In the News
This is a public record of community leadership connected to Lance Rhoades and the organizations he has helped build—from independent media and recovery work to civic recognition, grants, neighborhood ministry, food security, and youth programs. Use the categories below to see what each source documents.
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City report documents $4,000 for Brookline Sprouts After School
The City’s FY2023 performance report records Program Year 2022 CDBG public-service funding to Tree of Life d/b/a Brookline Sprouts After School.
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City Council record documents support for SPOAC
Standing Committees minutes record a $500 District 2 donation to Tree of Life Open Bible Church for the South Pittsburgh Opioid Action Coalition.
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Volunteers Hop to the Rescue
Neighborhood coverage of a community Easter event that brought more than 200 children and caregivers to Tree of Life for free food, 4,000 eggs, and family activities.
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Brookline Sprouts named Best School Break Program runner-up
Reader-voted recognition in Pittsburgh Parent’s 2026 Best for Families awards.
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Meeting the Moment grant supports Tree of Life commercial-kitchen updates
Tree of Life Open Bible Church received $7,500 through the rapid-response program to support commercial kitchen updates.
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SPOAC selected as a 2023–2024 Anti-Stigma Initiative site
The South Pittsburgh Opioid Action Coalition was among 117 participating sites working to reduce harmful stigma surrounding addiction.
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Frontline Faith Leaders and Substance Use
Presentation materials identify Rev. Lance Rhoades with Tree of Life Open Bible Church and SPOAC and outline a faith-community response to substance use.
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SPOAC selected for Pennsylvania harm-reduction funding
Vital Strategies and the University of Pittsburgh selected SPOAC among nine coalitions, supporting naloxone distribution and community organizing to reduce stigma.
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City Council recognizes Brookline–Overbrook preservation partners
The adopted proclamation commends Tree of Life Open Bible Church and its neighborhood partners for their public-history work.
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Addiction Recovery Month proclamation marks the tenth Pittsburgh Recovery Walk
Lance served on the Walk’s steering committee and as a livestream co-host; the proclamation recognizes the Walk and does not name him individually.
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Brookline Christian Food Pantry selected for $10,000 in 2024 CDBG funding
Program Year 2024 public-service funding supports food-bank services for low- and moderate-income Pittsburgh residents.
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United Way rapid response funds support Tree of Life Open Bible Church
Tree of Life received $2,500 as one of 42 organizations selected for emergency food-support funding from The Heinz Endowments and United Way.
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City allocates $7,500 to Brookline Christian Food Pantry
Official City Council record of a Community Development Block Grant allocation to the Tree of Life food-security program.
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Meeting the Moment supports Tree of Life’s commercial-kitchen upgrades
United Way’s partner profile documents health-department compliance upgrades that protected meal and pantry access for hundreds of children, families, and community members.
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Tree of Life listed among Community Food Solutions grant recipients
Independent coverage identifies Tree of Life Open Bible Church among the 32 organizations awarded 2024 United Way Community Food Solutions grants.
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Editorial highlights Tree of Life’s response to Narcan vending-machine failures
The editorial documents how church volunteers adapted the machine by unboxing the naloxone kits so community members could successfully access them.
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Week in Photos: March 14–20
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Tree of Life receives historic-preservation grant for window replacements
Two local publications documented a $5,234 grant to replace six casement windows with historically appropriate wood-clad windows.
Brookline gathering focuses on solutions to addiction
Follow-up coverage reports on the December 14 resource fair at Tree of Life and the South Pittsburgh Opioid Action Coalition’s community response.
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Event to rally South Pittsburgh against opioid epidemic
Advance coverage announces SPOAC’s “Coming Together to End the Epidemic” resource fair at Tree of Life Open Bible Church.
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Brookline Collage a Team Effort
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Oakland’s Bates Street redevelopment and Tree of Life
Coverage from Tree of Life’s Oakland era quotes Lance Rhoades on the proposed Bates Street redevelopment and its implications for the church and neighborhood.
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