Welcoming Westmoreland brings coffee talk to New Kensington at Knead Community Cafe

An effort at helping people feel welcome in Westmoreland County held its first event Friday outside Greensburg.

Welcoming Westmoreland, a project led by Westmoreland Community Action, held a coffee talk at Knead Community Cafe in New Kensington.

A collaboration between a variety of groups, the Welcome Everyone Program grew out of the county’s comprehensive plan, Reimagining Westmoreland, according to Westmoreland Community Action CEO Mandy Zalich.

It’s intended to help create a more welcoming environment in the county for newcomers and all residents.

After holding the first two events this year in Greensburg, Zalich said organizers are moving them around the county.

“New Kensington is one of those communities we’re very connected to, and we wanted to do one there,” Zalich said. “New Kensington is a very welcoming community and a perfect fit for our Welcoming Westmoreland initiative.”

New Kensington Mayor Tom Guzzo hailed the effort.

“It’s great. Westmoreland Community Action has so many programs. They have been pretty embedded in New Kensington with Head Start,” he said. “It’s a great introduction for them to promote the programs.”

Zalich said the events are meant to be where those new to the county can connect with “ambassadors” and other representatives to learn about the community.

Project coordinator Brittany Sines said the ambassadors can help those new to the county do things such as find where doctors are, even where to get coffee, and learn about other amazing things, such as Knead Community Cafe.

Barbara Ferrier of Greensburg is one of the ambassadors.

“The Knead cafe epitomizes what we’re about,” she said. “If you can think of one place that welcomes everyone, it’s the Knead cafe.”

Ferrier, 79, retired in 2001 as assistant superintendent of Hempfield Area School District. She said Zalich asked her to participate.

While not knowing much about doctors, Ferrier said she can help guide people to cultural resources.

“Each one of us brings something different,” she said.

Having moved around, Ferrier understands what it is like to be new in an area.

“I feel strongly that we have to make an effort to make more people feel welcome,” she said. “A lot of those who live here all their lives don’t know what it’s like to move into a community.”

Bob Errett, 63, of Greensburg is on Westmoreland Community Action’s board of directors and retired from advertising with Trib Total Media, the Tribune-Review’s parent company. Involved with the welcoming program from almost its inception, he agreed with bringing it to other communities.

“We call ourselves Welcoming Westmoreland,” he said. “You can’t do that if you’re stuck in Greensburg.”

Having worked in advertising, Errett said he is able to help people new to the county find and learn things.

“I know who to talk to to get what done,” he said.

Shelbi Moonley, an outreach advocate and counselor at the Greensburg-based Blackburn Center, said she came to connect with the New Kensington community about the center’s services for victims of domestic and sexual violence and other crime.

With New Kensington being at the northern edge of the county, Moonley said the center sometimes is confused with the Tarentum-based pharmacy of the same name.

“We want to make sure folks in this area, if they experience any violence or crime, know we are there to provide advocacy and counseling,” she said, adding services are free of charge and can be anonymous.

The welcoming coffee talks are held on the last Friday of each month. The next one is scheduled for 10 a.m. to noon Aug. 26 at the Bad Rabbit Cafe & Roastery in Scottdale, Sines said.