5 Pittsburgh Nonprofit Organizations You and Your Family Can Support

Every family is busy with the daily hustle and bustle of life. Whether it’s rushing to work, school, soccer practice or dance lessons, it’s easy for families to feel bored and disconnected from each other and the world around them.

Perhaps one of the best ways to bring your family together is through community service work. Volunteering for a local nonprofit organization has the power to make a family feel good about their contribution to their community while uniting the family bond at the same time. 

We are very fortunate to live in a city that is full of nonprofit organizations that are making a difference in the lives of our neighbors. 

Here are 5 Pittsburgh nonprofit organizations you and your family can support. 

 

education-partnership-logo
1. The Education Partnership. The Education Partnership is on a mission to “address educational inequities by providing and enabling access to the tools and resources necessary to support teachers and enhance a student’s ability to learn and succeed.” The first teacher resource center in Southwestern Pennsylvania, The Education Partnership distributes “school and classroom supplies at no cost to teachers and students in need.”

So how can you and your family help The Education Partnership? While a monetary donation is helpful, you and your family can contribute hands-on by collecting school supplies and dropping them off at the resource center. Another option is to volunteer at the resource center. Whether it’s organizing supplies and building kits, working events or painting signs, your help will be greatly needed and appreciated. 

For more information, including a list of needed school supplies, drop off instructions and more, visit www.theeducationpartnership.org

 

beverlysbirthdays

  1. Beverly’s Birthdays. “Every child, regardless of personal or financial circumstances deserves a special birthday.” That is the belief of Beverly’s Birthdays and this nonprofit organization is on a mission to “spread birthday cheer 365 days a year.” Offering charisma, joy, compassion, purpose and cheer, Beverly’s Birthdays partners with shelters/housing programs, group homes, residential facilities, food banks and human service agencies to spread that birthday cheer.

So how can you and your family help Beverly’s Birthdays? There are many ways to help! Volunteer opportunities include birthday party staff, birthday bakers, birthday shoppers, birthday treat bag sponsors and birthday cheer squad. Online, check and cash donations of any size are greatly appreciated as well.

For more information, visit www.beverlysbirthdays.org. 

 

animal-friends-logo

  1. Animal Friends. Animal Friends is “a premier companion animal resource center, is committed to nurturing and promoting the animal-human bond and nurturing relationships with companion animals which are guided by compassion.” Seeking to reduce the number of unwanted animals, provide companionship for animals in need and more, Animal Friends is deeply committed to meeting the needs of local animals. 

So what can you and your family do to help Animal Friends? If your child is 13 or older, he or she can volunteer with you at Animal Friends. Volunteer duties include socializing with shelter dogs, cats and rabbits, lobby greeter, special events and more. Why not foster an animal? Also, if your child is under the age of 13, Animal Friends offers a wide variety of programming and opportunities for young children. 

To learn more about Animal Friends and how you can help, visit www.thinkingoutsidethecage.org

 

zacharysmission

  1. Zachary’s Mission. Zachary’s Mission “recognizes that hospital families face financial and emotional hardships when a child is ill.” This local nonprofit organization “strives to lessen these burdens” through a suite of programs that include “Zack Packs to families who unexpectedly find themselves with a child in the hospital, financial assistance with transportation and utility expenses, “supplying Baby’s First Gifts to enable families celebrate holiday milestones” and more. Created in memory and honor of little Zachary Hunter Vince who passed away from a congenital heart defect, Zachary’s Mission works in partnership with The Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC, The Children’s Home and Lemieux Family Center, West Penn Hospital NICU and The Children’s Institute to identify families who would benefit from the support of Zachary’s Mission. 

So how can you and your family help Zachary’s Mission? There are many ways to support Zachary’s Mission, but perhaps its annual fundraiser called The Jingle Jar Drive has become one of the most popular ways to help this nonprofit organization. All you have to do is place a label on a jar (decorating the jar is also fun), and start collecting money, coins and change. Get your whole community involved! Incorporating the help of your school, church, sports team, Girl Scout Troop, co-workers and neighbors makes this community service effort all the more special. 

 To learn more about The Jingle Jar Drive and other ways to support Zachary’s Mission, visit www.zacharysmission.org.  

 

 

fosterloveproject

  1. Foster Love Project. Pittsburgh Mom, Kelly Hughes, has taken her life experience and transformed it into her life’s work. “The mission of Foster Love Project is to provide love in action to foster children in Western Pennsylvania as well as support to the foster families who are providing care for them. This may look like providing a placement bag for a child, easing the transition with gift cards, assisting with additional resources or connecting families with a time of respite.” Oftentimes, foster children arrive at the door of a new home with a host of traumatic experiences, yet little to no belongings. Foster Love Project’s work is necessary to ease this transitional moment for foster parents and the children being welcomed into their homes.

So how can you and your family help Foster Love Project? Donate bag contents which include, but are not limited to stuffed animals, diapers, wipes, formula, socks, underwear, hats, mittens and more. In addition, you and your family can volunteer at a bag event to fill each bag with the donated contents Foster Love Project receives. Foster Love Project also accepts gift card donations and more. 

To learn more about what’s needed and how you can help, visit www.fosterloveproject.org

giving-tuesday-2016

 

So, which organization will you and your family volunteer for? Do you have anymore nonprofit organizations you’d like to add to the list? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

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Denise LaRosa
DENISE LAROSA is the founder, host and CEO of Mom Talk with Denise LaRosa, LLC, a multimedia platform designed to motivate, inspire and inform mothers along their journey in motherhood. Denise utilizes her parenting experiences and background as an elementary educator to bring mothers invaluable information and resources on parenting through her podcast, blog and workshops. A devoted wife and mother of two precious girls, Denise is also an elementary school teacher. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in dance (Magna cum Laude) from Radford University in 2003 and graduated from Carlow University in 2008 with a Master of Education degree in elementary education.