News

November 24, 2021

Support Trying Together on #GivingTuesday

Join Trying Together, your neighbors, and the global community on Tuesday, November 30, 2021, in celebrating kindness, collaboration, and generosity. Join us in #GivingTogether this #GivingTuesday.

What Is GivingTuesday?

First established in 2012, GivingTuesday is a global generosity movement that unleashes the power of people and organizations to transform their communities and the world. It’s also an opportunity for people to stand together in unity—to use their individual power of generosity to support and champion the organizations and causes they care about.

How Can You Participate?

Learn more about #GivingTuesday and what your donation will support on the Trying Together website.

News

November 19, 2020

Join Us In Celebrating #GivingTuesday

Join Trying Together, your neighbors, and the global community on Tuesday, December 1, 2020, in celebrating kindness, collaboration, and generosity. Join us in #GivingTogether this #GivingTuesday.

What Is GivingTuesday?

First established in 2012, GivingTuesday is a global generosity movement that unleashes the power of people and organizations to transform their communities and the world. It’s also an opportunity for people to stand together in unity—to use their individual power of generosity to support and champion the organizations and causes they care about.

Why Should You Participate?

2020 has been a difficult year, and it has been especially difficult for our nation’s families. Due to job loss, financial strain, education challenges, and limited access to child care, families have been working tirelessly to make ends meet and support the learning and development of their children. However, they cannot do it alone.

That’s why Trying Together’s mission to reinforce the work of early childhood is more important than ever before. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Trying Together has:

    • mobilized our advocates to ensure child care businesses receive the emergency funds they need to stay in business and provide services to families;
    • distributed critical health and safety supplies to early learning programs that serve essential workers and their families;
    • developed an online search tool to assist essential workers and families with quickly finding and choosing early learning programs that meet their needs;
    • created an online community for families to connect, discuss, and support one another in their care and education planning for the 2020-21 school year; and

During the COVID-19 pandemic and after, Trying Together will continue to develop our programs, resources, and services to meet the needs of our communities. Will you join us in this work by showing your support on GivingTuesday?

What You Can Do

We all have gifts to give, and thanks to social media, online giving, mail, and phones, there are limitless ways to use your generosity to reinforce the early childhood field. For examples of how you can give this giving season, see the list below!

Submit A Donation

If you would like to support Trying Together’s work directly, consider submitting a financial donation! We appreciate donations of any size. However, for those looking for recommended amounts, Trying Together has identified the following tiers:

    • Early Childhood Supporter ($60)
    • Early Childhood Sustainer ($120)
    • Early Childhood Champion ($1,000)

Thanks to the generosity of Trying Together’s Board of Directors, all donations will be matched dollar for dollar up to $2,000. Help us secure these matched dollars by donating!

Share Your Story

When you think of a good teacher, who do you think of? Take time this GivingTuesday to thank that person via social media, phone, or email and let them know how their work has positively impacted your life or the life of your child.

SOCIAL MEDIA

1. Join the larger community in celebrating gratitude by posting your thank you message, picture, or video on social media using #GiveThanks or #GivingTogether.

    • Example: I’d like to say thank you to @amymiller for the wonderful work she’s been doing to support my child’s learning and healthy development! Ashton still can’t stop talking about the caterpillar craft he did last month! 🐛🦋 #GiveThanks #GivingTuesday

2. Set a goal for how many educators you’d like to thank this giving season and share it out on social media using #GiveThanks or #GivingTogether!

    • Example: This #GivingTuesday, I’m celebrating gratitude by thanking three early learning professionals who have had a positive impact on my life and child. Will you join me? #GiveThanks 📞💌

#GivingTuesday is on December 1 this year and to celebrate, I’d like to #GiveThanks to the early learning professionals who work tirelessly to make sure my child is safe, supported, and cared for. Your hard work does not go unnoticed. Thank you!CLICK TO TWEET

PHONE OR EMAIL

If you have their phone number or email, contact your early learning professional and let them know how much you appreciate the work they do to support your family.

Share Our Fundraising Page

Another great way to support Trying Together is by sharing our fundraising page with your network. To help get you started, we have created a GivingTuesday Social Media Toolkit that features sample social media posts and more!

More Information

For questions, please contact Trying Together at info@tryingtogether.org.

