The winter of 2017-2018 has been challenging, bringing snow and bitterly cold temperatures and creating especially difficult situations for people who are homeless and hungry.
The owners of a local coffee shop didn't just think about that problem, but decided to do something to help.
National Grind in Ellwood City has been serving up coffee to the neighborhood for years.
A steady stream of regulars comes to the space not only for the coffee and pastries, but also to support the business' quiet mission of caring.
A sign on the door is the only indication that there's something different about the shop: that even if you have nothing in your wallet, you can have something warm in your mug and nourishing in your stomach.
"People need somewhere to go, they need somewhere where they can come and build their confidence," said Bob Rivers, who runs the shop with his wife, Jackie.
"Coffee and tea are the most inexpensive luxuries you can buy everyday, but some people don't even have that. So to give them a cup of coffee to build their confidence to go out and change their life and maybe go get a job... [it's] huge."
"All I can think about is how hard it is to come up to a complete stranger and say, 'I've had the worst day of my life, can I please just have a cup of coffee,'" said Jackie Rivers.
The answer is always yes.
Bob and Jackie said many of the people who come and take advantage of their help are victims of domestic violence and living out of their cars.
So not only do Bob and Jackie offer them food and drink at the National Grind, but they also provide them with information on what they can do and where they can go to get help.