Our region is aging. We can’t leave its care to chance.

By a Program Advocate

When you work in a mission-focused industry, you learn to hold onto the good news.

Wesley Family Services last week announced the impending closure of our Open Your Heart to a Senior (OYHS) and In Service of Seniors (ISOS) programs in Westmoreland and Allegheny counties, respectively. Earlier this week, one donor came forward to fund the OYHS program after seeing news reports.

This donor wishes to remain anonymous and receive no fanfare; they just wanted to help the older adults in Westmoreland not lose this important program. For the people that OYHS serves, and for the families who love them, this changes everything. We are grateful in a way that is hard to put into words.

We wish the same could be said for the ISOS program, which has assisted hundreds of adults across Allegheny County. But a lack of sustainable funding regrettably forces the program’s closure, effective July 17, a decision that we did not come to lightly.

A neighbor’s quiet generosity has given one program a second chance, while a broken funding landscape is closing another. The whiplash of the last week or so should be of concern to our region. Allegheny County is home to one of the nation’s oldest populations, with Age-Friendly Greater Pittsburgh estimating that more than 20% of the county’s population is age 65 or more. That is the second highest concentration of older adults in the country, behind only Palm Beach County, Florida.

Behind these numbers are real people who are navigating isolation, cognitive changes, medical maladies, physical limitations, or the weight of being a caretaker for a loved one. For many of them, the OYHS and ISOS programs are the difference between thriving at home and basic survival; it’s not a luxury add-on that comes with aging.

Organizations like ours are seeing the ground beneath us continually shifting. Public dollars and philanthropic giving are being stretched across more needs than ever, while requests for assistance continue to rise. This leaves programs like OYHS and ISOS vulnerable, even when the need for them is unmistakable.

At Wesley Family Services, our mission has not changed and neither has the math involved. We are here to help children, adults and families across our region live healthier lives, and we intend to show up for the neighbors that need us. But, with funding limitations being what they are, we cannot do it all.

What we saw this week reminded us that one person can impact change. A donor, acting quietly, provided a lifeline to keep the OYHS program going through July 2027. That act of generosity should inspire all of us to look more closely at the aging programs in our own communities and ask how we can help — through a gift, a volunteer hour, a connection, or simply by paying attention — before a program reaches the brink.

Our region is aging, and caring for older adults should not fall to a handful of organizations or one generous donor at a time. It falls on all of us to share responsibility for the people who helped build our communities and now deserve to age within them with dignity, connection and care. One neighbor reminded us of what compassion in action looks like. The rest of the story is ours to write together.

Click here to make a donation to the Open Your Heart to a Senior Program

Humbling, overwhelming: Wesley Family Services to continue 1 of 2 senior programs slated for closure

Article by Quincey Catullo

Click here to read the entire article on the Tribune Review

Both programs serve nearly 700 senior citizens in Allegheny and Westmoreland counties

Less than a week after Wesley Family Services said it would end two of its programs for senior citizens, the nonprofit received a $100,000 anonymous donation Tuesday to maintain one of the initiatives through June 2028.

The nonprofit confirmed to TribLive last week it would end its In Service of Seniors program for Allegheny County residents on July 17 and conclude Open Your Heart to a Senior — the version of the program for Westmoreland County residents — on July 31.

But with the help of a $100,000 gift and fundraising plan pitched by an anonymous donor, the Open Your Heart to a Senior program will continue for the next two years, said Wesley Family Services CEO Doug Muetzel.

“When you look at the philanthropy in Western Pennsylvania, it’s always been incredibly strong,” he said. “But it’s always humbling when a donor comes forward with no expectation of anything in return, other than the focus on the recipient.”

About 100 volunteers and a handful of paid Wesley staff members operate the programs, helping nearly 700 senior citizens across Allegheny and Westmoreland counties with in-home nonmedical services. The majority of recipients, nearly 450, live in Westmoreland County.

“That one encounter with a senior where the senior feels valued, where the senior had access to food when they didn’t two hours before the volunteer got there — the ripple effect of that is almost immeasurable,” Muetzel said.

In the absence of a similar donation to the Allegheny County program, In Service of Seniors will close July 17, Muetzel said. The program would need at least $130,000 to operate for another year.

“Because the shortfall in Allegheny County is so significant, it would have to be — once again — significant dollars,” he said.

Despite a rising senior population, funding has been more difficult to come by, Muetzel said.

“It continues to be evident that needs continue to grow and are significant and real,” he said. “These are people that really benefit from a volunteer coming into their home and helping them.

“And yet funding, there just never is enough funding to meet all the needs.”

Wesley: Senior programs have existed for years

Volunteers drive seniors to medical appointments, help with grocery shopping and check in on their well-being over the phone, said Rebecca Maletto-Cornell, Wesley’s director of volunteer services.

“(The programs) really just allow them to be independent, living in their own home and to function in a productive way that they feel their voice is heard,” she said, “they’re still capable of doing other things on their own independently.”

In Service of Seniors began about two decades ago. Wesley has operated it since April 2017, when then-Wesley Spectrum merged with Family Services of Western Pennsylvania.

Wesley inherited Open Your Heart to a Senior from the Westmoreland County branch of United Way in 2020.

It costs Wesley between $150,000 and $200,000 each year to run the programs, Muetzel said. They are funded by United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania and Westmoreland and Allegheny counties.

