6 Pittsburgh Nonprofits That Serve Different Communities Around Town
For Nature Preservation
1. Allegheny Land Trust
In the early 1990s, residents and officials in the Pittsburgh area were growing alarmed over the continued loss of green space in Allegheny County. So the governing body at the time — the Allegheny County Commissioners — in 1993 created the Allegheny Land Trust, a public-private entity tasked with preserving the area’s natural resources for current and future generations to enjoy.
As a nationally accredited nonprofit, the trust has so far conserved 3,700 acres in 42 municipalities in Allegheny, Butler and Washington counties.
The conservation of green spaces protects biodiversity, improves air and water quality, diminishes the effects of climate change and adds to the scenic character. Activities such as hiking, biking, hunting, bird watching and fishing are common in the areas they conserve.
“Getting out into the woods is beneficial [and has] very good health benefits,” says John Stephen, the trail network development director for the Rachel Carson Trail Conservancy. “The exercise and the ability to escape the hustle and bustle for a little bit is very beneficial to people’s peace of mind.”
Parts of the Rachel Carson Trail run through the Deer Creek Conservation Project, a project led by the trust in Indiana Township. At 260 acres, it’s the largest acreage that the trust is working on all at once and involves a diverse ecosystem.
Beyond that project and others, a lot still needs to be done to conserve land across the region.
“We’re losing a lot of green space every year” to construction and housing developments, says Christopher Beichner, the trust’s president and CEO. “Allegheny Land Trust exists to protect as much of that green space before it’s gone forever — because once it’s gone, it’s gone.”
The trust, which is headquartered in Sewickley, receives financial support from the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. If the projects move forward, the state can fund 50% of the money needed to complete it. The trust must then match the amount with donations from foundations, corporations and the local community.
To choose which areas to conserve, it looks at land near municipal and county parks or land it has already conserved. An example is the Panhandle Greenway Conservation Project in South Fayette.
The Panhandle Trail runs from Collier in Allegheny County to Colliers, West Virginia, and is near Settlers Cabin Park, the Pittsburgh Botanic Garden and several municipal parks. The project is being developed in multiple phases. The trust conserved 90 acres in Collier Township in March and is working toward 140 acres in South Fayette.
“We’re always looking to make sure that the community is supportive of the work that we’re doing in their neighborhood,” says Beichner.
One of these communities is Ross, where a 30-acre conservation project next to Ross Township Community Park is underway. The township’s environmental advisory council asked the Trust to make presentations to educate the community and has given them connections to financial resources.
“Ross Township has just been a tremendous partner on the project,” says Beichner.
The Ross Conservation Project would conserve the quality of the Girty’s Run Watershed, allowing the absorption of 14.6 million gallons of rainwater a year. The Trust is hoping to add an additional 21 acres to the project.
“This is what [our residents are] showing us, that these are the needs of the community,” says Ross Township Ward 8 Commissioner Denise Rickenbrode. “So we’re trying to support them.”
She says this project will extend to downstream communities such as Millville, protecting them from possible flooding and providing Ross with more recreation areas. Among other projects, the trust is working in the Healcrest Green Community in Garfield to build more sustainable trails. This has been underway since 2019 and includes 1.6 acres. The land has been a farm, a community learning and gathering space and an unofficial trail for local residents.
This fall, the trust also will be implementing an Abandoned Mine Drainage System to clean up the contaminated Chalfant Run. This project is a part of the Churchill Valley Greenway project, a 155-acre former golf course that straddles Churchill and Penn Hills that the trust took over in 2021; it’s now a wildly popular area for recreation and nature lovers.
During and immediately after the height of the pandemic, the trust saw a 150% increase in the use of its conserved properties.
“People needed to be outside for their physical and mental health and wellness,” says Beichner. “[It is essential] to have a place that is close to home, where you can relax and enjoy nature or just decompress.”
— Maddy Perry
Allegheny Land Trust
416 Thorn St., Sewickley
412-741-2750
alleghenylandtrust.org
For Children’s Enrichment & Care
2. Batch Clubhouse
From quarterback to giving back, Charlie Batch’s impact on Pittsburgh goes far beyond football.
The former Steeler has redirected his time, Pittsburgh connections and Homestead roots into a community outreach and education program called the Best of the Batch Foundation.
