Free trees available for kids
Northland Public Library in partnership with Minneapolis-based Neighborhood Forest is offering free trees for kids.
Parents can register their children to receive a free tree through March 15.
Details on the varieties of trees and pickup in late April will be announced at a later date.
Neighborhood Forest distributed 67,000-plus trees to children at more than 900 schools, libraries and youth groups across North America during 2024’s Earth Day. The goal this year is to reach 100,000-plus kids.
Native and/or edible fruit-bearing trees typically are offered in the regions the organization serves. The exact species for your region will be revealed in early April.
To register, visit https://bit.ly/TreeForKids.
Participants have the option of paying $5 to help cover the cost of each tree, which helps Neighborhood Forest provide more free trees for children, or to purchase additional trees for $10 so a free tree can be donated to another child in the program.
No parking permitted on streets during snowstorms
The Northern Regional Police Department is reminding residents of Bradford Woods, Marshall, Pine and Richland of ordinances that prohibit parking on roadways during snowy conditions.
Snowplow drivers must be able to efficiently clear and treat the roads.
People who park on the street during inclement weather face getting a ticket or being towed.
NA students to stage ‘Children of Eden’
The North Allegheny Music Department will present “Children of Eden” at 7 p.m. Feb. 26-28 and March 1 and 2 p.m. March 2 in the high school auditorium, 10375 Perry Highway, Wexford.
The musical by Stephen Schwartz and John Caird casts biblical stories of Genesis through the personal lens of family. It celebrates the difficulty of choice, the importance of passion, the value of questioning, and the pain in allowing those you love to take risks and face the consequences.
Tickets are $18 for seating in Section 1, which is closest to the stage; $14 for Section 2, the middle of the auditorium; and $10 for Section 3, the back of the auditorium.
Tickets can be reserved online through ShowClix at showclix.com/event/children-of-eden.
Nominees sought for Community Champions initiative
WQED, in partnership with Giant Eagle, recently announced the third season of its Community Champions initiative — a collaboration that celebrates and supports local people and nonprofit organizations that are doing good in their communities.
This year, the initiative is taking a new approach by asking community members to nominate nonprofit organizations that are making a difference.
From these nominations, one organization will be selected as the 2025 Community Champion and will be featured in a video profile airing in June.
In past seasons, WQED and Giant Eagle selected a monthly champion that was then featured in an inspiring video profile. Community Champions has showcased 10 organizations in diverse areas of focus, including health care, food insecurity, sustainability, and accessibility and supportive services.
The 2024 Community Champion, Best Buddies, a local nonprofit that aims to end the isolation of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, exemplifies the core tenets of the initiative.
“Whenever I tell people that I work for Best Buddies, they automatically go, ‘Thank you so much for doing this,’ ” said Samantha Mildner, Western Pennsylvania Area director for Best Buddies. “Everybody should be including people with disabilities. And I just happen to love what I do. I’m so lucky that I get to create friendships for a living.”
To ecnourage everyone’s participation in nominating, WQED is showcasing a different past Champion each week on its social channels.
Nominations for the 2025 Community Champion will be accepted until March 16.
To nominate an organization, visit wqed.org/champions.
A playlist of past Champions is available at wqed.tv/gechampions.
Free tax help available through AARP Foundation
Beginning Feb. 1 and continuing through April 14, the AARP Foundation will provide free tax assistance and preparation in Allegheny County through its Tax-Aide program.
Tax-Aide is the nation’s largest nationwide volunteer-based free tax preparation service. In 2024, the nearly 2 million taxpayers who used its services received more than $1 billion in income tax refunds.
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Volunteers are trained and certified by the IRS each year to ensure they understand the latest changes to the U.S. and Pennsylvania Tax Code. The program e-files individual Federal, Pennsylvania and local EIT income tax returns and makes sure its clients claim the tax refund, credits and deductions earned.
Income tax returns will be prepared during one visit by appointment only, generally lasting an hour to 75 minutes. Walk-ins cannot be accommodated.
Here is list of nearby sites, schedules and contact information to make an appointment:
• Shaler Undercliff Volunteer Fire Department, 700 Mt. Royal Blvd.: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays, Feb. 6 through April 14; contact state Sen. Lindsey Williams’ office at 412-364-0469 (there is no Tax-Aide contact number at the fire station).
• Ross Municipal Building, 1000 Ross Municipal Drive: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays, Feb. 4 through April 10; contact state Sen. Lindsey Williams’ office at 412-364-0469 (there is no Tax-Aide contact number at the center).
• State Rep. Jeremy Shaffer’s office, 5500 Brooktree Road, Suite 100, Wexford: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays, Feb. 3 to April 14; contact Shaffer’s office at 412-369-2230.
• State Rep. Jeremy Shaffer’s office, 4375 Gibsonia Road, Gibsonia: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays, Feb. 4 to April 10; contact Shaffer’s office at 412-369-2230.
More information, including an update on tax code changes affecting 2024 tax returns and documents needed for return preparation, can be found online at taxaide-pittsburgh.com.
For questions about the Allegheny County AARP Tax-Aide program, contact Stephen Cohen, Tax-Aide district coordinator, at taxaide.pittsburgh@gmail.com or 412-421-3999.
For details about the AARP Foundation Tax-Aide, visit aarpfoundation.org/taxaide or call 1-888-AARPNOW (1-888-227-7669).