What's a Trekker?

Written by: Kate Snyder, Development and Donor Communications Coordinator

Last Thursday, I heard an unusual phrase repeated several times around the office: "The Trekkers are here. The Trekkers are here." At first I envisioned a bunch of sci-fi fanatics visiting our fair organization, but I was wrong.

It turns out that the Trekkers were a volunteer group from Maine,* visiting Pittsburgh for a few days on a service project. Trekkers is a very cool outdoor-based mentoring program that pair small-town Maine youth with adult mentors who take them on a variety of adventures.

Our Trekkers were mostly 8th graders and they spent the day working in several of EECM's programs -- some packed bags at the Pantry and served lunch in the Soup Kitchen. Others spent time at Safe Haven and the Drop-In Center.

*And how does a group from Maine make its way to EECM? Pittsburgh exerts its own gravitational field on people. Former Burghers always seem to have a soft spot for our fair city. And the Executive Directors of Trekkers just happens to be from Pittsburgh...