Since its start 25 years ago, the foundation has grown in both strength and numbers. The organization serves 3,800 children annually across the region and has more than 100 contributing sponsors and partners. Earlier this year it opened a larger facility in Homestead and already is thinking about future expansions.
The foundation offers free year-round activities, educational support and hospitality at the newly renovated, 33,000-square-foot Batch Clubhouse for local kids. It’s dedicated to its mission to unlock potential in underserved communities and build the best future for kids and families by providing choices, motivation and education.
Batch founded the organization in honor of his sister, who lost her life to gang violence on Feb. 18, 1996. She was shot just blocks away from where the Batch Clubhouse now stands at 2000 West St.
“She was only 17 years old and never had the opportunity to live life. And I said at that moment, if I was ever in a position to give back, I would,” Batch says.
Batch was drafted by the Detroit Lions in April 1998. He started the foundation after his first season, beginning with several small programs in Detroit. When he signed a one-year contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2002, he moved the foundation’s operations to his hometown.
One year in Pittsburgh became 11 as Charlie and his wife, Latasha, continued to grow the foundation — while Charlie’s reputation grew on the field.
After 15 years in their original building, the Batches broke ground on the new Batch Clubhouse in June 2019. It hosted its grand opening in April on the same block where the organization began its Pittsburgh branch.
The renovations brought new amenities, including a kitchen, dance studio, gaming room, music production studio, gymnasium, indoor track, podcast studio and a room filled with giant teddy bears, as well as a medical facility.
Clearly, the Batch Clubhouse is a young mind’s dream.
“The biggest accomplishment is not just building a 33,000-square-foot building, it’s having 200 kids running around, laughing, having fun,” Latasha says.
In addition to providing all of the activities, the foundation focuses on education through its 13 programs available throughout the year. Each summer, the foundation offers three programs that overlap with one another.
Their largest summer initiative is Camp Batch, a daily program that provides youth with physical activity, meals, field trips and education enrichment to combat summer learning loss. There’s also Project C.H.U.C.K. (Continuously Helping Uplift Community Kids), a youth basketball league, as well as a program called Girl Talk for middle- and high-school girls, that meets twice a week year-round to help build self-esteem, develop leadership skills and recognize the values of community service.
As part of its community outreach, the foundation each fall distributes fully stocked backpacks to more than 3,500 students through Batch Packs. During the holiday season, the Batch A Toys initiative adopts more than 400 families to provide gifts and household necessities.
Latasha says these programs would not be possible without the hundreds of volunteers who give their time.
Many of the foundation’s volunteers were once campers. Kennedy Smith has been involved with the Batch Foundation since he was 4. He grew up playing basketball for the C.H.U.C.K. league, volunteered with Batch Packs and Batch A Toys and eventually joined the leadership team as the foundation’s community and social outreach manager.
After graduating from Charlie’s alma mater, Steel Valley High School, he went on to earn two degrees from La Roche University as well as two conference basketball championships. Now, at 26, he’s entering his last year of law school at Arizona State University.
“Miss Tasha always says, ‘Learn it, earn it, return it,’ and I use that now for everything in life. It has allowed me to just be able to get more involved in the community, helping others, and I just feel like it helped me become the person I want to be,” Smith says.
Looking toward the future, Latasha says the foundation is planning to expand its facility once again. Their focus is on extending programming and community outreach while their mission statement remains the same: “Providing a roadmap for children and families through this thing called life.”
— Ruby Siefken
Best of the Batch Foundation
2000 West St., Homestead
412-326-0119
batchfoundation.org
For Disabled Pets
3. Joey’s Paw
Brittany Thomas of Lillington, North Carolina, was scrolling through social media when she came across something that caught her eye.
“My best friend is a huge animal rescue advocate and she shared a picture of this depressed, skinny, pitiful looking beagle,” Thomas says. “It took me about 30 seconds and one text message to my husband, and the next day I went and picked her up from the animal shelter.”
Pi, a beagle around 4 or 5 years old, was missing her right hind leg. After bringing her home, Thomas noticed that the missing leg might be causing damage to the rest of Pi’s body.
“Her spine alignment and her shoulders did not do as they should when she went to use the bathroom or went to get up and lay down, and due to her not having that foot, it was really causing a bad curvature of her spine and was causing some elbow dysplasia,” she says.
