Our Mission
Helping people living with HIV/AIDS improve their wellness.
What We Do
Shepherd Wellness Community is the only AIDS Community center in western Pennsylvania and the only AIDS community serving the 11-county region of southwestern Pennsylvania. SWC is often the first place a person seeks help after an HIV positive diagnosis.
Since its inception in 1987, Shepherd Wellness Community has offered supportive services for people living with and affected by HIV/AIDS.
History
In the summer of 1987, four young men living with AIDS, a social worker and a physician met with Episcopal Priest Father Lynn Edwards to discuss the effects of AIDS and HIV infection in the Pittsburgh area.
Then, as today, Pennsylvania ranked among the top 10 states with the most cases of AIDS. Yet there was no place in Pittsburgh where people with this disease could socialize with their partners, families and friends in a safe and secure setting.
From that meeting grew the Shepherd Wellness Community, a gathering place and resource center for people with HIV/AIDS and their loved ones. The first dinner was held in October 1987, and the tradition of nourishing meals accompanied by health educational programs, peer support, wellness classes and socialization continues to this day.
A concerned group sitting around a kitchen has become the only AIDS Community Center in western Pennsylvania. Read more.
Non-Profit Status
Shepherd Wellness Community is a tax-exempt 501(c) (3) not-for-profit organization.
Employer Identification Number (EIN): 25-1781394
United Way Donor Choice Number: Indicate 3186 as your donor choice preference.
Donations to the Shepherd Wellness Community are deductible to the fullest extend allowed by the IRS.