Some people may protest at the G-20 Summit this week, but Brianne Schwartz, of Evans City, will be out collecting coats and food for the North Hills Community Outreach to show the world Pittsburgh's caring side.

Ms. Schwartz, 19, is a political science major at Butler Community College.

"I was excited about the G-20 and thought it was a good way to get involved," she said about volunteering for the project, one of many planned for the Pittsburgh Day of Service Friday.

G-20 is short for Group of Twenty, and includes dignitaries from industrialized and emerging market nations.

Nonprofit, corporate and government partners collaborated on communitywide service projects for Friday east, west, north and south of the city during the gathering of world leaders.

Community Outreach is conducting projects in the northern area, with each of its six AmeriCorps VISTA volunteers leading one.

Katie Cowling, 22, of Dallas, Texas, joined VISTA, Volunteers in Service to America, after graduating in May from the University of Pennsylvania. She and the others are spending a year in the federal program, receiving only a living stipend from the Corporation for National Service.

"The people at NHCO are very caring and compassionate, helping people get on their feet. You can see tangible results," Ms. Cowling said.

Ms. Cowling sent out 194 postcards to North Hills residents asking for worn coats in good condition and food donations for the Loaves and Fishes food pantry, operated by Community Outreach. The volunteers will pick up the donations Friday and deliver them to the agency's headquarters in Hampton to be sorted.

Other Outreach projects planned for that day are renovations to the building that will house the future Millvale Library on Grant Street; Faith in Action's gardening for a neighbor, at which volunteers will help an older person with yard work; a food collection in Bellevue; and the distribution of fliers for Community Auto, an organization that accepts donated vehicles and repairs them for sale to low-income families. They will also help launch of the Outreach's volunteer employment coach program, in which volunteers will help the unemployed prepare resumes, seek employment on the Internet and develop computer skills.

Reuven Dashevsky, AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer coordinator at Community Outreach, heard about the North Hills agency online. Mr. Dashevsky, 24, graduated from the University of Massachusetts in May with a major in Middle Eastern studies and minor in political science. He said he felt citizenship comes with responsibility.

"Growing up in the States, I was privileged to have great opportunities provided to me. It's a way to spread that opportunity to people who have not been so privileged. One thing that drew me to NHCO was its People Helping People idea of community building. It's not just about me serving -- everyone gains."

Pittsburgh's Day of Service is the brainchild of Eric Ash, director of public relations for Mullen, an advertising and public relations firm in the Strip District. He said at first he approached the G-20 Summit from a financial and business point of view -- how it could help Mullen's clients. After brainstorming sessions with others, his perspective changed to how it could benefit all.

"In the past, the G-20 got kind of a black eye, focusing on protesters. We wanted to make it an opportunity for employers and employees to do something positive. As an alternative to coming to work, they could get out into the suburbs in every direction for community service. That idea has since expanded so that anyone can be involved," Mr. Ash said.

To volunteer or for more information, call Mr. Dashevsky at 412-487-6316, option 2. A listing of all events is at www.pittsburghdayofservice.com.