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Pennsylvania is ranked 32nd out of 50 when it comes to the number of hours people volunteer. According to Volunteering in America, the residents of Ohio, West Virginia and Virginia all give up more of their time on behalf of a cause and people in Allentown, Harrisburg and Scranton volunteer more than we do in Pittsburgh. I got to wondering why, which then led me to think about the reasons that I devote the time I could be spending taking quizzes on Facebook or watching What Not to Wear marathons to volunteer in Mt. Washington.

Altruism is a motivator, but it takes more than that to get me out of bed on a Saturday morning to pick up stale Subway rolls in the bushes on Shiloh Street. I volunteer because it makes me feel good and it allows me to have a hand in creating a cleaner, safer more vibrant place to live. There’s also the socializing to consider. I didn’t think that walking into a  Mt. Washington Community Development Corporation meeting three years ago to figure out if I could help them with anything would lead to meeting people that have become good friends.

If you just moved to Mt. Washington (renter or not, doesn’t matter) or have been living here for awhile and want to meet some new people, consider volunteering for the MWCDC. You don’t have to go to the board meetings or forums. You can choose what you love the most—be it trees or working with young people or business recruitment—and serve on one of the MWCDC sub-committees.

I know this site has been critical of the MWCDC at times (and will likely continue to be), but we do believe the organization can be an effective vehicle for organizing and making a positive impact in Mt. Washington. The composition of the current Board is more representative of the community and board members seem to be less apt to micro-manage the Executive Director and staff and simply support the work that they’re doing day-to-day. It’s really up to the people in this community to help the MWCDC continue to grow and evolve to represent more and more of us each year. Oh and did I mention that we go out for drinks after most meetings?

Speaking of drinks, this seems like a cool event. Maybe we’ll see you there…or at a future event in your neighborhood soon.

On Saturday, June 27, the Urban Mountain Gathering Place is hosting a fund raiser to help fund their mission to at-risk children. There will be a wine tasting and appetizers to enhance the wine, music, and it is a fireworks night so there will be an excellent view of these. Wine is being provided by the Mayo Family Winery, a Sonoma County-based vineyard and winery whose founders have roots in the city’s Northside. Please join us for a fun-filled evening starting at 7:00. Reservations can be made at 412-381-8647. Cost is $25 per person, $40.00 per couple.