NHCO Partnership Amplifies Client Impact
Red rides his new bike on a street in Millvale.
Red, 64, was biking through downtown Pittsburgh on his way to help a friend with a construction project in the South Hills. He stopped for a cup of coffee when his trusty bike, a gift from NHCO, was stolen.
"Why would someone take my bike? Why? Why would they take my bike?" he said in an exasperated voice. It was his only form of transportation. He cannot drive because he has multiple sclerosis (MS), a disease that disrupts communication between the brain and the body.
He mentioned the unfortunate incident to Marianne, a front desk volunteer at our Millvale office. She arranged for a new bike through our partner organization CommuniCycle, a volunteer-base nonprofit organization that accepts donated bikes and gives them to those in need.
"Red has been a longtime friend at NHCO in Millvale” Marianne said. “He is one of the kindest and happiest people around. His positive attitude is contagious."
He first came to NHCO about a year ago to get help applying for affordable phone service. He also started visiting our food pantry. On one visit, he mentioned to our service coordinator that he needs a bike. Luckily, we happened to have a donated bike waiting for a taker.
The South Hills native moved to Millvale to be closer to his son, daughter and future grandchild. He works part-time at a local steel fabricating shop, and cannot work full-time because of his MS.
How does Red feel towards NHCO? “It means people helping people," he said without realizing that phrase is our tagline.
Raz-Soul, Red's furry companion, delighted our staff in Millvale during a recent visit. When you support NHCO, you are also helping our clients who have furry friends by offsetting the cost of having a pet. We also offer pet food at our food pantries.