On Mar. 7, volunteers with In This Together Cambria went to the University of Pittsburgh to receive a Partnership of Distinction Award from the University of Pittsburgh. The annual awards are given to groups connected to the University of Pittsburgh that use community partnerships to better the lives of people in their communities.
Three University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown professors, Dr. Jill Henning, Dr. Matt Tracey, and Dr. Paul D. Newman, have been key volunteers with In This Together Cambria since the organization was founded in December 2020. The origin of ITTC was a Zoom call convened by Ashlee Kiel when The New York Times identified Cambria County as the county with the highest transmission rate of COVID-19 in the entire country. Henning had begun work on COVID outreach already, and the two joined forces to create and drive ITTC’s efforts.
Henning, Tracey, Kiel, and volunteers Todd Holsopple, Chip Minemyer, Shelley Johansson, and Joel Landis went to the ceremony to receive the award, where the video below was played. We are grateful for the many volunteers and organizations who have taken part in this ongoing effort!