Veterans in Pittsburgh put their leadership skills to good use
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — Pittsburgh is brimming with impactful non-profit organizations that do so much to help neighbors in need.
But what about when the organizations need help? KDKA Consumer Investigator Meghan Schiller shows how a group of veterans put its leadership skills to good use, creating meaningful connections along the way.
Nathan Pigza, a retired Air Force senior master sergeant, joined Leadership Pittsburgh's Community Leadership Course for Veterans looking to make those connections and an impact.
At Hearth, a non-profit organization in Pittsburgh that provides a safe space for moms and children escaping domestic violence, they did just that.
"Working with (Community Leadership Course for Veterans) has been so wonderful and many of the CLCV members live nearby," said Christy Pietryga, the chief operating officer. "So to be able to place a nonprofit right in their backyard where they can continue to support and many of them are going to continue to volunteer here at Hearth."
The veterans quickly developed an action plan, working with Hearth to support the moms and kids. That included offering child care on Monday nights, moving a bike shed and securing a much-needed and costly fence for the base of the hillside beyond the playground.
"The problem they have is kids are kids, so kids mixed with a playground and a steep hill and soccer balls and all of that," said Pigza.
He said the veterans originally intended on buying supplies and digging the fence themselves, but he just heard the good news.
"In the end, we found a great contract partner in Reagle Construction out of Gibsonia," Pigza said. "They were thrilled to help. They heard about what we were doing together, not just CLCV, also what Hearth is doing, and they were eager to help us."
Leadership Pittsburgh's CEO Jenn Beer said this course is special and almost like a "hidden gem." It's one of three core programs offered at Leadership Pittsburgh.
"It's really a five-to-six-month program, kind of runs over the summertime, but gives the veterans an opportunity to see the history of Pittsburgh," Beer said. "The nonprofit landscape, the corporate landscape, all of these different areas within our community and region where they can put these skills back into practice and get more civically and community-engaged."
For Pigza, it's a sense of connection he's been missing.
"For me, it felt like a big city at one point," Pigza said. "And now it doesn't feel as big."