By Annette M. Testa

As the old saying goes, "Home is where you hang your hat," and for 15 families, home is at Benedictine Place, a transitional housing program for single female parents who were homeless and needed a safe, supportive environment in which to raise their children and attend school or training programs. The hat also hangs at the upscale Pine Township community called Georgetowne, located on 6 ½ acres along Wallace Road, just off Route 19 in Wexford, which is currently under construction. With just four of the 40 luxury townhomes complete, they will shine as a symbol of elegance atop the graceful hilltop next door to Oxford Athletics, beckoning young executives and empty-nesters alike. But what ties these two unlikely communities together?

His name is Angelo C. Spagnolo, Owner and President of Spagnolo Custom Homes, Inc., located at 109 Gateway Avenue, Suite 202, Wexford. In the early '90s, Spagnolo was elected Vice President on the Board of Directors of the North Suburban Builders Charitable Foundation, an organization charged with raising funds to renovate the former St. Benedict Academy, located at 4540 Perrysville Avenue, Ross Township, into apartments to house families in transition (now called Benedictine Place).

Before the apartments were completed back in 1995 and Spagnolo's time on the Board was up, his sole focus again became building custom homes in the area, with his brother Frank J. Spagnolo. As the years passed, Spagnolo fondly remembered his community work with HEARTH (Homelessness Ends with Advocacy, Resources, Training, and Housing, formerly North Hills Affordable Housing), the mother organization for Benedictine Place and other programs that assist families in need. He was determined to find a way to assist the organization once again.

"The idea to use Benedictine Place as our targeted charity came when my brother and I realized that this was a good way to give back to the community that we serve," commented Spagnolo. So the proposal was made … for every luxury townhome that is sold at the new Georgetowne community, Spagnolo Custom Homes Inc. will donate $500 to Benedictine Place for improvements and upkeep of the program.

"We were thrilled when we received the news of this generous donation," exclaimed Judy Eakin, Director of Benedictine Place. "We have received a lot of support through the years from companies, church groups, and so forth, but this is the first time that a donation was ever tied to the sale of a house."

Of course the donations are wonderful, but what Eakin feels is even better is the fact that more people are learning about HEARTH and the wonderful programs associated with the organization, like Benedictine Place, thanks to Spagnolo's generosity. "With the publicity that this wonderful donation has received, more and more families in the area are learning about our program and will hopefully consider assisting us in some way," Eakin said. "We are always in need of volunteers to help out and donations of food, clothing, and supplies."

The women at Benedictine Place are not getting a handout, but rather a hand up, as the saying goes around HEARTH. The program's focus is to provide the necessary support for families to enable the mother to complete an education or training program that will lead to economic self-sufficiency. At present there are 15 mothers and 28 children enrolled in the program.

Benedictine Place consists of 15 furnished, self-contained apartments in a suburban setting, available to mothers and up to four children under the age of 18. Families are responsible for a program fee of 30% of their adjusted income and their own food, clothing, cleaning, and child-care arrangements. Once in the program, the children are enrolled in a local school and receive the necessary support from the school district. The families can stay at Benedictine Place for up to two years.

"Most of the families at Benedictine Place are from the suburbs and this is where we do all our business," Spagnolo stated. "We are just happy to help out."
As for the luxury townhomes, Spagnolo guarantees you will not be disappointed! "After traveling to the Washington, DC, area to study townhouse designs in Alexandria and Georgetown, the concept for Georgetowne was born," Spagnolo expressed. Each 3,800 - 4,500 sq. ft. townhome is elegantly designed, taking into account every possible luxury … even an elevator, if so desired.

There will be seven buildings when the community is complete in two years, some with six units and some with five. After entering the grand entranceway to Georgetowne, the private cul-de-sac community is bordered by lush green areas and mature groves of shade trees. These Georgian-style homes have spacious foyers, complete with balconies, sunrooms, or elaborate moldings and cornices. Each home has 10-ft. ceilings and many, many extras. There are six floor plans to choose from, with options that range from two to four bedrooms, 4 ½ bathrooms, finished game rooms and lofts, and many other options. Units also come with two- or three-car garages, with either front or rear access. For more information on these spectacular townhomes, contact Gloria Carroll, Prudential Preferred Realty, at 412-367-8000. Prices start at $389,000.

If award-winning design is what you are looking for in a townhome, Georgetowne has it! In March, Pittsburgh Magazine acknowledged Karolyn Spagnolo, of Spagnolo Interior Designs, for outstanding designs in two categories. Likewise, the Builders Association of Metropolitan Pittsburgh (BAMP) honored Spagnolo Custom Homes with a nomination in three of the 14 categories for the "Housing Excellence Awards."