Our Story

Bridge to the Mountains began with a simple friendship. In 2015, while attending Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, our founder, Dave Lettrich, visited Hot Metal Bridge Faith Community. While waiting for the service to begin, he struck up a conversation with a neighbor living on the street. That conversation grew into a friendship, leading him to meet others living under a bridge in Pittsburgh’s South Side—now known as Cupples Camp.

What started as regular conversations turned into shared experiences. A mutual love for the outdoors led Dave and his new friends to Ohiopyle in the summer of 2016, where they biked the river trail, hiked to Cucumber Falls, swam in the river, and built something deeper than community—kinship. To celebrate the end of that summer, they planned a larger trip, launching a GoFundMe campaign that raised $1,200. They called it Bridge to the Mountains—a name reflecting their journey from the bridge to the wilderness. With that support, twenty people—thirteen from the streets and seven others who worked alongside them—embarked on a whitewater rafting trip that erased social divides.

“It was never about giving to people in need,” Dave recalls. “We never saw it that way. It was about friends doing something fun together. It was an adventure, a bonding experience—something to remember together.”

That philosophy—building trust through shared experience—remains at the heart of Bridge to the Mountains today.

As Dave’s friendships deepened, so did his awareness of the systemic barriers his community faced. He saw the gaps—challenges navigating services, lack of harm reduction resources, and the absence of dedicated street outreach. So, he stepped in, distributing Narcan/Naloxone, outdoor survival gear, and working alongside people to navigate complex systems.

By May 2017, Dave had gathered a board of directors and formally incorporated Bridge to the Mountains as a Pennsylvania nonprofit. With just a $3,000 donation, he made a pivotal hire: Calla Kainaroi, the organization’s first employee. Together, they expanded the vision and reach of Bridge to the Mountains, establishing it as a professional, stand-alone street outreach organization—one rooted in relationships and led by the wisdom of those living on the street.

Today, Bridge to the Mountains is the leading provider of street outreach in Allegheny County, carrying forward its founding philosophy: accompanying individuals navigating life on the street, not as clients, but as neighbors, partners, and friends.