North Allegheny Women’s Association unites for good causes

For women looking to make meaningful connections with other women in the North Allegheny communities, there’s an organization for that.

The North Allegheny Women’s Association is a social and charitable organization with the purpose of uniting women through community service, according to its President Josley Counselman.

NAWA was the brainchild of two NA residents, Ronette Blake and Kristen McCabe, who were enjoying fellowship at a dinner for a women’s group in Oakmont in 2014. They thought, why don’t we have something like this in the North Allegheny communities, said Blake, former NAWA president.

“We just kind of wanted that for North Allegheny,” said Blake, who has three children at Hosack Elementary.

NAWA soon began.

Blake encourages women from the NA communities — Bradford Woods, Franklin Park, Marshall, and McCandless — to join, because relationships don’t have to be separated by municipal borders.

“We’re all part of this school district and a part of this area, but we really don’t cross boundaries,” said Blake, of McCandless. “This is to form new friendships with other like-minded women.”

One of NAWA’s goals is to unify North Allegheny communities by building social connections across municipalities within the school district. Blake said the group “helps break the ice and stir up conversation” among NA area women.

Counselman is actually from Ross Township, but she said she wanted to participate in a community of women supporting local causes, so she joined the NA group. However, the bulk of its efforts target the NA community, including its annual $500 scholarship.

This scholarship is awarded to a North Allegheny woman or female student looking to continue her education by attending college or a training program, she said. Applicants don’t have to be a current high school student, but she must demonstrate experience with community services.

Scholarship applications and details can be found on the NAWA website www.nawomen.org.

Another goal of the group is to help North Allegheny women in need of emotional or financial support due to hardship. Each month the group hosts two activities: One is solely for community service; the other a social event that has a community service component to it, Blake said.

Community service events include collection and donation of personal care and activity items to local nursing homes. Or baked good donations to the Light of Life Rescue Mission in Pittsburgh and making hygiene kits at Olive Branch in Wexford.

Recent social events include meeting up at the Lumberjaxes Axe Throwing in Cranberry, or shopping together at Treasure House Fashions on McKnight Road, which benefits women in crisis.

Sometimes it’s going out to dinner to help support local businesses or attending a charity-benefiting, social event.

The organization just sold out tickets for its Adult Easter Egg Hunt in North Park on April 22, being held in partnership with the Allegheny County Parks Foundation. The proceeds will benefit both organizations.

Among the groups NAWA lists as having benefited from its efforts are: AGAPAO, Crisis Center North, HEARTH, Jesus in Disguise Homeless Assistance Group, Knit Hope, Light of Life Mission, Living in Liberty, McCandless Cares and Shares, the NA Foundation, North Hills Community Outreach, NurturePA, Nyadire Pad Empowerment Project, Olive Branch, Treasure House Fashions, and Wexford Healthcare Center.

The organization represents a diverse group of women from a stay-at-home mom to single women working full time or those who’ve retired. Counselman, who is 30, said NAWA has about 40 members.

“It’s for anyone looking for sense of community with other women and supporting others in need,” Counselman said.

NAWA meets the third Thursday every month at 7 p.m. at Ascension Lutheran Church on Peebles Road in McCandless. Blake said NAWA is in the process of being designated as a nonprofit.

More information is available by visiting www.nawomen.org or its Facebook page or by emailing northalleghenywomen@gmail.com.