Be a Hero
Volunteer Advocacy Project
Alongside our Hero Songs concerts in 2025, we launched the Be a Hero Volunteer Advocacy Project, spotlighting local organizations that rely on the power of volunteers to make a difference.
Click on the organization name below to learn more about their work and how to get involved!
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Founded in 1995 by Ambassador Dan Rooney of the Pittsburgh Steelers and George L. Miles of WQED, The Mentoring Partnership (TMP) champions strong, supportive relationships for all young people. As the lead convener of mentoring in our region, we take a holistic approach to centering relationships across every aspect of youth support.
In our unique role as an intermediary organization, we provide the critical link between national efforts and the local programs and organizations that foster quality mentoring relationships. Our work with formal mentoring programs, community organizations, schools, youth sports leagues and more ensures that we can activate the power of all caring adults to create relationship-rich environments for young people.
Everyone has a role to play in championing strong relationships for youth. We’re here to help you find your place in the mentoring movement so all kids feel safe, supported and empowered to dream big!
Mentoring - Mentoring happens everywhere – at school, at home, in the community – and we’re there every step of the way to ensure that quality and intentionality are at the heart of all relationships for young people. We ignite the power of relationships through formal mentoring and Everyday Mentoring®, all to connect more young people with adults who are prepared to help them dream big and reach their goals.
Trainings - We offer a wide range of training opportunities to help good people become great mentors! Learn more about how you can become better equipped to support youth.
https://www.mentoringpittsburgh.org/pages/trainings
How to become a mentor
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412 Food Rescue prevents perfectly good food from going to waste by redirecting it to nonprofits that serve individuals and families facing food insecurity. Volunteers are at the heart of this work. They use our free Food Rescue Hero app to claim and complete “rescues,” picking up surplus food from retailers and delivering it directly to local community organizations. Anyone interested in volunteering can download our app, sign up for a rescue that fits their schedule, and start making an immediate impact. All rescues take less than an hour to complete.
If driving isn't what you would like to do, we also have volunteering available Mon-Fri at our Good Food Project in Millvale. For larger food donations that require extra care, we created the Good Food Project, a hands-on solution that brings volunteers together weekly to process and prepare these donations. Whether it’s packaging groceries or cooking healthy meals, these teams transform bulk food donations into something ready to share.scription text goes here -
Casa San José connects, supports, and advocates with and for the Latino Community, where immigrants find a welcoming home built on inclusion, dignity, and respect. It serves as a vital bridge for Latinos in Allegheny County by connecting them to essential social services that promote their well-being and support their integration into the community.
Volunteers often assist with a variety of projects from helping one on one with clients to attending events, tabling for the organization, translating for clients, helping with transportation, and more.
Recently, we've been actively recruiting volunteers to join our Rapid Response Network. Volunteers are trained as legal observers to respond to active ICE incidents in the area.
Anyone who is interested in volunteering with us can visit our volunteer page: https://casasanjose.org/en/volunteer/ to join our volunteer portal and learn about required clearances. -
Literacy Pittsburgh offers free educational programs for adults and families in Allegheny County and Beaver County. Classroom teachers and volunteer tutors improve reading, writing, math, English language, digital literacy, and workplace skills. Volunteers are always needed to work one-to-one with students, assist classroom teachers, or help students with resumes, among other opportunities. You can help people in your community succeed as workers, parents, and neighbors.
Visit literacypittsburgh.org/volunteer for details.
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Computer Reach makes technology available to all through donated equipment, computer literacy, training, and support. Volunteers work to fully refurbish equipment, recycle what’s not needed, and work to get technology to those who need it most.
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Jewish Family and Community Services (JFCS), a non-sectarian 501(c) (3) social service agency, has served the Pittsburgh region since 1937, offering a continuum of psychological, employment, and social services.
JFCS focuses on addressing community needs and filling gaps in the social service network through thinking creatively and collaborating with partner organizations.JFCS services are client-centered and provide comprehensive support. Those who come to the agency seeking one type of service are provided with access to additional programs and services to address all of their barriers.
These are our services where we depend quite a bit on volunteers:
- Squirrel Hill Food Pantry- unload food, put on shelves, shop with families
- Youth Services- mentor/tutor and engage with immigrant youth for after school and summer programs
- Refugee & Immigrant Services- mentor immigrants and help them integrate in the community/cultural field trips/ESL
- Immigration Legal Services- pro bono work, change in legal status/citizenship preparation
- Older Adult Services- Age Well Rides and Visits
- Career Services- mock interviews, resume building, career workshops, help with JFCS job fairs
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North Hills Community Outreach
North Hills Community Outreach is an interfaith organization that helps individuals and families in crisis in Northern Allegheny County by providing food, housing, transportation, employment, and senior assistance, guiding them toward stability and self-sufficiency.
Volunteers are truly the cornerstone of NHCO's mission. Last fiscal year alone, 698 dedicated volunteers contributed an incredible 23,641 hours to support NHCO and strengthen our community.
We offer a wide variety of volunteer opportunities designed to fit your schedule and interests. Whether you enjoy office administration, gardening, giving rides to seniors, making friendly home visits, or lending a hand in other meaningful ways, there’s a place for you here.
Learn more about how to get involved by visiting our volunteer page at https://www.nhco.org/volunteer.
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Northside Common Ministries is a non-sectarian, non-profit, community-based organization established in 1982 by a collaboration of 30 local churches to meet the increasing needs of the homeless population. At Northside Common Ministries, we are committed to building those bridges that connect our neighbors in need to an improved quality of life, while tearing down the walls that keep the hungry and homeless from success.
An affiliate unit of Goodwill of Southwestern Pennsylvania, NCM operates the Pleasant Valley Emergency Shelter for men and male-identifying individuals age 18 and older, the Northside Food Pantry, and a Permanent Housing Program for those with disabilities.
Our work is supported and facilitated by hundreds of volunteers, including members of more than 60 church congregations who provide evening meals for shelter residents throughout the year.
You can find more at our website: https://www.ncmin.org/about-us/
As for volunteers, we always need assistance in many different areas! Our volunteer program assists us with cooking and serving meals to the shelter residents, hosting donation drives for hygiene products for the shelter or food products for the food pantry, volunteering to unload the delivery truck from the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank, and also to assist with serving participants that shop through our food pantry on Tuesdays and Wednesdays when it is open. We also welcome volunteers for special projects such as building necessities, putting together furniture, organizing, etc.
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Neighborhood Resilience Project
more info coming soon!