Shared Hobbies, Real Connection: How Lauren and Jadan Found Friendship

I sat down with Lauren and Jadan, two Social Club attendees who found friendship through the club that brings young people together. Both in their early 20s, Jadan moved here after college for a job, and Lauren moved to begin graduate school at Pitt. The two had similar reasons for attending Social Club events; as Jadan put it, she knew “exactly 0 people here.”

Lauren and Jadan met at the Social Club’s Craft and Coffee event! Lauren, working on a crochet sweater project, sat down next to Jadan, who was working on a crochet Pokémon commission. The two shared an interest in crochet and commiserated about the loss of Joann Fabrics going out of business. They both agreed that good yarn brands are hard to come by.

Now, the two continue to attend Social Club events together and have also met more friends, including me. They both agreed that the Social Club is great for finding new hobbies and getting out of your comfort zone. Jadan admitted that she’s “made far more friends through the Social Club than she would have through Facebook groups or naturally, and that it makes the whole process so much easier and way less painful.”

Something that really stood out from our conversation was when Lauren said, “There’s truly a place for anyone with any interests. Everyone has been super welcoming, and everyone really has the same goal: to meet other people. I would recommend it for anyone, no matter how long they’ve lived in Pittsburgh!”

In 2026, Lauren and Jadan are looking forward to attending more Social Club events and maybe even helping host a couple of events in their respective hobby areas. They are also excited to build connections with those they’ve already met, as well as new people who happen to join.

Thank you to Lauren and Jadan for being open about their story and experience. If you have a story you want to share or an experience at Social Club, reach out at isabel@pghsocialclub.com.