The Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh was founded in 1918 with the shared National Urban League mission of enabling African-Americans to secure economic self-reliance, parity and power, and civil rights. Today, the Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh has become one of the most accomplished affiliates in the country, leading by example with a perfect 5 out of 5 on a recent performance review conducted by the National Urban League. The rating assessed three key criteria: organizational soundness, organizational vitality, and implementation of mission.

The Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh is focused on serving African-American constituents and other minorities, but no one is ever turned away. Last fiscal year, the affiliate served over 36,000 individuals in Pittsburgh and the surrounding counties. As the largest comprehensive social service/civil rights organization in Southwestern Pennsylvania, the Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh provides services in the areas of education, health advocacy, housing, early childhood and youth development, hunger services, employment and career training and counseling, and economic empowerment. For example, between July 1, 2006 and June 30, 2007, the agency served more than 2,500 youth through its Education and Youth Development Department, more than 5,000 adults through its Employment Training and Economic Empowerment Department, more than 4,600 children, youth and adults through the Family Growth and Child Development Department, and more than 24,000 people through the Housing Department and Hunger Services Program.

Two of the Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh’s current programs – Operation Home and Hunger Services – provide outreach to residents of Allegheny, Butler, Fayette, Greene, Washington and Westmoreland Counties. Operation Home offers first time homebuyers classes to prepare themselves to qualify for home buying. Hunger Services provides counseling and referral to citizens who are eligible to receive food stamps but who may not realize it.