Yinz Are Good shares the good stuff - the good news - going on out there and celebrates all the good people who are making it happen: The people who are lifting others up, who are taking care of their neighbors, the people who are saying, “What can I do today to make our world a better place?”.

Today’s featured “good person doing good things” is someone Tressa met at a local Helpers Table event. Helpers Table is a recurring gathering for people who serve others . (Think dinner party, not seminar. ) These helpers learn who to go to when those they serve need something their organization cannot provide. As you can imagine, it’s a pretty inspiring way to spend a couple of hours…And it was there that she met Amy Hart.

Amy is a mom. She's a teacher. And she is co-founder of Sophie’s Potluck, a small but mighty nonprofit dedicated to enriching the lives of special needs children through thoughtful and inclusive activity planning. Their mission? To create a supportive and joy-filled environment where every child, regardless of their unique abilities, can thrive, learn, and connect with others. Inspired by her daughter, Sophie, who is on the Autism Spectrum, Sophie’s Potluck is guided by empathy, compassion, and a commitment to inclusion.

Sophie’s Potluck website

Sophie’s Potluck on Facebook

Sophie’s Potluck on Instagram

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Watch our Tressa Tries…video series on YouTube⁠ here⁠.

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Have a story of generosity or kindness to share with us? Want a Kindness Crate dropped off at your business or school? Email us at ⁠yinzaregood@gmail.com.

Yinz Are Good shares the good stuff - the good news - going on out there and celebrates all the good people who are making it happen: The people who are lifting others up, who are taking care of their neighbors, the people who ask themselves, “What can I do today to make our world a better place?”.

This episode is about community with a capital “C”.

We have a cornucopia of stories to share today, from all around our fair city. This collection speaks to the heart of what Yinz Are Good is all about: finding the good things people are doing for each other. People of all ages, backgrounds and life experiences and in a variety of ways.

Our Gratitude Board has been out and about, so you’ll hear community members’ responses to the question, “What are you thankful for?”.

You’ll hear Tressa’s unexpected and delightful conversation about friendship and mentorship with local elementary and middle school students.

Then, interviews with the three charities who were the beneficiaries of this year’s Steelers Style event, which is the Pittsburgh Steelers’ largest annual fundraiser. Those beneficiaries were: Cancer Bridges, the Chuck Noll Foundation for Brain Injury Research, and the UPMC Sports Medicine Concussion Program.

We’ll then make a stop at Convive Coffee Cafe in McCandless to read how customers there are paying it forward.

And, finally, the episode concludes with the triumphant return of Don DiGiulio, as he joins Tressa for our “In Case Yinz Missed It” segment.

Cancer Bridges

UPMC Sports Medicine Concussion Program

Chuck Noll Foundation for Brain Injury Research

Convive Coffee

Food Rescue Hero

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Watch our Tressa Tries…video series on YouTube⁠ here⁠.

⁠⁠https://www.yinzaregood.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

FOLLOW US on social media:

Instagram:⁠⁠⁠ ⁠@yinzaregood⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook:⁠⁠⁠ ⁠@YinzAreGood⁠⁠⁠⁠

Have a story of generosity or kindness to share with us? Want a Kindness Crate dropped off at your business or school? Email us at ⁠yinzaregood@gmail.com.

Yinz Are Good shares the good stuff - the good news - going on out there and celebrates all the good people who are making it happen: The people who are lifting others up, who are taking care of their neighbors, the people who are saying, “What can I do today to make our world a better place?”.

Get ready for an extraordinary story of survival, resilience, hope, and supporting others in need.Brett Wilson is a two-time childhood cancer survivor who has dedicated her life to helping fellow survivors and their families. She is a counselor, a certified Cancer Survivorship Navigator, an author, and founder of the Walking Miracles Family Foundation.

Brett learned first-hand the challenges that patients and families face in receiving crucial care, especially those living in rural areas. As she grew older, she also learned, first-hand, the long-term impact of childhood cancer treatment. Brett is using all she has learned and all she has experienced to advocate for others - for caregivers, families and survivors impacted by childhood, adolescent and young adult cancer.

Her Walking Miracles Family Foundation provides counseling, travel assistance, patient navigation, and survivorship guidance for childhood cancer families throughout West Virginia and Western Pennsylvania.

Walking Miracles Family Foundation

Brett’s book, A Walking Miracle, on Amazon

FB: @Walking Miracles Family Foundation

IG: @WalkingMiracles

LinkedIn:

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Watch our Tressa Tries…video series on YouTube⁠ here⁠.

