“We want every impressive young person who moves here or is from here to realize that Pittsburg is their place.”
They come from different hometowns, different careers, different interests.
But they have two main things in common: They love Pittsburg, and they’re young.
Well, relatively young.
For more than a decade, the Pittsburg Area Young Professionals group has helped local professionals in their 20, 30s, 40s, (and beyond) connect, network, and provide a variety of services for the Pittsburg community. The group’s aim is to help Pittsburg attract and retain young professionals and to help give back to the community.
“PAYP is important for a community like Pittsburg because it provides young people with ways to connect, network and socialize,” said Matt O’Malley, this year’s PAYP president. “Our organization forms long-lasting friendships, and believe it or not, some of our members have actually met the person they married and started a family with at our events.”
Along with networking events, PAYP also conducts community service projects and raises funds to support local initiatives.
“We want Pittsburg to thrive,” O’Malley said. “We want every impressive young person who moves here or is from here to realize that Pittsburg is their place.”
The membership is diverse, he said. From doctors and teachers to entrepreneurs and artists.
“PAYP is full of townies and newbies, leaders, innovators, entrepreneurs, dreamers and change makers,” O’Malley said. “Whether you’re needing a friend to bounce ideas off or you think you could help out a fellow young professional because you’ve learned a lesson or two along the way, PAYP is for you.”
O’Malley said the group has big goals and big plans for the upcoming year.
“We’re hosting monthly After Work Breaks as a fun way to wind down,” he said. “We’re lining up a slate of Lunch and Learns to give our members opportunities to learn about nonprofits, new community initiatives and more. A big goal of ours is to hit 1,000 service hours this year and we’re off to a great start already.
“We’re also pursuing grant funding to build Pittsburg’s first ever Young Professionals Park which would consist of outdoor exercise equipment next to a playground. I can’t tell the future so I don’t know exactly what is ahead for PAYP, but I know it will be exciting and meaningful.”
For more info, visit PAYP.