News

November 6, 2020

GivingTuesday 2020

Join Trying Together, your neighbors, and the global community on Tuesday, December 1, 2020, in celebrating kindness, collaboration, and generosity. Join us in #GivingTogether this #GivingTuesday.

What Is GivingTuesday?

First established in 2012, GivingTuesday is a global generosity movement that unleashes the power of people and organizations to transform their communities and the world. It’s also an opportunity for people to stand together in unity—to use their individual power of generosity to support and champion the organizations and causes they care about.

Why Should You Participate?

2020 has been a difficult year, and it has been especially difficult for our nation’s families. Due to job loss, financial strain, education challenges, and limited access to child care, families have been working tirelessly to make ends meet and support the learning and development of their children. However, they cannot do it alone.

That’s why Trying Together’s mission to reinforce the work of early childhood is more important than ever before. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Trying Together has:

    • mobilized our advocates to ensure child care businesses receive the emergency funds they need to stay in business and provide services to families;
    • distributed critical health and safety supplies to early learning programs that serve essential workers and their families;
    • developed an online search tool to assist essential workers and families with quickly finding and choosing early learning programs that meet their needs;
    • created an online community for families to connect, discuss, and support one another in their care and education planning for the 2020-21 school year; and
    • curated comprehensive COVID-19 resource lists online, one of which is for families and caregivers and the other for early care and education professionals.

During the COVID-19 pandemic and after, Trying Together will continue to develop our programs, resources, and services to meet the needs of our communities. Will you join us in this work by showing your support on GivingTuesday?

What You Can Do

We all have gifts to give, and thanks to social media, online giving, mail, and phones, there are limitless ways to use your generosity to reinforce the early childhood field. For examples of how you can give this giving season, see the list below!

Submit A Donation

If you would like to support Trying Together’s work directly, consider submitting a financial donation! We appreciate donations of any size. However, for those looking for recommended amounts, Trying Together has identified the following tiers:

    • Early Childhood Supporter ($60)
    • Early Childhood Sustainer ($120)
    • Early Childhood Champion ($1,000)

Thanks to the generosity of Trying Together’s Board of Directors, all donations will be matched dollar for dollar up to $2,000. Help us secure these matched dollars by donating!

Share Your Story

When you think of a good teacher, who do you think of? Take time this GivingTuesday to thank that person via social media, phone, or email and let them know how their work has positively impacted your life or the life of your child.

SOCIAL MEDIA

1. Join the larger community in celebrating gratitude by posting your thank you message, picture, or video on social media using #GiveThanks or #GivingTogether.

    • Example: I’d like to say thank you to @amymiller for the wonderful work she’s been doing to support my child’s learning and healthy development! Ashton still can’t stop talking about the caterpillar craft he did last month! 🐛🦋 #GiveThanks #GivingTuesday

2. Set a goal for how many educators you’d like to thank this giving season and share it out on social media using #GiveThanks or #GivingTogether!

    • Example: This #GivingTuesday, I’m celebrating gratitude by thanking three early learning professionals who have had a positive impact on my life and child. Will you join me? #GiveThanks 📞💌

#GivingTuesday is on December 1 this year and to celebrate, I’d like to #GiveThanks to the early learning professionals who work tirelessly to make sure my child is safe, supported, and cared for. Your hard work does not go unnoticed. Thank you!CLICK TO TWEET

PHONE OR EMAIL

If you have their phone number or email, contact your early learning professional and let them know how much you appreciate the work they do to support your family.

Share Our Fundraising Page

Another great way to support Trying Together is by sharing our fundraising page with your network. To help get you started, we have created a GivingTuesday Social Media Toolkit that features sample social media posts and more!

More Information

For questions, please contact Trying Together at info@tryingtogether.org.

News

April 24, 2020

Give Big Pittsburgh: COVID-19 Response

Join us in #GivingTogetherNow on May 5.

About Give Big Pittsburgh: COVID-19 Response

Give Big Pittsburgh is an annual day-of-giving hosted by the Pittsburgh Magazine that encourages stakeholders and community members to collaboratively raise funds for and learn more about nonprofits working in the Pittsburgh area.

While Give Big Pittsburgh is typically hosted on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, also known as Giving Tuesday, Pittsburgh Magazine is following the lead of #GivingTuesdayNow by hosting a COVID-19 Response Campaign on May 5, 2020 to help raise critical dollars for nonprofits in Western Pennsylvania during this time of exceptional need.