⁠⁠https://www.yinzaregood.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

FOLLOW US on social media:

Instagram:⁠⁠⁠ ⁠@yinzaregood⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook:⁠⁠⁠ ⁠@YinzAreGood⁠⁠⁠⁠

Have a story of generosity or kindness to share with us? Want a Kindness Crate dropped off at your business or school? Email us at ⁠yinzaregood@gmail.com.

We were left incredibly inspired and hopeful after Tressa's conversation with Megan McKay, and so grateful that folks like her are among us, leading the charge and bringing us together to help those in need.

Megan is the Founder of Empower & Elevate PGH Women, whose mission is to help women and girls in the Pittsburgh area get access to hygiene and period products when they need them.

You’re going to hear about Megan’s journey - how acts of kindness and support kept her going through a very difficult time in her life and how she is now paying that kindness and support forward to lift up other women. Empower & Elevate PGH Women is helping women and girls of all ages in all types of situations - and they’re letting them know that they are seen and understood.

Empower and Elevate PGH Women website

On IG: empower_and_elevate_pgh_women

On FB: Empower-and-Elevate-PGH-Women

www.yinzaregood.com

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Watch our Tressa Tries…video series on YouTube⁠ here⁠.

⁠⁠https://www.yinzaregood.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

FOLLOW US on social media:

Instagram:⁠⁠⁠ ⁠@yinzaregood⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook:⁠⁠⁠ ⁠@YinzAreGood⁠⁠⁠⁠

Have a story of generosity or kindness to share with us? Want a Kindness Crate dropped off at your business or school? Email us at ⁠yinzaregood@gmail.com.

Yinz Are Good shares the good stuff - the good news - going on out there and celebrates the good people who are making it happen: The people who are lifting others up, helping those in need...the people who are saying, “What can I do today to make our world a better place?”.

Our fabulous featured guests today are part of an organization that protects and restores exceptional places to provide clean waters, healthy forests, wildlife, and natural areas for present and future generations. That organization is The Western Pennsylvania Conservancy.

Yinz may be familiar, as we were, with the Conservancy and their work, but we didn’t know the full scope of all they do until Tressa sat down for a chat with Lauren Marshall and Erin Spangler. Lauren is Senior Development Officer at the Conservancy and Erin is a volunteer and Co-chair of their Emerging Leaders Advisory Committee.

From the get, Lauren and Erin were so welcoming, so darn friendly…And it was uplifting to hear them talk not only about the work they’re doing, but why they do it and why it’s important for all of us.

Western Pennsylvania Conservancy links:

https://waterlandlife.org/

https://fallingwater.org/

https://waterlandlife.org/volunteer/

https://waterlandlife.org/volunteer/western-pennsylvania-conservancys-emerging-leaders-advisory-committee/

Facebook: @WaterLandLife

Instagram: @WaterLandLife

LinkedIn: Western Pennsylvania Conservancy

YouTube @WaterLandLife

⁠⁠⁠https://www.yinzaregood.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠

Watch our Tressa Tries…video series on YouTube⁠ here⁠.

⁠

FOLLOW US on social media:

Instagram:⁠⁠⁠ ⁠@yinzaregood⁠⁠⁠⁠

Facebook:⁠⁠⁠ ⁠@YinzAreGood⁠⁠⁠⁠

Have a story of generosity or kindness to share with us? Want a Kindness Crate dropped off at your business or school? Email us at ⁠yinzaregood@gmail.com.

Yinz Are Good shares the good stuff - the good news - going on out there and celebrates the good people who are making it happen: The people who are lifting others up, who are taking care of their neighbors, the people who are saying, “What can I do today to make our world a better place?”.

We’ve got a lot of good stuff comin up in this episode, yinzers (and you’ll sense a very Pittsburgh theme running through it)...

First, on August 8th, we had the awesome opportunity to be part of another Pittsburgh Pirates pre-game block party. August 8th just happens to be National Happiness Happens Day, so we were posted up at our tent with our whiteboard asking folks “Who or what makes you happy?” And our roving reporter, “Diva on the Street”, ventured out into the crowds to record folks’ thoughts should they want to share them that way.

And then… we love the opportunity to feature local small businesses who support and lift up their community.

Our featured business today was founded by Pittsburghers committed to giving back to Pittsburghers. They are: Buccos Roofing. And they aren’t just building roofs, they’re building community. They initiate neighborhood cleanups, support our youth and, in perhaps their best-known effort: host an annual free roof giveaway.

Tressa sat down with Co-founder & CEO, Mark Easton, at their office in Bethel Park for a lovely conversation. Mark has a helper’s heart, as you’ll hear, and takes great pride in his company’s work and the connections they make along the way.

Buccos Roofing

Watch this episode here!

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Watch our Tressa Tries…video series on YouTube⁠ here⁠.

