Making His Impact Felt: Kuntz 4 Ki6s Foundation

Making his impact felt: Christian Kuntz has a soft spot for Jeremiah’s Place, Pittsburgh’s only 24-hour crisis nursery that provides emergency childcare for families in need.

It’s an organization he and his wife, Heather, have been involved with the last few years, providing holiday joy to the single mothers and kids who they serve.

Now, he is taking it one step further.

Through the Kuntz 4 Ki6s Foundation, the couple is providing a $10,000 scholarship to support Jeremiah’s Place and Trying Together bridge scholarship program.

“Jeremiah’s Place is one of Pittsburgh’s only 24-7 crisis centers for single mothers that offers childcare and care for the mothers as well,” said Kuntz. “So, we got linked with them a couple years ago through the Steelers for our non-profit and we’re providing a scholarship of $10,000 and that will act as a bridge for the moms to be able to go on job interviews and pursue opportunities that they wouldn’t be able to pursue because of their situation.

“If they needed an Uber to get to a job interview but didn’t have child care, they couldn’t go to the interview because they couldn’t take the child there. So, we’re going to act as that bridge to help if they’re in the job interview process or any kind of process and they need childcare or they need transportation. The scholarship will provide that for them while they’re on that transition. Have an opportunity to get a job and hopefully move forward.

“It’s going to help close to 50 moms and kids to be able to pursue the opportunities that they might not be able pursue if they didn’t have the money to get the transportation or to take their kid to childcare.”

Kuntz said he felt a bond with Jeremiah’s Place from the first time he and his wife got involved with them for holiday events.

“I think since Heather and I became parents, it made us realize how hard it really is to raise a child and how expensive it is,” said Kuntz. “Then our history with Jeremiah’s Place, how touching our events have been the last three years with them and seeing the smiles on the kids’ and moms’ faces because of simple acts that touched us.

“I grew up with a single mom. Seeing them and the struggle that they go through, and they love their kids so much, and they want to do everything to make their kids better. I had two older brothers to look up to growing up. I want to be able to be a role model to the kids and be able to help them and the moms financially move forward and try to succeed.”