Although Give Big Pittsburgh is a one-day event, the fundraising platform will remain open on their website through May 31, 2020. #GivingTuesdayNow will not replace the annual Giving Tuesday event happening on December 1, 2020. For more information, visit the Giving Tuesday website.

Why Should You Participate?

We know that the last few months have been tough. You’re probably asking yourself, “When will this end? What will ‘after this’ look like?” While we do not have all of the answers, one thing is certain: Trying Together values you as a caregiver, and we are here for you. That is why we have continued to support children, families, early learning professionals, and all caregivers of young children throughout this crisis by:

To learn more about our work, please visit the Trying Together Vision & Mission page.

Reinforce Our Work

If you’re interested in reinforcing Trying Together’s mission to support the work of early childhood, consider donating or fundraising with us! You can donate at any level that fits your budget. However, for those looking for recommended tiers, Trying Together has identified the following:

Because Give Big Pittsburgh uses an online platform, the donation process is quick and simple. Simply add nonprofits and individual donation values to your “Gift Basket” to complete all of your donations in one go. Donors can access their donation receipts online, making it easy to track and report your tax-deductible donations.

Visit the website to get acquainted with the platform and add Trying Together to your “Gift Basket.”

More Information

For questions, please contact Lainey Yockey at lainey@tryingtogether.org.

News

April 14, 2020

Food Assistance Programs Available in Pennsylvania

Nearly one in seven households with children in the United States of America currently cannot afford to buy enough food for their families. When looking locally, the food insecurity rate in Allegheny County is 13 percent as of 2017. That is more than 161,000 people in the county, including nearly 38,000 children. Elected officials at all levels of government have the ability to enact policies that protect and support child nutrition programs and improve the health and well-being of children and their families. We just have to make sure that they are in office.

How You Can Help

Together, we can create a better future with our votes, advocacy, and support. However, if you are not registered to vote or if your voter registration is not up-to-date, you will miss out on important opportunities to share your voice and elect local, state, and national policymakers. Take this time to check your voter registration and encourage others to do the same!

Another way that you can make sure your voice is heard is by singing the America for Early Ed Pledge to Vote! Our voices and votes can ensure that all children in Pennsylvania receive the food and nutrition services they need to grow up healthy and strong. Will you join us in signing the Pledge?

To learn more about food insecurity in America, view this document by the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC). For information about available food services, please continue reading below.

 


 

Available Resources

If you or someone you know is in need of food assistance during the COVID-19 health crisis, please view the list below for information about available programs and services.

Pennsylvania 2.1.1 Southwest

If you are in need of immediate assistance, please call 2.1.1, text your zip code to 898.211, or visit the Pennsylvania (PA) 2.1.1 website.

PA 2.1.1 Southwest seeks to provide an easy-to-remember phone number and web resource for finding health and human services for everyday needs and in crisis situations, serving the following counties: Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Cambria, Fayette, Greene, Indiana, Lawrence, Mercer, Somerset, Washington, and Westmoreland.

Allegheny County Free Food Distribution Map

For information about free resource distribution sites in Allegheny County, please visit this website. The map includes information about locations with no age restriction, locations that serve children only, PPS Grab and Go locations, and more. View the full map to view other available resource types. 

Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank

The Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank provides information on emergency distributions, applying for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), accessing a food pantry near you, and more. If visiting a pantry, please call before your visit to confirm that the site’s hours have not changed.

For more information, contact the Greater Pittsburgh Food Bank at 412.460.3663. To apply for SNAP, call toll-free at 833.822.7627, text SNAPPA to 555-888, or complete the online referral form.

Just Harvest

Just Harvest continues to provide assistance to community members applying for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Medical Assistance, and the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Program, as well as case advocacy and eligibility screenings.

To receive assistance, fill out this form or call 412.431.8960, x602 and state your name, contact info, and the best time to reach you from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Southwest Pennsylvania Meals on Wheels

Southwest Pennsylvania Meals on Wheels provides home meal delivery for people over the age of 60 and to those of any age who are recovering from an injury, illness, or surgery. The program costs seven dollars per day, which provides two meals. A quart of milk is provided once a week. Meals can be provided as many days a week as needed.

Services are available to community members living in the following areas: Beechview, Bridgeville, Carnegie, Cecil, Clinton, Collier Township, Crafton, Dormont, Greentree, Heidelberg, Imperial, Ingram, Mt Lebanon, Oakdale, Robinson Township, Scott Township, South Fayette, Upper St. Clair, and Westwood. To learn more, visit their website!

