorato's view that investing in youth will give society a great payoff down the line.

Orie said Auberle is a catch basin, a safety net that provides opportunity to the world's most valuable asset, children.

"What Auberle does with the little dollars we give them, it's invaluable," the senator said.

Auberle representatives also thanked the Most Rev. David A. Zubik, bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh, for continuing the tradition of diocesan support.

"This is a mission of the heart driven by Gospel values," Lydon said.

He said Auberle turns to the Pittsburgh bishop for guidance in terms of programs, opportunities and goals.

And while the bishop received much praise from attendees of Friday's event, he said he was humbled and embarrassed to hear it. He said the applause should come from his hands.

"In reality, it's an honor for me to be here with you," Zubik said to Auberle's many volunteers, staff members and community supporters. He said their passion for Auberle's mission shows they truly understand Jesus' teachings.

Zubik formally pledged continued support, not only from the Diocese of Pittsburgh, but also from himself.