Verona, PA, is a community in the true sense of the word; not only do longtime residents display a strong sense of neighborliness and local pride, but they also welcome newcomers to the area by supporting burgeoning businesses and working together to help the area flourish.

UPMC Passavant is not your typical hospital. Like most community hospitals, it feels warm and welcoming, but few have the level of technology and clinical expertise found on UPMC Passavant’s two campuses. And while many large tertiary care centers are renowned for their cutting-edge treatments, they may lack the personal touch that UPMC Passavant offers when it comes to patient-centered care.

During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Etna was home to blast furnaces, steel mills and other manufacturing facilities that gave off a constant glow — so much so that early settlers named the town after the Sicilian volcano Mount Etna. Today, the borough is still red hot as new businesses and residents flock to the increasingly popular area located across the Allegheny River from Pittsburgh.

On a given weekday in Pittsburgh, a mother who fled violence halfway around the world is learning to ride the bus. A teenager who was born abroad is adjusting to a new school, a new language, and an uncertain future. A family that has lived here for years is suddenly worried about losing the legal status they spent years building. For each of them, a network of local nonprofits is working to make sure they don’t face these challenges alone.

The last year has seen an influx of new businesses crop up all throughout the region. Although the businesses highlighted below could not be more different from each other, what connects them is their owners’ passion for creating a comfortable and inviting space for customers.

Pittsburgh Urban Magnet Project, or PUMP as it is known, is a Pittsburgh-based nonprofit that engages young professionals in civic life, community building, and social networking through events, advocacy, and sports leagues.

Like a lot of Pennsylvania towns that built their economies on steel, Ellwood City faced some hard times in the 1980s. But the borough of roughly 7,500 people persevered, and today the town that spawned the seamless tube industry is attracting new businesses as well as families looking for a welcoming place to call home.

The Pittsburgh region, long defined by its industrial heritage, is witnessing a new chapter as local nonprofit organizations redefine what it means to be an industrial powerhouse.

Events happening in Pittsburgh, PA in May 2026

Thousands of individuals volunteer in Pittsburgh each year. Volunteering strengthens communities by addressing the needs of both individuals and local nonprofit organizations. Volunteering helps develop interpersonal skills and self-esteem, as well as giving one a sense of purpose. Cami Teacoach wanted to share all the benefits of volunteering at the local level with children, and so she created VolunTOTS.

One of the things that attracts people to New Brighton, PA — and brings them back time and again — are the community ties that bind the town together. A river town located about 25 miles northwest of Pittsburgh, the town not only attracts visitors but inspires former locals to return.

When you hear the name “West View,” does it conjure up memories of the old amusement park, where families screamed as they rode The Dips roller coaster around Devil’s Elbow turn and couples cut a rug at Danceland? If so, you’re probably part of the Baby Boomer generation that enjoyed the popular park during its heyday in the 1950s and ’60s.

TRAC Services for Families, formerly known as Three Rivers Adoption Council, is a licensed agency that provides a multitude of services to children waiting to be adopted, as well as foster families and teen foster children.

Visiting Saxonburg today, it’s easy to imagine what the town looked like in an earlier time; a number of homes built in the 1830s on Main Street contain thriving businesses today.

Whether through transportation services, food pantries or essential personal items, local nonprofits demonstrate that kindness isn’t just about meeting basic needs. It’s about treating every person with dignity, building trust and creating communities where people help people because they have a heart for service.

Until now, Rooted in Movement Ballroom and Wellness has been flying under the radar in the Pittsburgh area. While the studio’s official opening in Cranberry was in January, owners and husband-and-wife team Matt and Jenny Stehle have been teaching dance for 25 and 18 years, respectively.

The town of Carnegie has undergone many changes since it was incorporated in 1894, but the one thing that has remained the same is its willingness to reinvent itself time and time again. Challenged by fires and floods, this resilient city of approximately 8,000 people has not only weathered tough times, but rebuilt to become a place that consistently attracts new businesses and residents

Every day thousands of families in the United States learn that someone they love has been diagnosed with a form of dementia such as Alzheimer’s or frontotemporal dementia (FTD). The lack of available drugs or treatments to slow the progression of these diseases can make such a diagnosis that much harder to bear. Clear Thoughts Foundation is striving to solve this problem by raising funds and launching research projects that will lead to the discovery of breakthrough drugs.

Events happening in Pittsburgh, PA in January 2026.

In the heart of Wexford, a new yoga studio called YogaSix has opened its doors. Designed to be welcoming to everybody — whether you are attempting your first yoga class or you are getting into your hundredth downward dog position — the studio is where you will find a likeminded community.