United Way has decreased its funding to the programs in recent years, Muetzel said, and both Westmoreland and Allegheny counties increased their financial support for the programs to fill the gap.

United Way has given $905,000 to Wesley’s senior programs since 2017 — $735,000 between 2017 and 2020; $150,000 between 2020 and 2023; and $20,000 between 2023 and 2024, according to Chief Marketing Officer Kitty Julian.

United Way has seen a 30% increase in requests for financial support since 2023, according to a statement the nonprofit issued to TribLive.

Click here to read the entire article on the Tribune Review

 

The March 18 event brought together faculty and professionals from across the Greater Pittsburgh region to strengthen curriculum, expand learning opportunities and prepare students for careers in high-demand fields.

McKEESPORT, Pa. — Penn State Greater Allegheny held its first Campus Program Advisory Board meetings on March 18, bringing together faculty and regional industry leaders to guide degree programs on campus. The boards are designed to ensure curriculum remains aligned with workforce needs and that students benefit from relevant, hands-on learning opportunities.

The advisory boards are part of a campus-wide strategy to create multiple pathways for students by connecting programs with professionals from the Greater Pittsburgh region, allowing faculty to design learning experiences that meet regional workforce demands, including class projects with industry partners, job shadowing opportunities, guest speakers, high-quality internships and undergraduate research projects.

“These partnerships help ensure our graduates leave with the skills and confidence to succeed,” said Barrett Scroggs, interim chief academic officer. “I’m deeply appreciative of our faculty for fostering these relationships and of our community partners for their thoughtful guidance.”

The March 18 event began with a shared dinner in the campus Ostermayer Room of the Student Community Center, followed by program-specific breakout sessions where board members provided input on curriculum priorities, emerging trends and professional opportunities for students.

“I love working with the students from Penn State Greater Allegheny for internships, so joining the psychology advisory board just made sense,” said Megan Matejcic, SNAP program manager at Auberle. “Creating intentional relationships with surrounding organizations is a fabulous way for Greater Allegheny students to connect with the workforce and their passions. A student’s recent immersion in academia will also make them sensitive to seeing what isn’t being done well in our communities, what is outdated and what could be done better — and perhaps they will be the ones to identify those gaps and create those opportunities themselves.”

For faculty, the advisory boards provide an opportunity to collaborate directly with industry partners and ensure academic programs remain responsive to workforce needs.

“I love the idea of putting students in touch with industry leaders and connecting them with mentorship, internship and potential employment opportunities,” said Michael Vicaro, associate professor of communications and program coordinator for multidisciplinary studies. “Advisory boards also help keep programs timely by identifying upcoming trends and employment needs.”

Advisory board members represent organizations across healthcare, technology, education, nonprofit leadership, and community development. Community and industry professionals interested in learning more about serving on a Greater Allegheny program advisory board can email bws74@psu.edu.

Current participating organizations by program include:

Biobehavioral health

• Clinical Research Strategies
• University of Pittsburgh
• UPMC

Business/project and supply chain management

• RMP
• UPMC Health Plan

Criminal justice

• Allegheny County
• Auberle
• Center for Victims
• Operation Better Block
• PA Women Work
• Wesley Family Services

Cybersecurity analytics and operations/information technology

• CEEVA
• Echelon Risk & Cyber
• Pittsburgh Technology Council
• Women in Cyber

Multidisciplinary studies

• Next Pittsburgh
• Vibrant Pittsburgh
• Point Park University

Psychology

• Allegheny County
• Auberle
• Community College of Allegheny County
• TCV Community Services

Recreation, park and tourism management

• LaRosa Youth Club
• Kristen Kane Events
• Dragon’s Den
• McKeesport Parks and Recreation

Social work

• Auberle
• Community Care / UPMC
• Passport Academy Charter School
• Upward Bound West

Click here to read the full article at Penn State University’s website.

The Pa. Family Support Alliance and Pa. Department of Human services hosted its outdoor flag painting and annual Blue Ribbon Champions for Safe Kids awards ceremony.

March 25, 2026

On March 20, nonprofit Wesley Family Services held its annual fundraising gala. During the event, the organization honored Tres Whitlock, regional president of global insurance brokerage Gallagher, for his contributions in the community and support of WFS. The event also included a cocktail reception, a photo booth, a silent auction, an awards ceremony celebrating WFS staff with the Quality Whole Person Care Impact Awards, a heads or tails raffle, dinner and an after party.

Click here to read the full article.

Sewickley resident Tres Whitlock, Western Pennsylvania area president of Gallagher, was this year’s honoree at the Wesley Family Services 2026 Gala, held March 20.

“I am thrilled and humbled by this nomination,” Whitlock said. “Wesley Family Services’ commitment to a Quality Whole Person Care approach — seeing and supporting the entire individual — is an urgent, powerful mission that resonates deeply with me. It is a privilege to stand alongside an organization whose CEO, Doug Muentzel, embodies the conviction that ‘where there is help, there is always hope,’ driving this critical work with unmatched energy and compassion.”

A Pittsburgh native who grew up in Fox Chapel, Whitlock’s professional journey spans two decades in the commercial insurance sector.

Whitlock was selected as this year’s gala honoree in recognition of his philanthropy and dedication to the community. His leadership and commitment have made a meaningful impact and inspired others to make a difference. Over the years, Whitlock has demonstrated a consistent passion for helping families through programming, donation drives and volunteer efforts.

Read more at TribLive.