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Mayor Applauds Efforts Of Many Volunteers Around City

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - Pittsburgh is a founder in an organization called Cities of Service. It is a national coalition of cities whose mayors have committed to make a difference in their hometowns via volunteering.

At first glance, it looks no different than hundreds of other stops Mayor Bill Peduto has made during his term in office.

But, this week's event at Pittsburgh Cares in Lawrenceville was special.

"I get this great job. I get to represent the great City of Pittsburgh and on behalf of them say, 'Thank you,'" Peduto said.

The mayor came bearing a proclamation to extol the virtues of volunteerism through agencies like AmeriCorps and Senior Corps.

"I want to thank you all for what you do to brighten the lives of older adults throughout Allegheny County. You make a big difference in people's lives, so thank you for that," John Miller, of the Senior Campaign Program said.

"Thank you to all of our volunteers that are having such a huge impact on helping children make gains in academics, math and school attendance and improvement in their social and emotional development," Maria Campieri, of Foster Grandparents of Southwestern Pennsylvania said.

"The non-profits that you serve really would not be able to meet their mission without the hard work of volunteers," Riley Baker, of Pittsburgh Cares, said.

Peduto is one of nearly 3,000 mayors across the country who are highlighting how volunteerism helps deal with city problems. He is a firm believer the selfless attitude exhibited here is pushing Pittsburgh forward.

"You can see it along the rivers and in different neighborhoods. Google. Intel. Microsoft. Uber. All these companies, thousands of jobs. New people moving in and first time in my life, 51 years, I get to see the city grow," Peduto said.

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