Thomas went online to find a solution for her new furry friend and came across Joey’s PAW (PAW stands for prosthetics and wheelchairs), a Butler-based organization that provides wheelchairs and prosthetics to dogs in need. Since its founding in 2017, the organization has assisted more than 1,600 animals by providing 1,514 wheelchairs and 120 prosthetics.
“I can tell you that there are so many dogs that, with the access of having this, it literally changes their life for the better,” says Tanya Diable, who co-founded the agency with her husband, Charlie. “It is literally thousands of tail wags and thousands of smiles.”
Tanya Diable had a similar experience as Thomas with a dog, which inspired her to start the organization. “We adopted a dog named Joey back in 2016,” Diable says. “He had at the time two prosthetic rear legs. He was found on the road at six weeks old with both of his legs intentionally cut off.”
Diable explained that at the time, it was unusual to see disabled dogs with a prosthetic. A lot of disabled dogs in rescues were being put down because the shelters couldn’t afford wheelchairs or prosthetics.
“We knew that we wanted to do something, we just didn’t know what that looked like,” she says. “We finally came up with our mission to make sure that we can provide the rescues and shelters, the wheelchairs and the prosthetics for those dogs in need so they can get adopted.”
The cost of a prosthetic in addition to adoption fees (and possibly getting a dog spayed or neutered, if it hasn’t been) can mount quickly. Joey’s PAW alleviates much of that burden by providing the wheelchair or prosthetic.
After finding Joey’s PAW, Thomas reached out to request a prosthetic for Pi. Within 24 hours, Thomas was alerted that her request was fulfilled and they would be sending her a casting kit. Once she completed that, she sent it back to Joey’s PAW; soon, the prosthetics were delivered.
Thomas noticed a drastic difference in Pi’s behavior after a few days with the prosthetics.
“Day three, we put it on her and she shot off and started running around the yard,” she says.
Diable noted that owners who use Joey’s PAW report immediate turnarounds in their dog’s energy and personality. “I get so many messages, and they’ll say, ‘My dog walked for the first time in six weeks,’ or ‘My dog smiled for the first time in months,’” Diable says. “I tear up at [those messages] every single time.”
KDKA’s David Highfield will emcee the organization’s largest fundraiser of the year on Nov. 8 — Joey’s Santa Paws for a Cause 7, an event that last year raised enough money to provide 30 wheelchairs. The party is set for 6-10 p.m. at the Cranberry Marriott and includes dinner and a basket raffle.
Joey’s PAW also has an ambassador — Boone, Diable’s 7-year-old licensed therapy dog who uses a wheelchair. Boone has his own children’s book, written by Diable and titled “Bow-Tie Boone,” as well as a coloring book. All proceeds go to Joey’s PAW.
With the work that Joey’s PAW staff and founders are doing, owners are finding a newfound optimism when it comes to their disabled dogs.
“It is like that prosthetic just unlocked something in Pi and she is an absolute hoot,” Thomas says. “Her little personality has blossomed and she is the biggest thief that we own. She loves nothing more than to steal a sock or a toy — or a half-rack of ribs.”
— Maggie Allwein
Joey’s PAW
joeyspaw.org
For Medical & Family Support
4. Family House
John Plante, the executive director of Family House, has no illusions about his organization.
“To be honest, Family House is not a place anyone wants to have a [personal] connection with,” says Plante, knowing that an organization that offers accommodations for people traveling to Pittsburgh for medical care is not one people are eager to be involved with.
Yet while walking through Family House, you’d never know it. The polo trophy atop the fireplace of the ground floor’s living area suggests pride, boasting the many past champions of Family House’s largest annual fundraiser. Jigsaw puzzle pieces are scattered on every surface of lounging areas. Around the corner, hundreds of books lined up by color exude quiet coziness.
These features are likely the work of loyal volunteers, some of whom have been with Family House all of its 40 years. These volunteers enliven the nonprofit’s mission to provide a “home away from home” for patients and their families.
“Places like Family House … reveal how philanthropic Pittsburgh is as a community,” says Plante.
With UPMC at the forefront of transplant innovation, Pittsburgh is a top medical destination for people from around the world. Family House has brought in families from 30 countries since its founding in 1983, hosting guests from all 50 states in 2024 alone.
