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Amachi Pittsburgh youth gathered in front of the HERE4U mobile unit bus.Youth standing with a staff member in front of Amachi Pittsburgh's HERE4U mobile unit bus.
Photo: Amachi Pittsburgh
Programs · HERE4U

Meeting families where they are.

For 20 years, Amachi Pittsburgh has supported children and families disproportionately impacted by parental incarceration. Now, the organization is taking its services directly to neighborhoods with its new HERE4U mobile unit — a retrofitted bus equipped to serve as a traveling hub for mentorship, workshops, and family support.
On board

What the HERE4U Mobile Unit brings.

Mobile Outreach & Community Engagement

The HERE4U Mobile Unit brings interactive activities, information, and support directly into neighborhoods, schools, community events, and partner sites—creating meaningful opportunities to connect youth, families, and caregivers with programs, services, and community resources.

Family Resource Connection & Support

Through outreach and relationship-building, HERE4U serves as a trusted connector, helping families access community resources, support services, and program opportunities that promote family well-being and youth success.

VR Experiences & Interactive Engagement

The HERE4U Mobile Unit features immersive virtual reality experiences and hands-on activities designed to spark curiosity, encourage learning, and engage youth in conversations about personal growth, wellness, and future opportunities. VR experiences serve as an entry point for connecting youth and families to AMACHI programs and community resources.
Sanctuary Model

Naming the experience. Building resilience.

Amachi helps youth recognize and cope with the emotional impact of parental incarceration through the Sanctuary Model — a psycho-educational, trauma-informed framework.

“What we found is that often in these communities, people deal with so many layers of complex issues. It’s embedded in the communities that they live in, and so children are predisposed to high stress and trauma at a young age.”

“Being made aware of racial disparities in the criminal justice system and how those disparities persist is arming our young people and our families with information that they can use to avert falling into those traps.”

— Anna Hollis Kander, Executive Director, Amachi Pittsburgh (New Pittsburgh Courier, July 2025)
Partners

Collaborating across the community.

Amachi has partnered with organizations across the region, including Mon Valley Initiative, Woodland Hills Impact Center, and Houze of Waxx. "We want to literally collaborate — how can we provide assistance for youth and for other community centers, libraries, and organizations in the areas," said McNeil.

"We just want the community to know we're here for you," Kander said. "We really mean it — and we gave it that name on purpose."

Bring HERE4U to your neighborhood.

Partner with Amachi, refer a young person, or support the mobile unit's next stop.

Story adapted from "Get on the bus: Amachi's new 'HERE4U' mobile unit cruising around town" by Maia Williams, New Pittsburgh Courier, July 4, 2025.

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