A lifelong Pittsburgh resident, Mary Lou McLaughlin believes that volunteering is a privilege and a gift, a gift that keeps on giving. A dedicated volunteer since her high school days, her service has included the UPMC Patient Safety Committee, the McGowan Institute at the University of Pittsburgh and WQED Multimedia. In the 1980s, recognizing the need for low-cost housing for families who came to Pittsburgh for lifesaving medical treatment, she served as founding executive director of Family House, Inc., which to date has provided low-cost housing and comfort to more than 200,000 families and patients. The program serves as a national model. She is an emerita member of The Pittsburgh Foundation’s board and currently serves on the board of its Charles E. Kaufman Foundation, Riverlife, Little Sisters of the Poor and the Church Alive Foundation of the Diocese of Pittsburgh. Seton Hill awarded her an honorary doctorate in 2006 and Carlow University named her a Woman of Spirit in 2016.