Why We Give is a series of profiles highlighting the generosity and spirit of our donors, whose partnership with The Pittsburgh Foundation and The Community Foundation of Westmoreland County have enabled us to strengthen support for so many in our region. By sharing their stories of kindness and dedication, we hope that others in our community draw inspiration from these remarkable people and join us in helping those in need to move from surviving to thriving.

About us, from Judy: Rick grew up in the Allentown/Bethlehem/Easton area of Pennsylvania and I’m from a small town in Indiana County. After he graduated from Bloomsburg University and I graduated from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, we got jobs through the Pennsylvania State Civil Service in Wilkes-Barre, where a new office for Social Security Administration disability claim management was opening. Nearly half of incoming employees were fresh out of college, just like we were. We only worked there a few years, but we reaped some excellent benefits; we made several lifelong friendships, not to mention our own marriage, now going on 50 years.

We continued our higher education at the University of Pittsburgh, where we focused on helping the physical and mental health professions and have worked in that space our entire careers. Now in our retirement years, we volunteer with an organization in Westmoreland County, Feeding the Spirit. The organization works to bridge immediate gaps in the social safety network for people coping with housing and food insecurity.

Why do we give: It’s such a deeply thought-provoking question, isn’t it? We both grew up in homes where our parents demonstrated the value of giving through their work and volunteer efforts. Rick’s mom went back to college and became a caseworker in the Westmoreland County Children’s Bureau, which protects children from abuse and neglect. My dad helped to form our local fire company, the Plumville Volunteer Fire Department in Indiana County, and held the position of chief for the first 25 years. There were so many ways of working within their families and communities to make a difference: leading a Scout troop or church group; helping to develop a community health clinic; joining the PTA. It wasn’t the sort of thing that was much talked about really. We both saw it demonstrated every day in our homes.  So the first answer to the question is that we learned the fundamental forms of giving: that of time and self. 

In our professional lives as a psychologist and social worker, we met people who were hurting every day. These people were going through struggles: a health crisis or a serious psychiatric condition; a poorly functioning family; or other insidious ways that poverty can diminish someone. Most often it was some combination of many factors. But we found we were able to lend a hand and make a difference, just by offering time and self. 

In late 2011, we joined with a group of people in our Greensburg community to provide a free weekly community meal that was open to all. Our guests came from a nearby senior citizen high rise but they also came from a tent in the woods or a makeshift shelter along the tracks. Soon, our small grassroots group, Feeding the Spirit, learned about other unmet basic needs that our guests confronted at times like rental assistance and crisis housing, and we pledged to offer more help. The search for funding led us to local foundations and the universe of charitable giving. Developing FTS programs to aid individuals and families coping with food or shelter crises quickly taught us the powerful impact of giving --- from the receiving end!  We have a front-row seat to see the gift shared with the person who is in a difficult place. 

So that is our second answer to the question of why we give. There is so much critical work that is being done in our communities and by our neighbors, often on a shoestring budget or even voluntarily. And we want to help.