EARLY ACCESS SPECIAL!!!
Everyone who donates $25 or more before July 7th gets early access to the space AND gets to design & paint their own ceiling tile! See the lounge early and leave a permanent mark!

June Update!

- Renovations are wrapping up and we're just waiting for our final inspection!
- Pantry and closet are STOCKED with gf/vegan foods, baby supplies, reproductive health supplies, harm reduction, health/hygiene, and MORE!
- Come see us at DORMONT PRIDE on Sunday 6/28!

May Update!
- We locked down a spot in DORMONT!!
- More fundraising is needed to open the full tea cafe but we can still open our doors this summer as a queer, cozy, free, late-night hub for resources and queer community building in the south hills!
- We have LOTS of work to do on the space but with the help of our amazing volunteers we're getting the renovations knocked out in record time and under budget!

April Update!
- We were approved for 501(c)3 status! Yaay! That means all donations, even past ones, are tax-deductible
- We got SO MANY supplies for post-op care bags that they've taken over our volunteer's house! Next step is getting everything sorted then we'll open up free orders! More info on what they'll contain here
- Gender Affirming Surgery Congrats Cards & Get Well Soon cards are available now for FREE! Order here! Don't worry, we won't even ask for card info.
- We know ordering queer stuff online can be scary so we put together a strict privacy policy regarding how community members' data is handled. Tl;dr we destroy all personal info asap.
- Chatted and made lots of connections with other local businesses AND started a resource guide on where to find queer resources and businesses in the South Hills!
- We found some amazing, fantastic locations that meet all of our criteria (wheelchair accessible, public transit accessible, south hills, etc) AND with math we decided can at least get a center up and running for $15k. This would not be the full tea lounge, but rather a venue where we can hold community gatherings and be a home to our free pantry, free closet, and post-op carebags. Because the whole point of this was community. The tea lounge is just our dream backdrop that we can build up as we go.

The Plan:

Build a free space in the South Hills of Pittsburgh that’s sober, open late, wheelchair accessible, cozy, queer-friendly, and offers free resources.

A Pittsburgh resource guide on LGBTQIA+ friendly businesses has over a hundred entries, only 5 of which are in the South Hills. All five offer specialty services like salons and personal training. None act as a location where people can gather and build community without the expectation of spending money. In addition to this, there isn’t a single sober meeting place or resource hub in Pittsburgh, queer-friendly or not, that’s open after 10pm.

Our area is in desperate need of not only a space where queer people can safely gather, but also one that’s open late and can cater to those who don’t drink, work odd shifts, want to make connections, or need to access free resources like food, home supplies, and clothing after typical cafe hours.

Who Will Benefit Most:

Our Low-Income Neighbors – Times are hard. Free resources are increasingly difficult to come by. Sometimes peoples’ work shifts don’t align with the food banks’ hours. Sometimes people need community in the evening and don’t have the money to buy goods/services to grant them entry. Low income folks deserve spaces to just exist without worrying if their card will bounce.

People With Limited Transportation – There’s limited options at night on the T line, none of which are sober or explicitly queer spaces. Every other queer space in the city requires multiple public transit transfers from the South Hills. Even if you drive, there’s a tunnel, bridge (or two), and interstates in the way.

People With Limited Mobility – Because of our hills Pittsburgh is largely NOT wheelchair friendly. As an ambulatory wheelchair user myself, I’m all too familiar with this fact. Very few existing queer spaces offer full wheelchair accessibility… If you can get there to begin with.

People Who Don’t Drink – If you don’t like being in bars, for whatever reason, there’s nowhere else to go after 10pm.

Local LGBTQIA+ Community – Every queer person in the South Hills is familiar with either the haul to the East End, or the isolated feeling of that area being inaccessible.

That Doesn’t Sound Profitable:

It's not meant to be! Nightshade Tea Lounge is a 501(c)3 non-profit! We’re not in this to make money. We’re in this to bring people together and provide support for those who need it.

What Makes You Qualified?

Oops! I haven’t introduced myself yet, I’m Blake (he/they)! I’m a transmasc person who was born and raised in the South Hills, lived all around the country, has been working with non-profits for over 20 years, and I hold degrees in both Accounting and Business Management. The past few years I’ve been the Executive Director of a non-profit that serves north of the city by providing free programs, supplies, and resources to the LGBTQIA+ community in that area. This has been incredibly fulfilling & I love the light and hope they've brought to the folks living there!
Now I’m ready to bring that to my own neighborhood! With an amazing group of locals by my side, we’re using our combined experience in non-profits, along with individual strengths in a large variety of specialties to bring that light and hope to the South Hills.

Where’s The Money Going?

Lets talk numbers. Most of the Free Pantry supplies can be acquired through donation drives. My addiction to thrifting is paying off to give us a good start on furniture, too.
The cash will be going towards the things that are harder to source through the community; building rent and wages.
Below is the expected budget. The $30,000 fundraising goal would go towards the low-end startup costs plus a few months of operating costs while we work on securing grants, gathering local donations, and holding community building fundraising events. The number may seem high for Equipment, Furniture, and Renovations. That's to ensure I have the budget to make the space as wheelchair-friendly as I can. They don't really come that way in Pittsburgh!

Startup Expenses
Equipment, Furniture, Renovations		$ 8,000
Rent & Utilities (Down Payments)		$ 3,500
Rent & Utilities (3 Months)		$ 4,500
Insurance (1 Year)		$ 800
Opening inventory		$ 1,000
Inventory (3 Months)		$ 1,308
Wages (3 Months) $15/hr, 30hr/wk		$ 5,400
Exterior Signage		$ 150
Contingency fund		$ 5,000
Total Startup Expenses		$ 29,658

Did those numbers change? Yep! We've lowered the budget for the location (focusing on renting instead of a down payment to buy) and wages (I [Blake] will be going unpaid).

I Can't Afford To Donate

No worries! If you still like the idea follow us on Instagram @NightshadeTeaPGH to keep an eye on our progress, join one of our gatherings, and sit down for a sip once our doors open!

I Have More Questions

I'm happy to answer them! You can DM me on Instagram @NightshadeOrgPGH or email me at info@NightshadePgh.org.
You can also check out NightshadePgh.org to see if the answer is there!

Nightshade Lounge

Non-Profit, Free, Sober, Late-Night Pittsburgh Gathering Spot