Pitt’s Day of Caring connected volunteers and the community

From visiting residents at veterans centers to packing food and clothing bags for children, University faculty and staff rolled up their sleeves for a good cause for Pitt’s Day of Caring.

The Oct. 17 event, organized by the Office of Engagement and Community Affairs, connected the Pitt community with 16 local organizations for a packed day of volunteering.

“It’s essential to look beyond Pitt’s campus for ways to make a positive impact,” said Caitlyn Crowder, assistant director of community affairs. “The Day of Caring is about showing up in neighborhoods with no other agenda other than to serve.”

Among the participants were fifteen members of the University’s Staff Council who spent the day at Peoples Oakland, a nonprofit recovery and wellness center that provides support to adults with mental illnesses and co-occurring disorders.

“I think it’s important to serve the community where we come to work every day,” said volunteer Suzanne Lynch, a business administrator in Pitt’s Center for Teaching and Learning.

Lezetta L. Cox, executive director of Peoples Oakland, welcomed the Pitt volunteers, noting that their contributions are essential to maintaining her organization’s building.

“As a small nonprofit, we don’t have the money to pay someone to come in and do a deep clean of the building,” Cox said. “Pitt volunteers are wiping down walls, wiping mirrors, mulching and weeding our outside space. We look forward to the Day of Caring. It means the world to us.”