Healing is a collective right, not a privilege.

Small circles. Real visibility.
Healing that happens together.

A Pittsburgh nonprofit building small circles for healing, creative expression, and community care — for the people too often left out of wellness.

→ The first step is simply showing up

Grow with us.

You don’t need to be an artist. You don’t need to have it all figured out. In fact, it’s better if you don’t. Hold the button to find your seat at the table — whether that means a workshop, a volunteer hour, or a long conversation about what's possible.

01 — Mission

Cultivating brave spaces where people are seen, heard, and supported.

Strawberry Collective exists to bridge gaps in mental health, wellness, and community access — particularly for underserved and historically marginalized communities. We operate as a healing-centered nonprofit rooted in radical care, creative expression, and social change.

The name Strawberry Collective symbolizes our commitment to grassroots connection — like the strawberry, resilient, sweet, and rooted close to the earth.

Radical Care

Healing-centered, trauma-informed, and deeply human. No productivity quotas, no rushed intakes — just people showing up for people.

Equity

We democratize access to wellness. Small communities should exist in every zip code, not just the ones with high property values.

Creative Expression

Art as social glue. We've found it's easier to talk about the hard stuff when your hands are busy making a mess.

Collective Power

We build the village model of healing — where wellness isn't a box to check, but a lifestyle we maintain alongside our neighbors.

Authenticity

You don't need to have it figured out. In fact, it's better if you don't. We build small circles on the honest premise that we're all works in progress.

02 — Impact Map

Communities we serve across Pittsburgh.

A live, detailed Google map view of the neighborhoods and nearby communities where Strawberry Collective is building partnerships, hosting creative wellness spaces, and growing youth-centered programs.

Interactive Google Map
Pittsburgh, PA Choose a community below to zoom the map into a specific neighborhood or nearby partner area.
Open in Google Maps →

→ Small circles · big conversations

Check out the podcast.

Hosted by Dr. Kate Hostetler. Conversations about healing, creativity, youth empowerment, and what it actually takes to build community care in Pittsburgh — one episode at a time. Hold the button to step into the studio.

04 — Journal

Field notes from the work.

Writing from our founders and facilitators about what we're seeing, learning, and practicing — in Pittsburgh and beyond. Published occasionally, whenever there's something worth saying.

April 2026 · Founder’s Note

What Pittsburgh needs right now: small communities focused on healing.

Walk through Lawrenceville, the North Side, or the Hill District right now and you can feel a specific kind of energy humming through the city. It isn’t the loud, clanging industrial energy of Pittsburgh’s past. It’s quieter — the sound of people gathering in small rooms to do something that for a long time felt radical: healing together.

Read the full piece →

April 2026 · Practice

5 ways the Collective is bringing preventive wellness to Pittsburgh.

For a long time the conversation around mental health has been reactive — we wait until the wheels come off before looking for help. It’s like waiting for a car to break down on the Parkway East before checking the oil. Preventive wellness is the practice of building emotional resilience, social connection, and creative outlets into daily life before we hit a breaking point.

Read the full piece →

April 2026 · Youth & Civic Life

The ripple effect: how engaged youth transform entire communities.

Volunteering is linked to 97% higher odds of flourishing among adolescents. That isn’t a typo. When young people get a real seat at the table — not a token presence, but a chance to lead and solve problems — the results don’t stay personal. They ripple outward, touching schools, neighborhoods, and the institutions of tomorrow.

Read the full piece →

Browse every field note in one place.

Visit the journal →
05 — Events

Community events & workshops.

Where the work happens out loud. Drop in for a Make A Mess workshop, a youth program, a sponsorship night, or a community circle. All ages welcome — you don’t need to be an artist, just willing to show up.

May 10 Sat · 2026
Make A Mess Workshop

Saturday Studio at Steel Goat

Bi-monthly drop-in art therapy session led by Sabrina Yoniak. No skill required — just curiosity and a willingness to get paint on your sleeves.

→ 10am–12pm → Steel Goat Marketplace → $20 sliding scale
RSVP →
May 17 Sat · 2026
Youth Program

Play + Create kickoff day

Opening day of the spring multi-sport league for ages 8–14, paired with our 45-minute expressive arts block. Open to underserved Pittsburgh youth, registration waived.

→ 9am–1pm → Location TBD → Free
Register →
Jun 05 Thu · 2026
Community Circle

Healers healing the healers

A small-group gathering for Pittsburgh healthcare workers, social workers, and first responders to process secondary trauma through somatic practice and creative expression.

→ 6pm–8pm → Phone-free zone → Free
RSVP →
Jun 14 Sat · 2026
Sponsorship Mixer

Build with us: an evening for partners

For potential sponsors, foundation partners, and healthcare providers exploring social-prescribing referrals. Light food, short program, real conversation.

→ 5pm–7:30pm → By invitation → RSVP required
Inquire →
06 — Board & Team

The people tending the collective.

A four-person board combining clinical expertise, creative practice, operational rigor, and community roots. All signatories on our adopted bylaws.

Dr. Kate Hostetler KH

Dr. Kate Hostetler

Founder · Clinical Director

Founder of The Strawberry Collective and Clinical Director of Mint Therapy Services. Provides clinical oversight and program design guidance for the Collective's therapeutic initiatives. Bylaws signatory.

Jason M. Dennison JD

Jason M. Dennison

President / Chief Visionary Officer

Co-founder of Mint Therapy Services and CFO/Operations across both organizations. Runs finance, HR, and strategy for the Collective. Community basketball and track coach under the "Coach Jay" brand.

Elizabeth Porter EP

Elizabeth Porter

Board Member

Board member and founding signatory on the adopted bylaws. Brings governance rigor and community perspective to the Collective as the organization scales its board structure.

Sabrina Yoniak SY

Sabrina Yoniak

Board Member · Licensed Art Therapist

Leads community art therapy workshops and the expressive arts component of Play + Create. Facilitates twice-monthly Make A Mess sessions at Steel Goat Marketplace.

→ Community partners

Steel Goat Marketplace

Host venue for bi-monthly art therapy workshops. Partner in the Make A Mess campaign.

Mint Therapy Services

Clinical and operational parent organization. Provides art therapy staffing and infrastructure.

Community Day School

Youth programming partner via Coach Jay's track & cross country coaching pipeline.

Pittsburgh Schools & Libraries

Target deployment sites for Art for Resilience mobile workshops — in-kind agreements in development.

07 — Get Involved

Come make a mess with us.

Whether you're looking for your circle, want to fund the work, or have a community you think we should meet — there's a seat at this table for you. You don't need to have it all figured out. In fact, it's better if you don't.

Pull up a chair.

Find your circle

info@strawberrycollective.org
(234) 299-1328

For program inquiries, youth registration, community partnerships, and workshop sign-ups. We respond within two business days.

Support the work

Donate / sponsor
Grants & partnerships

$40,000+ in active grant requests. Individual donations, foundation support, and in-kind contributions all accepted. 501(c)(3), EIN 39-2748638.

Visit & connect

Instagram

201 Penn Center Blvd. Suite 400
Pittsburgh, PA 15235

Looking for coaches, art therapists, community health workers, and volunteers who believe healing is a shared practice.