Be My Neighbor Day: a community service event for the whole family

The upcoming Be My Neighbor Day hosted by The Fred Rogers Company and the United Way of Allegheny County is an opportunity for Pittsburgh families to begin a lifetime of neighborly volunteerism.

Timed to correspond with the birthday of the iconic youth advocate Fred Rogers, Be My Neighbor Day takes place on March 21 and 22 at five local YMCAs. The free event includes several young child-friendly service projects, YMCA Healthy Kids activities, a chance to meet Daniel Tiger and a sweater drive benefiting local families in need.

“The event is all about being a good neighbor,” says Christy Stuber, volunteer initiatives director at the United Way of Allegheny County. “There will be activities set up where kids and families can work on craft projects that benefit each of the impact areas the United Way serves: local kids, needy families, senior citizens and people with disabilities.” Some of these service projects include making snack bags for kids in the United Way’s mentoring program and coloring placemats for homebound senior citizens.

Be My Neighbor Day debuted in Pittsburgh last year and the response to the initial event was overwhelmingly positive. “Parents really appreciated being able to do an activity with their kids that was hands-on and taught them things they can do to benefit the community,” says Stuber. This year’s event has grown in scale now occurring throughout the weekend at YMCAs across the city.

Four of them will host events on Saturday, March 21, including the Thelma Lovette YMCA in the Hill District, the Baierl Family YMCA in the North Hills, the Sampson Family YMCA in Plum and the Western Area YMCA in Coraopolis. The Penn Hills YMCA will also be hosting Be My Neighbor Day on Sunday, March 22. Although the event is free, registration is requested here.

And in an event about volunteering, The United Way could use some help from volunteers! Sign up here.