South Hills Interfaith Movement (SHIM)

SHIM provides access to their pantry items via pre-packaged boxes. However, shop-thru style pantries are temporarily suspended. All pantry volunteers will implement safe distancing, wear gloves at all times, and sanitize all services.

Services are available to community members in the following school districts: Baldwin-Whitehall, Bethel Park, South Park, Keystone Oaks, Mt. Lebanon, and Upper St. Clair. Visit the SHIM website to learn more about the program and view their pantry hours.

For questions, please contact Molly Penderville at 412.854.9120, x108 or mpatterson@shimcares.org.

JFCS Squirrel Hill Food Pantry

The JFCS Squirrel Hill Food Pantry is open and continues to serve community members who have a 15217 zip code and families that eat Kosher in communities outside of the area code. Individuals receive pre-bagged foods when they come into the pantry. Contact 412.421.2708 or visit their website for more information.

News

October 9, 2019

Give Big Pittsburgh 2019

Celebrate the giving spirit and support the work of local nonprofits by participating in this year’s Give Big Pittsburgh!

What is Give Big Pittsburgh?

Tied with #GivingTuesday, a nationally recognized annual day of giving, Give Big Pittsburgh is a local platform that works to raise awareness, collect donations, and build stronger ties between members of our community. To participate in this #DayofGiving, community members are invited to explore and collaborate in raising funds for nonprofits that are doing great work in Pittsburgh.

Visit the website to get acquainted with the platform and add nonprofits to your basket.

Why Should You Participate?

Because Give Big Pittsburgh uses an online platform, the donation process for #GivingTuesday is quick and simple. Simply add nonprofits and individual donation values to your “Gift Basket” to complete all of your donations in one go. Donors can access their donation receipts online, making it easy to track and report your tax-deductible donations.

More Information

To learn more, read our news post!

For questions, please contact Lainey Yockey at 412.567.3935 or lainey@tryingtogether.org.

News

November 21, 2018

Participate In Giving By Shopping Smart On Cyber Monday

After spending time with our friends and family on Thanksgiving, community members are gearing up for big savings during Black Friday. However, not everyone is thrilled about the long lines and packed stores. That’s why Cyber Monday is a great opportunity to save big within the comforts of your own home. In the season of giving, continue giving by shopping smart through AmazonSmile and Giving Assistant.

AmazonSmile

AmazonSmile is a simple and automatic way for you to support your favorite charitable organization every time you shop, at no cost to you. When you shop at smile.amazon.com, Amazon donates 0.5% of the price of your eligible AmazonSmile purchases to Trying Together.

AmazonSmile is the same Amazon you know. Same products, same prices, same service, with the added benefit of supporting your favorite nonprofits and charities.

Support Trying Together by shopping now.

Giving Assistant

Support Trying Together while shopping online at your favorite stores. With 3,139 online stores participating, there are 3,139 opportunities to give.

Join us and learn more by visiting the Giving Assistant website.

How It Works
  1. Shop and Save
    • Get coupons and up to 2x cash back at 3,139 top brands like Macy’s, Apple, and Target.
  2. Raise Cash Back Donations
    • Opt-in to give 1% to 100% of the cash back you earn to your favorite cause at checkout.
  3. Watch It Work
    • With every purchase, your cash back “microdonations” add up to make a real difference.

Shopping Smart

Don’t miss these simple opportunities to make a difference and support early childhood care and education.

News

November 14, 2018

Give Big Pittsburgh 2018

Join us in #GivingTogether during Give Big Pittsburgh on November 27, 2018.

What is Give Big Pittsburgh?

Tied with #GivingTuesday, a nationally recognized annual day of giving, Give Big Pittsburgh is a local platform that works to raise awareness, collect donations, and build stronger ties between members of our community. To participate in this #DayofGiving, community members are invited to explore and collaborate in raising funds for nonprofits that are doing great work in Pittsburgh.

Visit our GiveGab page to get acquainted with the fundraising platform.

Opportunities to Give

Although Give Big Pittsburgh emphasizes raising funds, there are multiple ways to participate in #GivingTuesday:

  • Donate to Nonprofits
  • Share Your Story
  • Share Nonprofit Donation Pages
  • Learn More

For more information on how you can participate, read our news post.