Early in my career, I heard someone say that "Leadership is influence, nothing more and nothing less." Over the past year I got to see influence in action, as a participant in Leadership Pittsburgh (www.lpinc.org), a year-long cohort program that brings together executive leaders from diverse career fields for networking, awareness-building, and cross-sector collaboration.

Participating in the program has been a wonderful opportunity to strengthen NHCO's connection with leading organizations in the region, while deepening my own appreciation for all the community leaders who already support their neighbors in need through NHCO.

One component of the program is a small group service project. My small group decided to schedule two volunteer events. First, we served at NHCO's Allison Park Food Pantry in March (pictured) to assist with setup, shopping, and cart pushing. One leader participating commented that he was thrilled when a client was so thankful for him pushing their shopping cart full of groceries up the hill that they asked him for a hug!

Our group then scheduled a second volunteer event in April, serving dinner at Roots of Faith in Sharpsburg, one of NHCO's nonprofit partners (where I served from 2016-2024). NHCO was well represented that night, as our Free Rides for Seniors Team Leader made an announcement about our free shuttle, and our Millvale Service Coordinator was available onsite for social work support.

The capstone of the Leadership Pittsburgh experience is a two-day advocacy trip to Harrisburg, meeting with legislators to discuss key issues in the Pittsburgh region. I was grateful to connect with many of the state representatives and senators in NHCO's service area, having several in-depth policy discussions about how we can work together to ensure that no one in our region is hungry, cold, or alone.

In the end I realized that if leadership is influence, then servant-leadership is the most influential of all, as leaders use their voice and platform to advocate for neighbors in need.