Western Pennsylvania Game Changers with Chris Hoke

If you're looking for the perfect outdoor family, group or individual project, we've got just the opportunity for you! Join us as we get to know Ned Brockmeyer, Director of Farm Programs at Hilltop Urban Farm. Ned is a HUGE proponent of urban farming and its capacity to change food, neighborhoods and, ultimately, lives. Located on 107 acres of land in Pittsburgh's hilltop community - with 23 acres dedicated to farmin...

Episode 22 is here! The vaccines have arrived, and not a moment too soon. The next task is helping make sure those who need it most can get it as quickly as possible. In this episode, you will meet six individuals -- Jodi Mitchell, of Spartan Pharmacy; Laurence Christian, municipal manager for Bethel Park; Carolyn Walton, a home health nurse; Syd Litzenburger, a volunteer all-star in her community; Marla Caplan, social worker and e...

Welcome to Episode 21! This month, Tim leads out by sharing some exciting news about upcoming volunteer opportunities involving COVID-19 vaccination efforts -- check www.justserve.org for more information. 

Chris, Lisa and Tim are then joined by our special guest, Denna Hays, Executive Director at Butler County Alliance for Children (BCAC). Day in and day out, Denna and her team help victims of child abuse and their famili...

Please join us for this special episode, in which we award our 2020 Super Volunteer of the Year Award to Roberta Sciulli! A retired nurse and hospital administrator, Roberta is a powerful force for good in her home-town community of Ambridge, Pennsylvania! Here are just a few of her service highlights: 

• She leads a group called the “Committee to Clean and Beautify Ambridge,” which is “determined to clean and beautify the lovely ...

Join us for Episode 19! In this month's episode, Chris, Lisa and Tim are joined by special guests, Tom Baker and Erica Cochran, of North Hills Community Outreach (affectionately known as NHCO). Tom is NHCO's Executive Director and Erica is its Development Director. Formed in the late 1980s in response to devastating flooding in Millvale, Shaler and surrounding areas, NHCO has been a powerful force for good in Pittsburgh N...

Welcome to Episode 18! This month, join Chris, Lisa and Ken as they get to know Dr. Howard Slaughter, Jr., CEO and President of Habitat for Humanity of Greater Pittsburgh. Dr. Slaughter is a force of nature, in the best possible way! He's firm believer that home ownership can dramatically improve lives and communities. He's seen it many, many times. From home building and home repairs to financial training and interest fr...

Welcome to Episode 17! In this episode, Chris, Lisa and Tim are joined by special quest Kelly Hughes, Founder and Executive Director of Foster Love Project. Located in Dormont, Foster Love Project's mission is to "provide love in action to kids in foster care as well as support to the families who are providing care for them" -- and they do a tremendous job! 

Sometimes foster families only have a few moment...

This month, Chris, Lisa and Ken (filling in for Tim) are joined by special guest, Megs Yunn, Executive Director and founder of Beverly's Birthdays. Due to a variety of circumstances, many children grow up without ever knowing what it is like to experience their own birthday party. Megs Yunn and her team at Beverly’s Birthdays are dedicated to bringing birthday cheer to children experiencing homelessness and other difficult cha...

This month, Lisa and Tim kick things off by providing updates on a couple of JustServe projects they have recently been involved in while Western Pennsylvania is still in the COVID-19 "yellow" zone. Chris then introduces us to this month's special guest, Reverend Anais Hussian, the Aftercare Mentor Coordinator for Foundation of Hope. Each year, approximately 30,000 people are arrested and incarcerated at the Alleghen...

This month's episode is a little different, as we are currently at home while the world is grappling with COVID-19. Join Chris, Lisa, Tim, Ken and our special guest, Sherry Gunn, as we discuss ways each of us can help out by "lifting where we stand" during these unique and challenging times. A few weeks ago, Sherry, whose husband is a physician, identified some ways to show love and support for some of the workers ba...

In this month's episode, Tim leads off by sharing his recent deployment to California to help stave off the Corona virus - he also shares his thoughts on, and a few suggestions for ways to prepare for, COVID 19. Next, we are honored to be joined by Joyce Davis, Executive Director of Lincoln Park Community Center (LPCC). Don't let Joyce's infectious laughter and bubbly outgoing personality fool you -- she means busine...

AgeWell Pittsburgh is awesome! In this episode, Chris and Tim are joined by special guests Amy Gold, from the Jewish Community Center, and Ellen Leger, from Jewish Family and Community Services, who serve as volunteer coordinators for AgeWell Pittsburgh. AgeWell Pittsburgh provides a host of services to Pittsburgh's aging population, with an eye to helping them live dignified, independent and meaningful lives. Listen in as we ...

The team is back from the holidays and ready to go! This month, Chris, Lisa and Tim are joined by special guests, Jessica Smith, Disaster Program Manager, and David Herzog, Volunteer Disaster Program Manager, with the American Red Cross of Southwestern Pennsylvania. The American Red Cross' mission is to prevent and alleviate human suffering in the face of emergencies by mobilizing the power of volunteers and the generosity of ...

In this special holiday episode, Chris, Lisa, Tim and Ken begin by discussing the Light the World Campaign. We explain what it is and share some of our experiences with it so far. Anyone can sign up to get daily texts throughout the holiday season, with prompts to perform simple acts of kindness. We then share some of our favorite personal volunteer experiences.

As the temperature goes down, the need for volunteers goes up...

This month, Chris, Lisa and Tim are joined by special guest, Kate Brennan, Director of Operations at NurturePA. Birth to age three is a critical time in a child’s life. Their experiences as a young child often dictate the type of adults they become. NurturePA helps parents navigate this critical time by providing reliable information and non-judgmental mentoring support through volunteers with whom parents can communicate online. (...

Co-hosts Chris, Lisa and Tim are joined by this month's special guest, Peggy Grimes, the Assistant Director at Greater Washington County Food Bank. After Chris shares a personal (perhaps too personal) tidbit, Tim discusses the ongoing need for blood donations through organizations like the American Red Cross. (Did you know 12,000 lives are saved every day in America through transfusions?) Peggy then tells us about all the grea...

This month, co-hosts Chris and Lisa are joined by special guests, Reverend Karie Ann Charlton of the Third Presbyterian Church in Shadyside, and her friend, Carrie Powell. Pastor Karie leads the Pittsburgh Chapter of Days for Girls International, a charitable organization that provides feminine hygiene kits and health education to women and girls who desperately need them. Pastor Karie explains the difficult situations faced by wom...

Join co-hosts Chris, Lisa and Tim as they are joined by this month's special guest, Meghan Anderson, Executive Director of Gallagher Hospice. First, Tim shares recent volunteer experiences with the American Red Cross of Southwestern Pennsylvania, and discusses its great need for volunteers in disaster-relief situations (they happen much more often that you might think). Then Meghan discusses the profoundly uplifting and import...

Join co-hosts Chris, Chelsea, Lisa, Tim as they share recent volunteer experiences - Chelsea, with NurturePA; Lisa, with Days for Girls; and Tim, while on deployment to Louisiana as part of a Disaster Medical Assistance Team. This month, they are joined by Kate Eberle Cotter, Reach and Rise Youth Mentoring Coordinator with the Butler County Family YMCA. Reach and Rise is a group mentoring program that helps empower youth ages 8-15 ...