Several long-standing organizations in Butler County are marking major milestones this year, celebrating decades of dedicated service to their neighbors. These groups have weathered changing times, adapted to new challenges and found ways to stay relevant while maintaining their core missions.

From addiction recovery to helping those in need and preserving local history, these organizations represent the heart of community service. Their stories demonstrate how grassroots efforts can evolve into enduring institutions that make a tangible difference in people’s lives.

At least three local groups are celebrating significant anniversaries this year, each with distinct histories and approaches to serving the community.

St. Vincent de Paul is celebrating 85 years of serving Butler County's less fortunate.

The organization operates a thrift store and a food bank, with all proceeds staying in Butler County. In 2024, it spent $75,000 on client aid, helping with necessities such as food and rent.

“Butler is very supportive. It’s a great place when it comes to supporting those in need,” Dennis Slupe, the organization’s business manager, said.

The thrift store, which has been in the Greater Butler Mart in Butler Township for 22 years, generates income to help clients. It employs 10 people and relies on an additional 5 to 10 volunteers to keep things running smoothly. Slupe couldn’t recall the exact date the thrift store opened, only that it predated his time with the organization. “I remember it being open when my dad served in the organization when I was a kid, so it’s been around for a long time,” he said.

Thrift store hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Donations are accepted between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays.

St. Vincent de Paul’s food bank operates entirely with 7 to 10 volunteers, serving clients from 8:30 to 10 a.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

The organization welcomes more volunteers for its store and food bank, Slupe said. Stop by either location and ask to speak with the manager to inquire about opportunities.

The Zelienople Historical Society is marking its 50th anniversary this year.

A small group of citizens started the society in 1975 while preparing for the nation’s bicentennial in 1976. Their first major goal was purchasing the oldest house in Zelienople — the Passavant House, completed in 1810.

“We started this society and started fundraising because we wanted to buy the oldest house in Zelienople,” Tom Nesbitt, an author and historian with the society, said.

After extensive fundraising, the society’s founders bought the house from Lester Mohr in 1977. The Passavant House is listed on the National Registry of Historic Places.

The society has since acquired the Buhl House through donation and filled both museums with Zelienople artifacts, including Virginia Passavant’s 1824 piano made by the Charles Albrecht Company of Philadelphia.

This year, the society hosted a backyard picnic at the Buhl House as part of the borough’s Thursday Night Out initiative. More than 200 people stopped by for free hot dogs and cake.

The society recently received a state grant to repair old, sagging timbers under the 1820s wooden addition at the rear of the Passavant House. It also received a Butler County tourism bureau grant for hosting picnics and creating a self-guided historical walking brochure for Main Street.

“The Buhl and Passavant houses are the two oldest structures in town, and they require diligent repair and upkeep,” Nesbitt said.

The society’s biggest need is volunteers to help with office functions, buildings and grounds support and historical research.

The Gaiser Center is gearing up to celebrate its 55th anniversary next year. The organization informally began serving people in late 1970 before formally incorporating as a nonprofit in 1971.

What started as a simple men’s drop-in center for those looking to sober up for a night has grown into a comprehensive addiction recovery facility with multiple buildings and programs.

“It launched from there and has seen tremendous growth and innovation,” Joe Mahoney, the center’s executive director, said.

Initially called the Butler A Center, the facility was renamed in the mid-1990s to honor Ellen O’Brien Gaiser, an influential executive director who was a fierce advocate for recovery and particularly for women in recovery. The center has a long history of innovating and changing.

“To stay relevant for 55 years, we have to do that and will continue to do that,” Mahoney said.

The center began serving both men and women in the mid-1970s, after it incorporated as a nonprofit. In 2017, it shifted to gender-specific programs where men’s and women’s treatment paths don’t cross.

“Our gender-specific programming was a big innovation when it launched because back then, it wasn’t common,” Mahoney said. “Many places were still treating both genders in the same spaces and having them live in the same spaces. We launched our separate programming after recognizing the need for gender-specific care and services. We were the innovators, and now many centers are following suit.”

The organization's most recent innovation is Ellen’s House, which opened Sept. 1, 2024. It’s the first facility of its kind in Western Pennsylvania, serving women with children who are recovering from addiction.

“We're proud to achieve that honor,” Mahoney said. “It’s our most recent banner of innovation, but we’ve been innovating this whole time.”

The center has expanded from a 12-bed men’s drop-in overnight center to a campus with four inpatient buildings, one outpatient building and Ellen’s House.

Looking ahead, the Gaiser Center plans to better serve clients with co-occurring mental health and substance use diagnoses. It’s also expanding outside Butler County for the first time, opening a withdrawal management program in Greene County.

All three organizations credit strong community support for their success and longevity.

The Gaiser Center noted that when it first opened housing centers, other organizations warned them to prepare for community pushback. That didn’t happen in Butler County.

“The community warmly embraced us and views us as a community effort,” Mahoney said. “That speaks to Butler’s desire to help the problem of addiction and the recognition that it’s a systemic problem.”

Each organization continues to evolve and adapt to meet changing needs while maintaining its core mission of service.

For more information about volunteer opportunities or services, contact St. Vincent de Paul at 724-287-3994, the Zelienople Historical Society at 724-452-9457, or the Gaiser Center at 724-287-8205.

This article originally appeared in the August edition of Butler County Business Matters.