Crohn's & Colitis Foundation - Western PA / WV Chapter

03/11/2026

“Never stop searching for answers. Being bold, staying open to new options, and believing in yourself can help you navigate this disease—you can do anything you set your mind to."

Meet Sawyer, diagnosed with Crohn’s disease at 18 and now a zookeeper—proof that big dreams are still possible with IBD.

The Foundation’s Let’s Go There campaign is breaking the silence around IBD by sharing real, unfiltered stories. Share your story today: https://bit.ly/4282Fhx

03/11/2026

Thanks to our generous community, we’ve met our matching challenge! 💙 Because of your support—and the incredible matching gift—your donations to Take Steps will make twice the impact for people living with IBD. Together, we’re one step closer to a future free from Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.

03/10/2026

Last week our chapter had the opportunity to host several of our volunteer leaders at the annual Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation Volunteer Leadership Summit.

We were extremely excited to have share her “WHY” with fellow volunteers and Foundation staff. Please take a listen to her thoughts and comment your WHY below.

03/09/2026

Today is the day to have your self donation and all donations to your team page doubled. All gifts $25-$1,000 will be matched to YOUR TEAM PAGE now through the end of March.

Make your donation and share your team page.

https://takesteps.crohnscolitisfoundation.org/pittsburgh2026

03/09/2026

We’ve got exciting news: thanks to a generous match, donations to Take Steps from $25 up to $1,000 will be doubled—up to a total of $100,000 in matching funds. Your gift will go twice as far to support the IBD community, and matched donations will be added to participant pages once the match ends. https://bit.ly/46MPAfn

03/08/2026

Happy International Women's Day! We're celebrating the strength & resilience of women living with IBD. From puberty to pregnancy, managing Crohn's & colitis can present unique challenges. We're here to support you with resources & information every step of the way. Learn more: https://bit.ly/3QX6L61

03/06/2026

Reaching new heights at the Volunteer Leadership Summit. ⛰️ Our patient reporter and social media ambassador, Kimberly Hooks, speaks with our keynote speaker, history-making adventurer Erik Weihenmayer—the first blind climber to summit Mount Everest—about what he’s learned from facing adversity and what encouragement he offers to people living with inflammatory bowel disease as they overcome challenges and continue to chase their goals. Watch this powerful conversation now.

03/06/2026

Congratulations to Michele Rubin, MSN, and Robert Reiss, MD, recipients of the Rosenthal Award for Catalyzing Improved Patient Care & Support and the Modell Award for Catalyzing Mission Advancement at our 2026 Volunteer Leadership Summit. Rubin is an advanced practice nurse and Associate APN Director of the IBD Center at the University of Chicago Medicine, where she specializes in IBD surgery, helped create a J-pouch–specific clinic, and helps shape the Foundation’s patient and professional education programs. Twenty-nine years ago, when two of his three children were diagnosed with IBD, Dr. Reiss turned his family’s experience into action, growing his Take Steps fundraising from $4,300 at his first walk in 1996 to surpassing the $1,000,000 milestone through sustained, relationship-driven volunteer leadership. Because of volunteers like Rubin and Dr. Reiss, we have been responsible for every major breakthrough in IBD.

03/06/2026

Social media ambassador and VLS patient reporter Kimberly Hooks interviews Annette Martinez, our National Board Chair-Elect, live at the Volunteer Leadership Summit in Denver about how 21 years of living with Crohn’s disease and finding community—and her voice—through volunteering with the Foundation fuel her passion for volunteer leadership and her hope for future cures.

03/05/2026

We’re live from at the Volunteer Leadership Summit in Denver! 🎥 Our patient reporter and social media ambassador, Kimberly Hooks, joins our President & CEO, Michael Osso, for a powerful ground conversation about the impact of our volunteers and the bold steps we’re taking to find cures and improve the lives of everyone living with inflammatory bowel disease.

03/03/2026

"For ulcerative colitis, medications like biologics and JAK inhibitors can be life-changing, helping patients achieve and maintain remission and prevent complications, but insurers often want detailed clinical justification before agreeing to pay for them," said Laura Wingate, Chief Education, Support & Advocacy Officer at the Foundation, in an interview with Everyday Health. If you have IBD and are dealing with a prior authorization issue, here's what you need to know. https://bit.ly/40F4f8P

Don't let insurance delays stall your ulcerative colitis remission. Learn how to navigate prior authorization, step therapy, and specialty pharmacy hurdles.

03/03/2026

We’re excited to share that Kimberly Hooks, Foundation Social Media Ambassador, will be our Patient Reporter at the Volunteer Leadership Summit in Denver, March 5–6! Based in Atlanta, Kimberly is an IBD advocate and speaker living with ulcerative colitis who transforms her personal journey into empowerment for others. She’ll be sharing stories and updates from inspiring leaders, volunteers, and advocates united in our mission to find cures and improve the lives of the 1 in 100 Americans who live with IBD. Stay tuned here for her on-the-ground coverage!