Sarah Jackson Black Community Center

You're strengthening the 87-year history of the Community Center being a place where we all can gather. 

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• The Community Center was privately donated to the neighborhood of Swisshelm Park in 1939. It had previously been a barn and, over the course of four years, neighbors turned it into the building we have today. It’s been managed by the all-volunteer Board since the start. Your membership makes sure it is a valued neighborhood place for another 87 years.

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You're helping maintain the Community Center. 

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• Your membership helps keep the lights on, heat going, water running, exterior maintained, and more. 
   

You're making sure open-to-all, community-wide events hosted by you or other Members can be carried out with minimal fees.
 

You're eligible for Members-Only benefits: 

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• Only one member of your household needs to be a Member to receive benefits for the whole family.

• Discounted admission to events hosted by the Community Center such as the Summer Party or Halloween Party .

• Discount of $50 off total price of your first private or instructor-led rental.

• Renting the Community Center for a private event such as a birthday party or retirement party, to lead an instructor-led for-cost event such as a dance class or yoga, or to host an open-to-all, community-wide, no admission event for playing games, garden education, book club, or crafting. 

• ​Advance booking for rentals. Voting Members can book up to 12 months in advance of the event and Social Members can book up to 9 months in advance of the event.
   

You're either a Social Member or a Voting Member. 

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• Social Members live outside of the Swisshelm Park neighborhood as set by the City of Pittsburgh, but have a connection to the Community Center. This could be because they live in a nearby neighborhood, have family in Swisshelm Park, or formerly lived in Swisshelm Park.

• Voting Members live within the Swisshelm Park neighborhood as set by the City of Pittsburgh and are 18 years or older. Voting Members are able to run for and vote for the all-volunteer Community Center Governing Board. Unlike other Member benefits, voting is limited to one person. If multiple people in a household want to participate in elections, each person needs to be a Member.