⁠⁠https://www.yinzaregood.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

FOLLOW US on social media:

Instagram:⁠⁠⁠ ⁠@yinzaregood⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook:⁠⁠⁠ ⁠@YinzAreGood⁠⁠⁠⁠

Have a story of generosity or kindness to share with us? Want a Kindness Crate dropped off at your business or school? Email us at ⁠yinzaregood@gmail.com.

Yinz Are Good shares the good stuff - the good news - going on out there and celebrates all the good people who are making it happen: The people who are lifting others up, who are taking care of their neighbors, the people who ask, “What can I do today to make our world a better place?”.

It’s Tressa here. Yinz are about to hear from a remarkable woman. The topic at the center of our conversation is difficult to discuss and, honestly, difficult for many of us to even think about. It involves unfathomable circumstances. But the message at the core of our conversation is one of extraordinary hope. Of finding purpose through tragedy and adversity. Of how we can help the most vulnerable among us.

Suzanne Hobbs is my guest. She is an award-winning former television news anchor, an Amazon best-selling children's book author, and a nationally recognized advocate for Safe Haven Laws. It is those Safe Haven Laws - and Suzanne’s very personal connection to them - that we are talking about today. Safe Haven laws exist in all 50 states - and they allow a parent to surrender their unharmed newborn to a designated Safe Haven provider without judgement and without legal trouble.

There is no one better to tell Suzanne’s powerful and beautiful story than Suzanne herself, of course, so I will only say here that the course of Suzanne’s life would be forever changed by a stranger’s tragedy more than two decades ago - this tragedy would ultimately launch her into a new life’s mission and, incredibly, into motherhood.

Suzanne has become a leading advocate for Safe Haven Laws and now works with the National Safe Haven Alliance. She uses her voice to educate, inspire, and advocate for vulnerable infants and families.

It was with great pleasure that I sat down with Suzanne in her hotel suite – she was here on the Pittsburgh leg of her children’s book tour (which you’ll hear all about as well). I have no doubt that her story will amaze you and her life-saving work will inspire you.

Register for “Common Ground” on Sept. 22nd

National Safe Haven Alliance

Find a Safe Haven Location in Your State

Suzanne Hobbs

The Hungry Snake on Amazon

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Watch our Tressa Tries…video series on YouTube⁠ here⁠.

⁠⁠https://www.yinzaregood.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

FOLLOW US on social media:

Instagram:⁠⁠⁠ ⁠@yinzaregood⁠⁠⁠⁠

Facebook:⁠⁠⁠ ⁠@YinzAreGood⁠⁠⁠⁠

Have a story of generosity or kindness to share with us? Want a Kindness Crate dropped off at your business or school? Email us at ⁠yinzaregood@gmail.com.

Yinz Are Good shares the good stuff - the good news - going on out there and celebrates all the good people who are making it happen: The people who are lifting others up, who are taking care of their neighbors, the people who are saying, “What can I do today to make our world a better place?”.

In a Yinz Are Good first, we’re welcoming two judges to the show: Judge Mary Jane Bowes and Judge Matthew Rudzki, both currently serving the commonwealth of PA. Rarely do we get to hear from judges in this way… hearing their personal stories, their perspective, and about all the good they’re doing for the people of Pennsylvania, both inside and outside of their courtrooms. You’re also going to learn about the PA Commission on Judicial Independence, of which both of them are a part.

Tressa was honored to sit down with these judges for what would become a fascinating conversation about serving the public, pursuing the public good, decision-making and the vital importance of impartiality, and much more. As Tressa said, “They are both not only brilliant, but warm, delightful…and funny!”

Judge Mary Jane Bowes serves as a judge of the Superior Court of the Commonwealth of PA, first elected in 2001. During her tenure on the Court, she has fought to increase the Superior Court’s transparency by advocating for online posting and increased publication of its decisions. She chairs the PA Commission on Judicial Independence.

Judge Matthew Rudzki serves Allegheny County as a judge within the Civil Division of the Court of Common Pleas. Prior to his judgeship, he served the Borough of Sharpsburg as a council member and later as mayor.

PA Commission on Judicial Independence

Judge Mary Jane Bowes

Judge Matthew Rudzki

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Watch our Tressa Tries…video series on YouTube⁠ here⁠.

⁠⁠https://www.yinzaregood.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

FOLLOW US on social media:

Instagram:⁠⁠⁠ ⁠@yinzaregood⁠⁠⁠⁠

Facebook:⁠⁠⁠ ⁠@YinzAreGood⁠⁠⁠⁠

Have a story of generosity or kindness to share with us? Want a Kindness Crate dropped off at your business or school? Email us at ⁠yinzaregood@gmail.com.