“There was a group of folks who saw a need as Pittsburgh’s health care [became] nationally, internationally more known and very robust,” says Plante. “Joel Edinger, [who] had been involved in the founding of the Ronald McDonald House of New York, thought we needed something like this for adults here in Pittsburgh, and that was the genesis of it.”
Family House began with 40 rooms in a former fraternity house on the University of Pittsburgh campus. As word spread, the demand for its services grew, driving the organization to expand from its home on McKee Place in Oakland to four Family Houses — three in Oakland and one in Shadyside — with a total of 125 rooms.
Though multiple locations could serve more people, the organization felt that splitting up guests undermined its goal of fostering community. Thus began its “Under One Roof” fundraising campaign — the end goal of having a single, hotel-style Family House. It received gifts and pledges totaling more than $16.5 million.
It purchased a Courtyard by Marriott on the corner of Shadyside’s Centre and Liberty avenues in 2021, opening its new location in July 2022. The nonprofit managed to continue operations throughout the transition without losing a single night of accommodations.
The impressive feat “was clearly a logistical miracle,” says Plante.
As grateful as leaders were to have all guests in one place, they worried a bigger space could mean a less intimate experience.
“The other houses were smaller, they were older, they had charm. The rooms were very tiny, but it’s a lot easier to build community and family in a smaller space,” says Plante.
To compensate, they drew from familiar features. Stained glass windows from the former houses now adorn the waiting area for the shuttles that bring guests to appointments.
“These bricks were some part of one of the original houses, I believe, on the McKee [house],” says Jeff Milliner, manager of marketing and communications. “We brought a lot of these fixtures here to still instill that home-away-from-home feeling.”
Beyond Family House’s physical space, the nonprofit offers thoughtful programming for guests. Maria Mezzich, director of community and family engagement — “a blessing to our guests,” says Plante — has implemented weekly yoga sessions, group counseling and a healthy breakfast assistance program.
Even the smallest details, Milliner says, “pay homage to the history and legacy that Family House has provided for over 40 years of service in the Pittsburgh community.”
— Gabriela Herring
Family House
5308 Liberty Ave., Shadyside
412-647-7777
familyhouse.org
For Low-Income Seniors
5. Safe Moves for Seniors
As summer came to a close, Ardana White needed a more accessible apartment. She was using a cane to walk; stairs had become unmanageable. With neighbors’ help, she was able to quickly secure a ground-floor unit in her building in Rankin. But how to move from one apartment to the other?
White’s care coordinator connected her to Safe Moves for Seniors. The Pittsburgh-based nonprofit offers free moving services for people who are at least 60 years old and who have an income of less than $1,250 a month.
In 2022, Jill Yesko created Safe Moves after Allegheny County’s Area Agency on Aging caught wind of some pro-bono move management she had done through her business, Discover Organizing.
“People used to say the silver tsunami is coming,” Yesko says, “but it’s here. The wave is over our heads right now, and there’s just not going to be enough services.”
Before securing funding through a county contract and additional grant support, Yesko lined up licensed vendors, assembled a team of volunteers and completed several free moves to test her model and workflows. When funding came in from the county, she took several months to work out the referral systems and processes.
Working with Safe Moves includes six hours of professional prep, moving and unpacking assistance. But many more hours are needed to declutter and pack. The nonprofit relies on volunteers to supplement the work to meet firm moving deadlines — especially for those who do not have family or community support in place.
The organization supplies 40 boxes — they have a weight limit of 3,000 pounds, which is on the higher side of the average contents of a one-bedroom apartment — and in most cases a moving truck.
For White’s move, two people packed and unpacked White’s belongings and two moved everything down from the second floor.
In the new apartment, White says, “they put everything the way I wanted it,” including organizing her kitchen, reassembling her bed and hanging TVs. White, who is 61, says it was easy to feel comfortable with how “pleasant and kind” everyone was; they reminded her of her church community.
Yesko says that it’s important to maintain the same white-glove service for seniors who use Safe Moves that clients of her other business receive. “They don’t get any less of a service because they live in an apartment building that’s run down.”
