SisTers PGH Supports Trans Folks with Resources and Care

SisTers PGH is a fiscally sponsored nonprofit run by Black and trans folks that supports the transgender community in Southwestern Pennsylvania. It is governed by an all-Black, predominantly Black trans leadership team. This groundbreaking organization is providing resources and connecting the LGBTQIA community to essential services such as housing and employment. North Hills Monthly learned more about SisTers PGH and their counterpart in Southeastern Pennsylvania, SisTers PHL, from Executive Director Ciora Thomas.

North Hills Monthly (NHM): How and when was SisTers PGH formed? What is your mission?

Ciora Thomas (CT): I founded SisTers PGH around 2010 because, as a Black trans woman who experienced homelessness as a young person, I understood firsthand the systemic gaps that exist for our community. What began as grassroots, community-led support, long before formal structure, has grown into one of the most trusted organizations serving Black and Brown trans people in Pennsylvania.

Our mission is to provide safe, affirming spaces and life-saving resources for transgender and nonbinary people, particularly those who are Black and Brown, who are navigating homelessness, housing instability and systemic barriers. We are intentionally building a continuum of care that supports individuals from crisis response to long-term stability, ensuring our community has access to housing, health care and economic empowerment.

NHM: What areas does SisTers PGH serve?

CT: SisTers PGH is based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and primarily serves Allegheny County and the surrounding region. Our reach extends beyond the city, as we regularly support individuals traveling from across the state and even from out of state to access safe housing and affirming services.

Through our expansion into Philadelphia, we are also serving the southeastern region of Pennsylvania, working toward a broader statewide presence to ensure trans people have access to care, resources and community wherever they are.

NHM: What is Monica Roberts Place?

CT: Monica Roberts Place is our permanent supportive housing program named in honor of the late Monica Roberts, a pioneering Black trans journalist and advocate. This program provides stable, independent apartment-style housing for Black and Brown trans individuals who have experienced homelessness.

Residents receive ongoing support from dedicated housing staff who focus on stability, financial growth and long-term planning.

Beyond housing, Monica Roberts Place integrates financial empowerment through our Nest Egg savings program, where participants build savings, improve credit and work toward long-term goals like homeownership. It is not just housing. It is a pathway to stability, wealth-building and generational change.

NHM: Tell us about the Stonewall Inn.

CT: The Stonewall Inn, located in downtown Pittsburgh, is our community drop-in center and a central hub for services. It is staffed by a Stonewall Inn Services and Programs coordinator alongside a broader support team, including a case manager and a behavioral health programs manager who is a licensed therapist.

The space offers daily access to essential resources including meals, showers, laundry, clothing and a safe place to rest.

More importantly, it is a space rooted in care and community. Participants can access case management, behavioral health support, housing navigation and community programming, all in an environment that is affirming and trauma-informed. The Stonewall Inn represents what it looks like when our community is prioritized, respected and supported in real time.

NHM: Discuss the importance of Project T.

CT: Project T is our transitional housing program specifically designed for Black trans women experiencing homelessness. It is one of the few programs of its kind in the region, and that alone speaks to its importance.

The program is supported by dedicated staff who provide direct oversight, structure and individualized support for participants as they move through the program, including access to case management and behavioral health services.

Project T offers more than housing. It provides employment support, life skills development and a structured environment that helps participants move from crisis to stability, and ultimately into permanent housing.

For Black trans women, who face disproportionately high rates of homelessness and violence, Project T is often the difference between survival and stability. It is deeply intentional, culturally competent and rooted in the understanding that our community deserves pathways forward, not just temporary solutions.

SisTers PGH Showcase

NHM: What are some of the ways that SisTers PGH raises funds? How can readers contribute?

CT: SisTers PGH is rooted in community, and our funding reflects that. While we do receive support from foundations and grants, a significant portion of our work is sustained through grassroots fundraising, mutual aid and individual donors who believe in our mission.

We host community-driven events, engage in direct fundraising campaigns and rely on consistent monthly donors to help sustain our programs, especially the daily operations of the Stonewall Inn.

Readers can contribute by making a donation at www.sisterspgh.org/donate.

Checks or money orders can also be mailed to:

SisTers PGH

213 Smithfield Street, Suite 219

Pittsburgh, PA 15222

Every contribution, no matter the size, directly impacts the lives of the people we serve.

NHM: Where can readers follow SisTers PGH on social media?

CT: Readers can follow SisTers PGH across all major platforms by searching @SisTersPGH. We actively share updates, community needs, success stories and ways to stay engaged with our work.

SisTers PGH Showcase

NHM: What are some of the ways individuals can volunteer for your organization?

CT: We welcome volunteers, especially at the Stonewall Inn. Community members can support by assisting with meal service, organizing donations, supporting programming and helping maintain a safe and affirming environment for participants.

Volunteering is an opportunity to directly contribute to the well-being of our community and be part of a larger movement rooted in care and equity.

NHM: What would you like our readers to know about SisTers PGH?

CT: SisTers PGH is one of the longest-standing Black trans women-led organizations in Pittsburgh, Allegheny County and the state of Pennsylvania. We have built years of trust within our community through consistency, accountability and real impact.

We are not just an organization. We are a lifeline. Our work is rooted in lived experience, and that is what makes it effective.

When you support SisTers PGH, you are investing in real people, real futures and a growing continuum of care designed to ensure trans people can thrive, not just survive.