In addition to all Safe Moves volunteers and vendors learning about maintaining seniors’ dignity and the ways they are often mistreated or taken advantage of, some are also trained in recognizing common additional support needs such as food insecurity or depression and how to refer someone to county services.
“What we end up doing is becoming way more than a mover to the person,” Yesko says. So far, she has coordinated 55 moves and expanded Safe Moves into 13 other cities across the country.
Locally, Yesko hopes to expand the service into more rural counties throughout southwestern Pennsylvania. In September, The Pittsburgh Foundation awarded the nonprofit a $25,000 grant to continue its work.
The organization’s goal for 2025 is an enhanced business model that would allow for positions such as paid service coordinators and an executive director. “Our other goal is to get large local corporations to ‘sponsor’ a senior move or a few moves per month to further regional commitment and engagement to our area’s older adults that fall outside of the county’s reach,” she says.
Then there can be even more seniors with peace of mind who can enjoy a Saturday morning like the one in early September when White cooked as two of her grandchildren clambered around her new apartment.
Safe Moves, White says, “was a blessing.”
— Amy Whipple
Safe Moves for Seniors
safemovesforseniors.org
For Career Transition
6. Pennsylvania Women Work
Nithya Maneish immigrated to the United States in 2007 from India. Between applying for her work permit and the pandemic, Maneish had a career break of 14 years. Unsure of how to get back into the workforce, she came across Pennsylvania Women Work on social media and reached out for help.
“Without an organization like PA Women Work, it’s [not] easy to get into the workforce with this much of a career break,” says Maneish, who lives in West View. “They have strong relationships with different employers in and around Pennsylvania and a great set of professionals who are ready to help any way they can.”
Maneish is one of 1,500 individuals PA Women Work helps yearly. The nonprofit offers a variety of specialized programs and workshops to help people find their footing to get back in the workforce. While centered around supporting women, about 20% of program participants were men last year.
The nonprofit was founded in Pittsburgh in the 1990s in response to an increase in divorce rates that left many women without a source of income. Today, all their programs have a 75-85% placement rate to new or better employment, education or training opportunities.
“My passion has always been around helping to support women grow in their careers and women empowerment,” says Executive Director Kristin Ioannou. “When I became introduced to PA Women Work, I just fell in love with the mission, community, programs and the clients.”
From one-day classes to a curriculum centered around a client’s needs, PA Women Work offers a wide range of programs to benefit different career paths.
New Choices helps clients identify what steps they should take toward re-entering the workforce. With a personal assessment highlighting their strengths and interests alongside career exploration, the flagship program helps provide a roadmap toward success. Staff will assist in how to build a resume, search for jobs and prepare for interviews.
A program called RISE (Refugee and Immigrant Services for Employment) supports anyone new to the United States. This program pairs clients with a career coach to help them navigate through the job search process here.
ReWork focuses on individuals who may experience barriers in the employment process. Whether clients are recovering from addiction or were recently incarcerated, this extension of New Choices aids in finding meaningful employment by directing clients toward outlets that will hire them despite their past.
For more than 10 years, the nonprofit’s 3 Cups of Coffee program has provided connections between job seekers and industry professionals. Through three sessions, mentors and clients work on expanding a professional network to find their dream career.
“This provides them with an opportunity to meet someone in their field or the company they’re interested in applying for and make that connection,” says Ioannou. “A lot of our job seekers who have gone on to find employment are now coming back as mentors and helping other women.”
Through 3 Cups of Coffee, Maneish was able to obtain a job with a consulting group. Her mentor, Julie Prough, used her connections as the senior director of information technology at UPMC to assist her through the interview process.
“For the immigrant and refugee population, it’s difficult to come into a community and not have connections,” says Prough. “She [Maneish] presented herself well and ended up getting a role with a consulting group and then came into UPMC through that role. It was very fulfilling for her to be able to get back into the workforce.”
Today, Maneish works full time at UPMC as a system analyst. She is thankful to Prough for seeing her potential.
“I feel so blessed to find her and get her as a mentor,” says Maneish. “She really guided me throughout the process, and that’s the only reason I think I landed a job.”
— Jilian Musser (reporting supported by the Pittsburgh Media Partnership)
Pennsylvania Women Work
5607 Baum Blvd., Suite 333, Friendship
412-742-4362
pawomenwork.org